A young fisherman who fell asleep at the wheel and grounded a trawler on rocks causing £80,000 worth of damage was fined £650 at Oban Sheriff Court yesterday.
Kenneth Brown, 20, of 10 Fletcher House, Percey Main, North Shields, admitted failing to keep a proper lookout onboard the Diamond D while fishing for prawns off the Ardnamurchan Peninsula on May 24.
The court heard that the 65ft boat crashed onto rocks and began taking on water and was rescued by Tobermory Lifeboat, which helped to pump it out and towed it off the rocks.
Fiscal Eoin McGinty said: “The ship had been taken out of Oban by the skipper, at which point the crew went for a sleep.
“When Mr Brown took the watch, the crew was woken up shortly afterwards by a grounding of the boat.
“They quickly became aware the boat had hit something. When making his way back to the wheelhouse, the skipper noticed Mr Brown dancing about in a panic.
“There was a reasonably large rescue operation put in place, pumps were brought on board and the lifeboat was launched.
“Damage to the boat was £80,000, and the police as an aside said that every lifeboat launch costs £7,500.”
Solicitor Edward Thornton said: “During the winter months the crew fish from their home port in North Shields. In the summer months they fish around the Small Isles. When they are in these waters they work full time.
“The skipper took the vessel out of Oban Bay at 11pm and piloted passed Tobermory Lighthouse as is the practice. After two hours Mr Brown took over the helm.
“There is no question of drugs or alcohol. He quite honestly and to his credit has not disputed the fact that he simply fell asleep. He says he didn’t feel tired, for some unforeseen reason he can’t explain he dozed off.
“After the incident he was in a state of distress, he was running down stairs to raise the skipper.
“He deeply regrets this. He feels he let down his employer. It is a mark of how well he is regarded that he has kept his employment.”
Sheriff John Herald told Brown: “The important point is that notwithstanding what happened your employer still trusts you. You have been honest and straight-forward right from the very start.
“I have to balance that against the amount of money that has been spent.”