SSF finds explanation for farm vessel sinking
A Scottish Sea Farms landing craft sank because of a hole in the hull, it has been confirmed – but the company says the rest of its fleet has been checked and found to be safe.
The vessel Julie Anne sank at its mooring at Fiunary, on the west coast of Scotland, on the morning of 4 July. It had been calm weather and there had been no collision.
Scottish Sea Farms staff worked with specialist partners and the Marine and Coastguard Agency to secure the vessel, limit any environmental impact from leaking diesel and ensure the safety of salmon stock at the site.
There followed a complex salvage operation, starting with a first attempt to recover the vessel via the approved method of lift bags was made on Sunday 21 July . This proved unsuccessful and a series of test lifts thereafter led to the decision to change the recovery method to a specialist crane vessel – the Lara 1 – with the capacity to lift the Julie Anne directly.
The crane was able to raise the sunken vessel on 29 July, and the Julie Anne was towed safely to Spelve on Mull.
It became apparent that the cause of the sinking was a hole in the hull. Scottish Sea Farms’ Head of Health and Safety, Gerry McCormick, said a combination of “unfortunate events” led to the sinking.
He explained: “One of the pad eyes, which keep the fenders in place, had weakened after years of wear and tear as the boat came alongside the pens during routine operations.
“It finally broke and penetrated the hull, and water came in, filling the front and mid voids and overpowering a watertight door that divers observed had been closed.
“The following morning, the team received a notification of the vessel being down by the bow. By the time they arrived on-site, the vessel had sunk.”
The Julie Anne has now been towed to Macduff, where it was built in 2015, to undergo a refit. Meanwhile, some 60 Scottish Sea Farms vessels have been inspected, with none found to be at risk.
The company said its engineers have launched a new inspection regime, and the safety team will be carrying out additional checks during monthly inspections. An ongoing review of watertight doors will be completed by the end of the year.
A further safety measure will see HDPE (high-density polyethylene) matting, a feature on new boats, rolled out to existing craft, replacing tyre fendering at the waterline on the working side of the boat, at a cost of around £4,000 per vessel, said McCormick.
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