The father of a fisherman lost at sea fears that a Fatal Accident Inquiry will not produce answers about what happened to his son.
Scott MacAlister, a 40-year-old father of three, was the only crewman on the prawn trawler Speedwell when it sank on April 25 2013.
The incident occurred off Easdale island, around 14 miles from Oban.
His father Peter MacAlister, 70, a former fisherman and boat builder, says that the only way to find out for certain what went wrong is to raise the boat from the seabed.
Scott MacAlister’s family had to take legal steps to have him declared dead, so that a FAI can take place.
The Crown Office has now declared that the inquiry into his death will be held on June 5, 6 and 7 at Oban Sheriff Court.
Mr MacAlister snr fears that it could be a pointless exercise.
The MAIB published its final report in January 2014. It concluded that: “Speedwell probably sank as a result of water ingress through an unsealed and unsecured flush deck hatch leading to the vessel’s aft store.”
The MAIB recommended that owner John Connell take steps to ensure any boat he owns in future is operated safely.
Mr MacAlister’s family have been in correspondence with the MAIB, as they believe the report contains “inaccuracies” and “assumptions”. For example, the report refers to there having been lifejackets aboard, however the family say there is no evidence of this.
Mr MacAlister snr said: “I hope the FAI doesn’t go ahead until they lift the boat. The only way to get it right and find out what actually happened is to lift it.
“We have been trying to get answers for four years. Because there is so much to be sorted out, I think that they can’t possibly get through it all in three days.”
An MAIB spokesman said: “The MAIB has conducted a thorough investigation into the loss of FV Speedwell, which resulted in the tragic loss of its skipper, Scott MacAlister, and is satisfied that its report of the investigation identifies the safety issues relevant in this case.”
A spokesman for the Crown Office said: “As we have stated previously raising a boat is a matter for the Marine Accidents Investigation Branch, or the owner of the vessel.”
