Salvors Re-Float M/V Priscilla from Scotland’s Pentland Skerries -Update

Photo: HM Coastguard

Update: The MV Priscilla was successfully re-floated Wednesday night at around 9 p.m., the Maritime Coastguard Agency said. Following an inspection, permission was granted for the vessel to be towed to Scapa Flow, Orkney Isles, where it is expected to arrive Thursday morning.

Earlier: An attempt to re-float the grounded cargo ship MV Priscilla from Scotland’s Pentland Skerries may be made Wednesday night if weather and tide conditions allow, says Acting SOSRep Hugh Shaw.

With the cargo discharge operations now complete, operations to prepare the vessel for a re-float moved a step closer today after a Salvage Control Unit (SCU) meeting reported good progress was being made.

If the weather and tidal conditions continue to hold, an attempt may be made to re-float the vessel later tonight at high water around 10 p.m. local time.

If the re-float is successful, the vessel will be towed a safe distance from the grounding position location and will be held there until inspections confirm she is in a stable condition to undertake a short sea passage to a sheltered location.

Acting SOSRep Hugh Shaw said a number of locations are still being considered and the final decision will be made once the structural integrity of the vessel has been established.

The 89-meter, Netherlands-registered M/V Priscilla ran agroun last Wednesday, July 18th. All six crew members remain on onboard and reported safe. 

A Temporary Exclusion Zone of 1000 meters remains in place around grounded vessel.

No pullution has been observed as a result of the grounding. 

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