Category: Shipping

 

On Wednesday afternoon vintage tug Golden Cross was towed out of the rocky inlet at Shepherds Point where she had drifted to the previous day. After being lashed to Serco tug SD Resourceful in the middle of Loch Long and accompanied by an MOD police boat and RIB police launch, the vessel continued to her original mooring off Ardentinny Hotel.

On examination of the mooring by the MOD crew, we understand that it was impossible to secure the Golden Cross, as the ‘t/bar’ on the buoy had been ripped off. The buoy will therefore need to be replaced.

HMRT Golden Cross was last night taken to a temporary mooring near to the mouth of Loch Goil.

Click image to enlarge.

Video footage to follow shortly.

Video of the refloating of the Golden Cross on Wednesday 29 August.

Related to the Golden Cross mooring incident reported earlier this week, we received the following email for publication from Mr. D. Symon which is reproduced here with his permission.

Just a short note to let people know the facts about the mooring of the Golden Cross. The tug did not break or wear through her mooring chains. After consultation with an expert (of) 30 years experience the mooring had been tampered with. The Queens Harbour Master had inspected the mooring when it was laid and he was happy with it. So myself and other parties involved along with a mooring expert have come to the conclusion that one or more persons tampered with the mooring. We thank ardentinny.org for their unbiased report.

D. Symon.

After some thirty six hours marooned on a LochLong sandbank and with a little help from the Ben-Crom, the Golden Cross was finally reunited with her mooring early this afternoon. More photographs and video of the operation to follow.