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Tugboat mystery solved in Howth

Wednesday, 16 April 2008

A TUGBOAT that sparked a search by coastguards on both sides of the Irish Sea has turned up safely in Howth Harbour.
HM Coastguard based in Liverpool was concerned about the fate of the vessel, ‘Brocklebank’, which left Liverpool bound for Dublin late on Saturday, April 5, as it was overdue and had not reported to its shore contact.
Liverpool Coast Guard began broadcasting messages looking for the tugboat on VHF radio.
When they couldn’t reach it, they contacted the Irish Coast Guard in Dublin and asked for assistance before initiating a full-scale sea search.
Dublin Coast Guard contacted Howth Coast Guard at 3am on Sunday, April 6, and requested that Coast Guard personnel search Howth Harbour for any trace of the ‘Brocklebank’.
Colin Murray, Coast Guard Area Officer, said it didn’t take long to locate the ‘Brocklebank’, which was moored to the Middle Pier in Howth Harbour with all the crew fast asleep in their bunks.

“The crew were very apologetic when they realised that coast guards on both sides of the Irish Sea were looking for them,” said Officer Murray.
“While the need for a major sea and air search was averted, the lesson to be learned from this episode is the importance of letting someone on shore know of your departure and safe arrival in port.”
It is believed the ‘Brocklebank’ was in Howth to have work done at the harbour’s dry dock facility.
The tugboat is owned by the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the only British museum to have a sea-going vessel in its collection.
Dating from 1964, the ‘Brocklebank’ is crewed by enthusiastic volunteers from the Friends of Merseyside Maritime Museum who are all qualified mariners.
When not attending maritime festivals around Britain, ‘Brocklebank’ can be seen moored opposite the museum.

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