Picture Credits: RNLI Kessock
Picture caption: RNLI Kessock assist yacht aground at Carnarc Point
Date: 22/06/2015
Author: Dan Holland
On Sunday afternoon (21 June) volunteers from RNLI Kessock had just launched on a routine training exercise when they saw that a yacht had gone aground at Carnarc point at the entrance to Inverness Harbour.
The volunteer crew were launching their lifeboat, Robert and Isobel Mowat at 12.15pm to conduct a navigation exercise in The Beauly Firth.
The tide was coming in, while weather and sea conditions were good.
Having seen the vessel aground the crew contacted Aberdeen Coastguard to advise them of the situation and put their training exercise on hold. They were asked by the Coastguard to go and offer assistance to the yacht.
The 2 experienced sailors when offered a tow happily accepted it from the lifeboat. Helmsman Doug Grant used the towline to steady the yacht while the sailors raised the jib sail to help lift the keel off the seabed. This action along with the rising tide made floating the yacht again very easy, just wait for the tide to rise.
Kessock volunteer Helmsman Doug Grant said: ‘This was a routine job really for the volunteer crew at Kessock. Carnarc point is notorious for vessels going aground. Thankfully on this occasion no damage was done, nobody was injured and the sailors were back on their way again in half an hour’
Once afloat again, the sailors made their way into Inverness Harbour while the lifeboat crew re-started their training exercise.
This shout was latest call out in what has become a very busy recent spell for Kessock lifeboat volunteers being the 7th shout in the last 14 days.