Drifting ghost ship yacht recovered from Highland shoreline in mystery rescue

Volunteer coastguards rescued a phantom boat found dragging its anchor off the coast the Scottish Highlands last night.

The volunteers, based out of Kyle of Lochalsh, were responding to multiple reports of a yacht drifting perilously close to rocky shoreline.

Rescuers arrived at Toscaig bay at 7:15pm and found the 30-foot vessel floating near the Applecross Peninsula.

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Following a search of the ship, they were puzzled to find no-one onboard.

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The coastguard, speaking to the person who initially reported the desolate ship, discovered that the occupants had gone ashore earlier that day and had yet to return.

Volunteer coast guard Andrew Macdonald said: “It’s not too uncommon to find an empty ship, just last month we had a similar call-out in which we found a yacht adrift with no-one onboard.

“Ships going adrift unmanned can happen for any number of reasons: misjudging the weather, the anchor not setting properly, a rope could come loose, and even the mooring could fail.”

The abandoned ship was found dragging it’s anchor off the coast of Toscaig in the Scottish Highlands. Picture: RNLIThe abandoned ship was found dragging it’s anchor off the coast of Toscaig in the Scottish Highlands. Picture: RNLI
The abandoned ship was found dragging it’s anchor off the coast of Toscaig in the Scottish Highlands. Picture: RNLI

The crew got to work recovering the ship, towing it to a suitable mooring before could it run aground.

A suitable mooring was then found for the phantom ship.

One local man confirmed that the two occupants of the boat had left the yacht earlier that day, taking a dinghy ashore.

RNLI volunteers revealed it is not uncommon for vessels to drift away without crew. Picture: RNLIRNLI volunteers revealed it is not uncommon for vessels to drift away without crew. Picture: RNLI
RNLI volunteers revealed it is not uncommon for vessels to drift away without crew. Picture: RNLI

The Stornoway coastguard said the owners of the ship collected it from its mooring later that night.

The volunteer coastguards are well thought of locally, having just received a donation of £1000 from Kishon port Ltd and Ferguson transport and shipping.

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