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Skye grounding crew's data did not show boulder

Jan Saetre/MarineTraffic.com Chemical tanker Key BroraJan Saetre/MarineTraffic.com
The chemical tanker's hull was damaged in last year's grounding incident

A tanker carrying chemicals ran aground because the crew used seabed survey data that did not show a boulder near a pier, an investigation has found.

The Gibraltar-register Key Bora was approaching fish farming company Mowi's pier at Kyleakin, Skye, when the incident happened on 28 March last year.

No-one was injured and there was no pollution, but the ship's hull was damaged and there was flooding in its ballast tanks.

The Key Bora was aground for about 12 minutes before re-floating.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the crew used locally-produced data rather than an electronic nautical navigation system, which would have shown the boulder.

The MAIB has made safety recommendations to Mowi about its operation of the pier.

  • A report into the grounding of a chemical tanker at Kyleakin, Skye, has been published.
  • The ship, Key Bora, got into difficult in March last year.
  • The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said survey data the crew had used did not show a boulder at a pier they were approaching.
  • Safety recommendations have been issued.