Unwell skipper fell asleep at helm of fishing boat which ran aground and sank

A fishing vessel sank off the west coast of Scotland after the skipper at the helm fell asleep while unwell with the flu.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) was tasked with finding out what happened to the Silver Cloud II on October 14, 2025.

According to the report, the vessel was holed and partially flooded, forcing the three crew members to abandon ship.

It ran aground on rocks at Rubha Rodha, near Lochinver, and eventually sank.

The MAIB found that the skipper, who worked for 25 years as a fisherman, fell asleep while alone in the wheelhouse due to a combination of fatigue and flu.

What happened in the lead-up to the sinking?

On October 11, Silver Cloud II departed Gairloch and went on to fish for most of the day before arriving in Ullapool. At the time, the skipper was experiencing flu-like symptoms, but was deemed fit to sail.

The next day, the crew departed Ullapool and continued to fish before sailing to an old submarine mooring buoy known as ‘The Can’ in Loch Ewe.

On October 13, Silver Cloud II departed for its fishing grounds for the day, but the net was found to be significantly damaged.

The crew decided to proceed to Stornoway to land their catch and conduct repairs.

The vessel arrived at 3pm, by which time the skipper went to bed, while the deckhand and mate repaired the net and landed the catch.

At 9pm, the skipper awoke, and the crew decided to conduct a night trawl to make up for earlier, departing at 9.30pm.

At 11.30pm, the skipper took the wheel, set the waypoint for the fishing grounds and put the boat on autopilot.

However, the skipper fell asleep and the boat continued on its journey before eventually colliding with rocks at Rubha Rodha at 2.38am.

Following an inspection of the boat, there was around a metre of water in the fish hold.

The skipper decided to abandon the vessel, with all three men donning lifejackets.

The deckhand was able to step onto the rocks, but the Silver Cloud II continued to tilt away onto its port side.

The mate entered the water and was assisted to shore, while the skipper sent a distress signal, before jumping into the water and coming to shore.

Acknowledgement was given to the regular training drills conducted on board as helping to prevent any casualties during the incident.

The MAIB concluded: “The skipper very likely fell asleep because they were operating with an acute level of fatigue, exacerbated by illness and a level of rest below statutory requirements.

“These combined factors, occurring at a period of circadian low, substantially increased the likelihood of impaired alertness and unintentional sleep.

“Although fitted, the watch alarm system did not provide effective redundancy, limiting the crew’s ability to mitigate the consequences of watchkeeper incapacitation.”