Lerwick Lifeboat tows in yacht after fire on board

The British-registered yacht, with four adult crew on board, had set off from Lerwick before 2pm today leaving by the north entrance to the harbour, bound for Norway. Only around 30 minutes later, around four nautical miles north of Bressay, a fire was detected below deck, which was extinguished automatically by the on-board fire suppression system. There were no injuries as a result of the fire.

It soon emerged that the vessel’s hydraulics were disabled, meaning the vessel had no steering or other systems. With potentially toxic gases below deck, inspection of the systems at sea wasn’t possible and the skipper of the vessel contacted HM Coastguard for assistance - Lerwick Lifeboat launched just before 3.30pm.

The Council ferry MV Filla diverted from her route to standby the stricken yacht, while Lerwick Lifeboat made good speed, to reach the vessel at 3.50pm.

The Coxswain determined quickly that a tow was necessary and a line was soon established before the lifeboat towed the vessel at a steady four to five knots back to the safety of Lerwick Harbour for around 6.30pm.

The yacht was taken alongside at Alexandra Quay, just north of the Bressay ferry terminal, where she was met by Coastguard Rescue Teams and fire crews from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who boarded the vessel to carry out safety checks. The vessel will remain in Lerwick harbour for inspection and repairs.

Weather conditions were good, with an air temperature of around 13 degrees Celsius and a westerly breeze, Force 4-5.

Coxswain Stephen Manson said: “We were pleased to be able to assist the crew after what must have been a distressing experience to have a fire on board. It’s fortunate that they had not travelled far on their voyage and we’re glad that the vessel is now safely in harbour before the crew considers setting off again.”

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