LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Aberdeen City

THIRTEEN TRAWLERMEN SAVED Stronsay, Orkneys. At 1.30 on the morning of Monday the 16th September, 1963, the honorary secretary received a telephone call from the Kirkwall coastguard saying that the trawler Aberdeen City, 101 tons, which was sailing for the Faroes fishing grounds with a crew of 13, had gone aground at Start Point, Sanday. The life-boat The John Gellatly Hyndman left her moorings at 1.55 and reached the casualty at 3.15. She went alongside the trawler and took off nine of her crew who were immediately landed at Kettletoft pier. The life-boat returned to the casualty at 6.10, having left the trawler St. Giles standing by while she was away. The life-boat then ran a towing warp from the St. Giles to the casualty, but as soon as a strain was placed on the warp it parted. There was a considerable swell at the scene of the casualty with a strong breeze from the west-south-west. By this time the Aberdeen City was bumping so badly she had holed herself and all compartments were flooded. She had taken a steep list to port by high water at ten o'clock. At 9.30 the four remaining crew had been taken aboard the life-boat to see what possibilities there were of salving the ship at a future tide. The life-boat left the casualty at 11.20 and arrived at Kettletoft pier at 12.40, returning to her mooring at two o'clock, after being at sea for twelve hours..