SEVENTY YEARS AGO Thursday March 13, 1952

Fishing boat aground in fog

The Clyde ringnet herring fishing vessel, Pride of the Clyde (TT 20) – owner skipper Mr Archibald Kerr, Tarbert – ran aground on Thursday morning just north of Skipness Point, Kintyre, in Kilbrannan Sound.

The fishing boat Boy Danny of Campbeltown radioed a message to Campbeltown and the local lifeboat, City of Glasgow, coxswain Duncan Newlands in charge, proceeded to the casualty.

The lifeboat reached the fishing boat shortly after 9am. The coxswain and crew managed to get a rope aboard the boat and pulled her off the beach. There was no damage and the fishing boat was able to make Tarbert Loch Fyne under her own power. While she was aground, the Tarbert boat Silvercrest stood by.

The Pride of the Clyde was not fishing at the time. She had been out with the fleet, but had difficulty with her nets, so she was returning home from Ballantrae to get another net when she grounded in the heavy morning fog.

Mr Kerr later stated that there was a sair wind and visibility was poor. He asks us to thank all who in any way assisted or rendered aid to him and his crew that morning and so helped in the safety of the boat.

The thick fog persisted throughout Friday, interrupting shipping and air services.

The BEA plane services to Campbeltown were cancelled and all flying training at the Royal Naval Air Station was suspended for the same reason.