GREEN ISLE

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Fishing vessel grounded in storm

The 'Green Isle' (IMO: 9963645), was disabled with seven people on board, en route from Ardglass to Mallaig, due to serious weather conditions amid a snowstorm in pos. 57 13 00 N, 005 39 24 W, about 1,4 nautical miles south of the Glenelg Ferry Slip on Jan 16, 2024 at 5.30 p.m. UTC. Subseuqently it aground in the Sound of Sleet, Isle of Skye. The RNLI boats of the stations Kyle and Mallaig were mobilized at 5.50 p.m. and reached the scene at 6 p.m. Upon the arrival of the 'Spirit of Fred. Olsen', from Kyle, the vessel was on the rocks and listing slightly to port. The seven crew on board were all accounted for and uninjured. The U.K. Coastguard helicopter Rescue 498 from Inverness arrived on scene, however at this point there was no danger to the crew, so the helicopter was stood down and returned to its base. The tide was coming in rapidly, and approximately 10 minutes later the vessel began to move. The tides in the narrows, which were running at 6,5 knots, began to pivot the vessel around the rock, forcing it hard aground and the list to port side soon increased to 26 degrees, with the potential for this to increase as the tide pressed against the side of the vessel forcing it further towards capsizing. The crew readied their life raft and got prepared to abandon the vessel. The lifeboat could not get alongside the vessel but stood by to rescue the crew who entered the water. At 6.30 p.m. the Mallaig lifeboat arrived on scene, and a couple of minutes later the tide rose sufficiently, so that the vessel began to level off and then came off the rocks. Due to the nature of the grounding the vessel decided to proceed to the nearest port to be inspected for damage, therefore they headed for Mallaig. The Mallaig lifeboat escorted the vessel back to the harbour to ensure it made it safely, and the Kyle lifeboat returned to its station.The fishing vessel 'Naomh Peader 2' went on standby and escorted the ship into Mallaig harbor along with the Mallaig RNLI boat, where the vessel was met by the Mallaig CRT. Divers attended the vessel on Jan 17. Report with photo: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2024/january/16/kyle-and-mallaig-lifeboats-launched-to-trawler-hard-aground-at-kylerhea-narrows