Cargo Ship Runs Aground

A cargo vessel bound for Perth harbour ran aground yesterday just a short distance from its destination. The Bahamian-registered Celtica Hav became stuck above the Shell UK main natural gas liquid pipeline, buried three metres beneath the Tay. The flat-bottomed coaster boat was carrying wheat from Germany. Its seven crew escaped injury. A Shell engineer and Perth harbour master assessed the situation at Seggieden, near Kinfauns. Tayside Fire and Rescue were informed but not required, while a tug was sent from Perth harbour.Celtica Hav, registered in Nassau in the Bahamas, sits stuck on the Tay near Perth.There was no danger to the pipeline and the boat floated free at high tide at 2.30pm, with the help of the tug. Preliminary indications are that the grounding may have been caused by an unforeseen drop in the tide. Last night, the ship was berthed in Perth harbour and its cargo will be unloaded today. It is not the first time that the Tay has proved problematic as in 2005, the German ship Ilka, laden with 3000 tonnes of grain, ran aground at the same location. Last year the Malta-registered Baltiyskiy-201 ran into an island on the Tay, leaving the ship stranded metres from the port.