A Coastguard emergency vessel from Shetland is battling against severe gales and heavy seas to rescue a cargo ship from Barbados that got into difficulty north of Cape Wrath.

Shetland Coastguard were notified in the early hours of Friday morning that the Wilson Dover, a 1993-built cargo ship that weighs 3,300 tonnes, was having steering problems after suffering a mechanical breakdown. The ship is trying to maintain her head by use of the bow thruster in ferocious weather, 45 miles north-east of Cape Wrath.

The weather there is currently severe gale 9, occasionally storm 10 with rain, poor visibility and heavy seas of up to 8 metres. Conditions are so bad that an early-morning attempt by the Anglian Sovereign, a Coastguard Emergency Towing Vessel sent to try and tow the ship to safety in Kirkwall, had to be abandoned. 

Communications were also poor, with coastguard unable to reach the crew over the radio.

The rescue attempt is on-going, with the ships now progressing at 6.5 knots. They are expected into Kirkwall around 8am on Saturday morning.