Trio forced to abandon ship after vessel began to sink

THREE men were forced to abandon a boat they were sailing yesterday after she began to sink six miles east of Aberdeen.

The home-made catamaran, named Gang Dry, was travelling from Northumberland to Inverness when she started taking in water at around 11.30am.

She was later destroyed when she washed up against cliffs at Doonies Yawns, near Nigg Bay.

Aberdeen RNLI received a radio distress call from the boat’s crew, after water started coming in through a deck hatch that they were unable to close.

A lifeboat arrived at around noon and the catamaran’s crew disembarked from the sinking vessel.

Aberdeen RNLI coxwain Rod McGillivray said: “The boat was assessed to be unstable and so the three catamaran crew were transferred across to the lifeboat.

“A tow was established but en route back to Aberdeen it was felt the catamaran was too unstable and so the tow was detached four miles off Nigg Bay.”

The owner of the boat, who was one on the three men on board, is believed to be from Castle Douglas, in Dumfries and Galloway.

An Aberdeen Coastguard spokesman said: “They attempted to tow the boat, but it got to the stage where it was too dangerous as it was very unstable and taking in a lot of water. She drifted into cliffs just south of Aberdeen and by 4.30pm had been smashed to bits.”