Lysblink Seaways - Day 4 Morning

With the wind now in the northwest, the weather has turned colder.  Even on the western side of Kilchoan Bay, where the air temperature very rarely gets down to zero, the thermometer this morning was reading 0.5C and there was a sharp ground frost.

Men from Briggs Marine are seen here getting a new oil boom out, even though there has been no sign of leaking oil.  The story around is that, although a fuel tank might have been breached, it was, fortunately, empty.  Welders are on board working in the fuel tanks, and the salvage teams will later move the fuel into the safe tanks.  Despite all this, an oil spill is still a worry.

Damage to the bottom of the Lysblink Seaways is considerable and there are questions whether she'll ever sail again, or be towed away for scrap.  Meanwhile, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Enforcement Officer - the maritime equivalent of a policeman in British waters - has been on the ship and interviewed captain and crew.

There are two boats seen here tied up alongside the Lysblink Seaways.  Forth Jouster is on the inside - she's seen with a crane deployed - and the smaller barge at left is being used to ferry heavy equipment between the slipway and the Jouster.

Although everyone here remains very worried, some locals have reason to smile.  One item of equipment that has to go out is this 5 tonne generator which has arrived on the back of a truck.  Bert Cameron, seen here, runs a building equipment hire company from his home in Ormsaigmore, and he was asked to lift it down the slipway to the barge.  He hasn't anything which will do that, but he's thought of a way round: the truck has a crane that can lift it onto his trailer, he can then back the trailer down the slipway to where the barge's crane can reach it.

The main worry for the MCA, the salvage teams and everyone on shore is the forecast.  This is XCWeather's prediction for tomorrow, and that southerly wind gusting well above gale force around 12 midday is the worst possible news.