Portree Lifeboat attends a stricken yacht in Loch Dunvegan

Portree Lifeboat was launched at 12:54pm on Wednesday 14 July 2021 to a report of a 42ft yacht, with three uninjured adults, aground on Isay Island at the mouth of Loch Dunvegan, on the west side of the Isle of Skye.

A local fishing boat took the three persons on board pending the arrival of the lifeboat. Once on scene, two of the lifeboat crew boarded the yacht and reported to the coxswain of the situation. The level of the water in the cabin was below the sea level, this could possibly float the yacht as the tide rises. The coxswain made the decision that if the yacht re-floated, this could place it in the way of the Minch Marine Traffic Separation Lane for Large Vessels. The two lifeboat crew members bailed the yacht to a point of stability and a tow was established. The towed vessel was taken to Dunvegan Pier which was the nearest ‘safe and suitable port’.

Once alongside in Dunvegan, the UKCG (United Kingdom Coastguard) and SFRS (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service) were waiting to assist with their salvage pumps. Portree Lifeboat returned and made ready for service about 00:50 am the following morning.

LOM, (Lifeboat Operations Manager) John Ellis stated “The crew were launched at 12:54pm and didn’t return home until 00:50am that night, it was a long and exhausting shout for our crew but thankfully with good results, I would like to extend my thanks on this occasion to employers and family members, all six of the crew left their jobs in the middle of the day and didn’t return until dinners and bedtimes had long gone. The Station Mechanic was sent a message from the owners “she would certainly have sunk without your help”, so that’s a silver lining.

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