Orkney company in Scrabster salvage operation

A fishing boat which sunk in Scrabster Harbour almost two weeks ago was raised at the weekend, after a successful salvage operation led by an Orkney company.

Stromness based marine renewables support company Green Marine used their gantry barge to lift the Buckie fishing boat Shalimar from the bottom of the harbour.

The 22m long vessel sank after making contact with the harbour wall on May 1, with the four man crew escaping without injury. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch are currently investigating the incident into the incident.

Jason Schofield, managing director of Green Marine, said that his company had two barges and a team of seven men on the scene as they launched the salvage operation of the vessel, which he said, has been declared a total loss by insurers.

He said that it would have been impossible to raise the stricken fishing boat using a shore based crane, as the quayside was not strong enough to hold such weights.

Working along with a dive team, as well as with the multi-cat vessel Voe Viking, owned by Delta Marine, the trawler was successfully lifted from the seabed by Green Marine in an operation which took place on Saturday and Sunday.

Work is currently underway to make the vessel watertight.

Further details in The Orcadian on Thursday.