This day last week there was drama here at the harbour. Late Thursday evening one of the fishing boats came up on some rocks just off the Kilkeel coast. This would be a fairly rare occurrence, especially so close to shore, so the event gathered a lot of attention.
Nothing could be done until the tide changed, so Friday morning Tugs from Carlingford came to assist the boat off the rocks, with the Kilkeel lifeboat standing by (as well as half of Kilkeel watching from the Harbour Road).
Thankfully the boat came off the rock without damage, and she was able to steam back to Kilkeel unassisted. Nevertheless, the boat went up on the ship lift at the harbour to see if any repairs were necessary. The lift is a busy area, where boats are constantly coming in for repairs, and for painting. Since I arrived three weeks ago, it has always had its three bays full.
The reaction from the public shows how sensitive people in the area are to any potential accident at sea. Recent incidents are still fresh in the memories of the locals, so any happening is now treated with a lot of respect and some nervousness. Thankfully this passed off without further drama. It served as a reminder for me however, that the unpredictable seas are no match for any amount of technology or experience.
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