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Lifeboat team leads stricken trawler to safety

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A lifeboat coxswain yesterday described the challenges involved in rescuing a world famous fishing boat, after it suffered a power failure off the north-east coast.

The crew of the Peterhead-registered Fruitful Bough radioed for help after their vessel lost its steerage about three miles from Boddam.

It happened just after 3.30pm on Tuesday.

The local RNLI team was then scrambled to the stricken boat by coastguards in Aberdeen. The town’s Tamar class craft Misses Robertson of Kintail reached the 75ft trawler within minutes and began towing it back to port for repairs.

Coxswain Andy Brown said last night: “Without any means of steering the vessel it proved to be a very challenging tow.”

It took about two hours the bring the boat back to Peterhead, where the harbour tug boat took over and led the Fruitful Bough to its berth.”

The lifeboat was stood down at 6.30pm and returned to its base.

The Fruitful Bough became well known after featuring prominently in the BBC’s groundbreaking Trawlermen documentary. The show, which ran for four series, is still broadcast all over the world.

Earlier this year, the Fruitful Bough was named as one of 100 trawler crews which had claimed almost £2million in financial aid as part of a Scottish Government hardship fund.

Skipper Stephen West said at the time: “It has been a very difficult few years for us, so these funds will certainly make a big difference and help pay the bills, which are always accumulating.”

An RNLI spokesman said there was a 3ft swell at the time of the rescue and visibility was excellent.

“Peterhead lifeboat is always interested to hear from anyone wishing to help save lives at sea by joining the fundraising team or the crew,” he said.

On their last major call-out on June 6, the Blue Toon team undertook a lengthy North Sea mission following reports of a sick crewman on an oil support vessel, some 60 miles off the Buchan coast.

The mercy boat was called out at 10.30am and reached the Vos Sentinel vessel by 2pm. The sailor, who is understood to have had an abscess in his mouth, was successfully transferred onto the lifeboat and was taken back to Peterhead by 5.30pm.