Lifeboat crew assist grounded yacht in Plockton

Laura Hodgetts
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A yacht ran aground in Plockton bay, Wester Ross, in the Scottish Highlands after breaking free from its mooring – with two people on board.

Kyle of Lochalsh RNLI’s volunteer crew were paged at 3:55am yesterday morning, 27 June, to assist the cruiser, t May Dream, which was listing dangerously with the receding tide.

Kyle Lifeboat, Spirit of Fred. Olsen, launched at 4:05am at the request of Stornoway Coastguard.

The lifeboat arrived on scene at 4:15am to find the 36ft yacht, which had two people on board, aground and listing heavily.

The crew of the stricken vessel were trying to secure the yacht to the shore to stop it listing any further, so the lifeboat put a crew member ashore to make sure the yachtsmen were not injured and to check the condition of the yacht.

The lifeboat then stayed on scene until low water at 6:45am, to make sure the yacht did capsize or suffer any further damage as it dried out.  Once the lifeboat crew were satisfied that the yachtsmen were safe and in no danger, Kyle lifeboat returned to station at 7:20am.

The crew then launched again at 8:20am to return to the scene, and make sure the yacht was not taking on any water or leaking fuel as it refloated on the incoming tide.

The lifeboat put a crew member and salvage pump on board the yacht until it was confirmed that there was no water ingress. Once the yacht was refloated and was back in deeper water, the lifeboat escorted it to a safe mooring before returning to Kyle at 10:30am.