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News

Oban lifeboat gets new salvage trash pump

01 Jan 2006

The Oban lifeboat has been gifted a new salvage pump by yacht insurers Navigators & General after her former pump was lost during the dramatic rescue of crew from the yacht Classic Wave that sank off Kerrera in September 2005, writes Mike Balmforth.

Classic Wave ran aground on the island of Kerrera after engine failure and the Oban lifeboat was called to a rescue that was described by coxswain Ronnie MacKillop as one of the most challenging he has undertaken. In a steep and difficult sea a lifeboatman boarded the sinking yacht with a pump, but this couldn't cope with the ingress of water and Classic Wave had to be abandoned.

The new 4LH "trash" pump is so called because it can cope with rubbish as well as water - essential in most salvage situations.

Our picture shows the new salvage pump with Lorraine McCracken and Jean Nicolson.

Looking on are Mike Robertson, Sandy Wood (Troon Marine Services, supplier), Douglas Craig and Billy Forteith.

Images for this article - click to enlarge

Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2008. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.

Related products

For more information on products mentioned within this article visit

Navigators & General Ins Co Ltd