Sunken fishing boat salvaged off Welsh coast

The salvage operation was performed by the Falmouth-based team of KML under contract to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

The 11-metre Beaumaris-registered boat left the port of Conway on January 17 and was not located until April 13, just 1.9 nautical miles from the shore and 177 metres from its last reported position.

KML recovered the wreck using four vessels from its in-house specialist fleet, including the crane barge BD6072, multi-cat Sarah Grey, multi-purpose vessel Severn Sea, and tug Venture.

Initially, KML used the 147gt Severn Sea to conduct a survey of the sunken vessel where she came to rest on the seabed 16 metres below high water level. Using the ship’s Light Work class Cougar ROV, the debris field, including fishing equipment, was scanned and carefully mapped for later recovery by divers.

Such salvage operations require detailed planning and careful execution to ensure preservation of evidence and to minimise environmental impact. The gathered information will be crucial in helping the MAIB understand what led to the loss of the vessel.

In preparation for the recovery, KML produced detailed lift and salvage plans, including anti-pollution contingency planning. On site, a number of anchors were accurately positioned on the seabed to secure the crane barge on location, and divers carried out further survey and inspection work. KML’s diving subcontractors, SeaWide Services, supplied a diving container and a team of five divers led by MD Brendan Rowe, who inspected the vessel and installed KML’s heavy lift rigging underneath the casualty’s 11-ton hull which was carefully raised to the surface by crane barge BD6072 (capable of lifting up to 150te). It was then placed on the deck of the 25m, 106gt Sarah Grey which carried it to the nearby dock at Bangor for detailed analysis by the MAIB.

KML’s Managing Director, Diccon Rogers, said: “Our ability to provide all vessels, planning, assets and resources in-house meant we could respond quickly and efficiently to this tasking. We are proud to have assisted the MAIB on this precise and sensitive recovery scope, and to have delivered the Nicola Faith safely ashore for the continuation of accident investigation.” He added that “KML would like to express its sincere condolences to the families and friends of Alan Minard, Ross Ballantine, and skipper Carl McGrath, and to the entire local community, for the tragic loss of the vessel and her crew. “

Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Captain Andrew Moll said: “This operation needed to be meticulously planned and executed to ensure that valuable evidence was conserved. We are pleased to have achieved that and successfully recovered Nicola Faith. The purpose of our investigation is to improve safety. The next phase of the investigation will be to establish what events led to the vessel’s capsize, the mechanics of how the vessel sank and why. As well as providing the [bereaved] families with an explanation, our report will aim to prevent such a tragic accident recurring.” The fishermen’s bodies were recovered in March, with one found as far away as Blackpool. The boat’s liferaft ended up off the coast of Scotland.

The wreck had been located by the MAIB and David Mearns, a marine scientist, owner and director of Blue Water Recoveries and a world-renowned expert in locating missing ships and shipwrecks, funded by the bereaved families. He confirmed the Nicola Faith had been found largely intact. The vessel was later formally identified by the MAIB and North Wales Police divers. He added that Nicola Faith was fitted with IVMS tracking, a new system for monitoring fishing boats which gave the last-known position for the vessel.