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Recent emergencies underlines need for coastguard tug          14/4/14

 

Western Isles Council has called for a salvage tug to be based on the west coast of Scotland after separate incidents where ships got into difficulties with the nearest emergency towing vessel days away.

 

The 53,000 tonne MV Eleanor D broke down with engine troubles some 150 miles west of the Hebrides a week ago. It took some five days for help to reach her.

 

Then 10-metre high seas and force eight gales risked blowing the MV Wilson Gdynia bulkcarrier onto rocks after she lost rudder control between Barra and Tiree on Saturday.

 

Desperate to prevent an oil spill if she grounded, her captain used her bow-thruster to punch her at very slow speed along a staggered course away from land.

 

Barra and Tobermory lifeboats stood watch in a heavy swell, ready to take the eight crew off the stricken ship, if required.  

 

The 88-metre long vessel ended up drifting off the Western Isles by the time a tug, chartered from Aberdeen, got to her off Barra on Monday morning.

 

On Tuesday, the Norwegian-owned Wilson Gdynia was being towed to Belfast for repairs to her steering gear.

In neither case was the government chartered tug, MV Herakles mobilised from her station in Orkney.

 

Western Isles Council leader Angus Campbell, hit out at the absence of emergency tug cover down the west coast of Scotland, particularly in the bad weather which concerned coastguards over the Wilson Gdynia emergency.  

 

Mr Campbell said: “It is important that we acknowledge the work of the Barra lifeboat crew in ensuring the safety of this vessel until the rescue boat arrived from Aberdeen.”

 

“However, the time delay in the boat arriving from that distance away, in addition to the severe weather, once again highlights how vulnerable the west coast is to such incidents.

 

“This is the second occasion on which the north based tug has not been used for incidents off the west coast, which contradicts what had previously been agreed on the service and poses the question of whether it is to be used for incidents off the west coast.

 

“Therefore, we would call on the UK Government to reconsider the provision of a second tug based in the western waters of Scotland to reduce the risk for mariners and the environment in what is a major shipping area.”

 

Mr Campbell added: “We call on the UK Government to reassess and find a long term solution to this crucial issue.”

 

Two years ago, a cargo ship ran aground on North Uist just days after the last Western Isles coastguard tug was removed from service.  The islands were faced without any emergency towing tug which could come to the aid of a stricken ship.

 

In a partial u-turn the UK government later hired a tug to cover the vast maritime area   from Barra to Shetland until 2015.  However, it has been rarely seen south of its berth in Kirwall and never at all in recent emergencies.