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Displaying items by tag: OYT

Following the sinking of Ocean Youth Trust's (OYT) Lord Rank on June 8th and the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Board's subsequent examination, OYT has taken 'a number of actions to ensure the future safe operation' of its vessels. This includes 'a review of its procedures and their implementation on board', according to an MAIB report HERE.

The report says The Lord Rank was engaged in a charity fund-raising event last June 8 and was scheduled to call at a number of Northern Ireland ports. The vessel completed her fund-raising activities at Ballycastle and departed port at 2100 with three crew and three passengers on board. The next port of call was Portrush, a passage of about 3 hours under power. No passage planning was undertaken. On clearing the breakwater, the skipper ordered the helmsman to head in a northerly direction. About 10 minutes later he ordered the helmsman to alter course to port and head towards a visual reference point. No further position monitoring was undertaken. The vessel went aground on Carrickmannanon Rock at about 2123. The skipper then broadcast a 'PAN PAN' message on VHF radio that was acknowledged by the Coastguard. A rescue operation involving a helicopter, an inshore lifeboat and an all weather lifeboat ensured that the crew and passengers were landed safely ashore. STV Lord Rank subsequently sank.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) examines and investigates all types of marine accidents to or on board UK ships worldwide, and other ships in UK territorial waters.

The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has written to Ocean Youth Trust Ireland emphasising that 'professional standards need to be maintained at all times'.

The OYT's agm will be held at Balyholme Yacht Club in Bangor, Northern Ireland on October 18th at 7pm.

Published in Tall Ships

Coastal Notes Coastal Notes covers a broad spectrum of stories, events and developments in which some can be quirky and local in nature, while other stories are of national importance and are on-going, but whatever they are about, they need to be told.

Stories can be diverse and they can be influential, albeit some are more subtle than others in nature, while other events can be immediately felt. No more so felt, is firstly to those living along the coastal rim and rural isolated communities. Here the impact poses is increased to those directly linked with the sea, where daily lives are made from earning an income ashore and within coastal waters.

The topics in Coastal Notes can also be about the rare finding of sea-life creatures, a historic shipwreck lost to the passage of time and which has yet many a secret to tell. A trawler's net caught hauling more than fish but cannon balls dating to the Napoleonic era.

Also focusing the attention of Coastal Notes, are the maritime museums which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of historical exhibits for future generations.

Equally to keep an eye on the present day, with activities of existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector and those of the energy exploration industry.

In addition Coastal Notes has many more angles to cover, be it the weekend boat leisure user taking a sedate cruise off a long straight beach on the coast beach and making a friend with a feathered companion along the way.

In complete contrast is to those who harvest the sea, using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety poses an issue, before they set off to ply their trade at the foot of our highest sea cliffs along the rugged wild western seaboard.

It's all there, as Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied to the environment from which they came from and indeed which shape people's interaction with the surrounding environment that is the natural world and our relationship with the sea.