Kaileen

The master of the "Flinterspirit" on Mar 28 has been fined £3,000 for failing to alter his course and prevent grounding the vessel on a small island off North Uist. Konstantin Golubev, 40, was further fined £300 for being drunk while it was docked in Stornoway, Lewis, three days after the incident on 19 March. Golubev, from St Petersburg, Russia, pleaded guilty to two charges at Stornoway Sheriff Court. He admitted to not altering the cargo ship's course at a designated position as required. The court heard he was asleep in his cabin when he should have been on the bridge. In a separate matter, he admitted to being drunk in charge of the ship.

The captain of the "Flinterspirit" is facing criminal charges after the ship ran aground on rocks in the Western Isles. The "Flinterspirt" went too close to the east side of North Uist while heading south down the Minch on March 19 on its way to Belfast from Sweden with a cargo of wood . The Captain Konstantin Golubev was accused of failing to maintain a proper lookout and prevent the grounding while he was the master responsible for the vessel. The Russian is also accused of failing to alter course as required to prevent the ship suffering serious damage. In a separate incident, the 40-year-old skipper was also accused of being drunk in charge of the ship at Stornoway harbour three days after it grounded. It was alleged that he recorded an alcohol reading of 121mcg, more than three times higher than the legal limit of 35mcg. Golubev appeared at Stornoway Sheriff Court on Mar 27 and was released on bail. The ship underwent an underwater survey at Stornoway after having been salvaged and stayed there for several days before departing for Belfast.

the "Flinterspirit" on Mar 20 has been escorted to Stornoway after it ran aground off North Uist in the night, after the vessel refloated at high tide at about 05:00 a.m. It will be inspected in Stornoway on Lewis before being allowed to continue its journey. The "Anglian Sovereign", a tug hired by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to cover the Northern Isles, was sent to the scene from Orkney. It remained in the Minch until the "Flinterspirit" reached safe anchorage. Report with photo: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-17441945