A huge supply vessel had to reverse into a Moray port in order to squeeze through its narrow entrance.
The massive FS Arendal arrived in Buckie yesterday morning as part of an order to collect locally-produced lifts for an oil platform.
Harbour staff have described the 240ft boat as “right on the limit” for the size of vessel that can enter the port.
Less than 5ft of clearance was allowed at either side of the London-based craft as it arrived to dock in Moray.
In order to get a clear view of the delicate manoeuvre, the crew asked permission to approach with the rear first.
Personnel watched from the deck in order to check that the boat would make its way through the entrance without hitting pier.
Yesterday, staff at Buckie Harbour described the operation to welcome the FS Arendal into the port as an “excellent job”.
A spokesman said: “At a length of 73.4m and a beam of 17.6m, she was right on the limit of what we can take in here.
“The captain asked to come in aft first as it gave him significantly more visibility of his deck when approaching the narrow part of the entrance, which is 20.6m.
“With the large thrusters, both fore and aft, the vessel had no problems adjusting and fine tuning the angle of entry to ensure that despite the closeness of the piers they were able to make it in and berth without touching a pier.”
