Freedom II Foundering Near Oban, 21 February 2024
Summary
The 15.94m UK registered prawn trawler Freedom II (CN 111) foundered 11 nautical miles south-west of Oban, Scotland, on 21 February 2024. The four crew were rescued uninjured and the vessel sank after being towed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The MAIB investigation report 8/2026 found the vessel flooded progressively through a likely vibration-induced fracture of the seawater suction pipe for the deck wash pump; bilge pumps were overwhelmed and additional pumps failed or could not be used. No safety recommendations were issued, as prior recommendations cover the identified issues. A safety flyer has been distributed to the fishing industry.
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GovPing monitors Uk Marine Accident Investigation Branch for new government & legislation regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 5 changes logged to date.
What changed
The MAIB published its investigation report into the foundering of the fishing vessel Freedom II. The vessel flooded progressively from the engine room after a likely vibration-induced fracture of the deck wash pump seawater suction pipe overwhelmed the bilge system; power supply issues prevented the use of backup pumps and the RNLI salvage pump was not deployed. The skipper's timely alert ensured crew survival despite poor signal coverage.
Owners and operators of fishing vessels in comparable operational conditions should review bilge pump capacity, pipe integrity (particularly vibration-prone suction lines), and backup pump power configurations. The absence of formal recommendations reflects prior MAIB recommendations for similar flooding scenarios — operators should assess whether existing guidance from MAIB reports on Guiding Light, Guiding Star, and Opportune has been implemented aboard their vessels.
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Foundering of the fishing vessel Freedom II (CN 111)
Location: 11 nautical miles south-west of Oban, Scotland.
From: Marine Accident Investigation Branch Published 2 April 2026 Vessel type: Fishing vessel Report type: Investigation report Date of occurrence: 21 February 2024
Accident Investigation Report 8/2026
Read our marine accident investigation report, which includes what happened and subsequent actions taken:
MAIB investigation report 8-2026: Freedom II
Summary
On 21 February 2024, the 15.94m UK registered prawn trawler Freedom II foundered 11 nautical miles south-west of Oban, Scotland. The four crew were rescued uninjured. After being towed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the vessel sank and was not recovered.
Safety issues
- The vessel foundered due to a progressive flood into the engine room.
- The exact source of the flood could not be identified. The most likely cause was a vibration-induced fracture of the seawater suction pipe for the deck wash pump.
- The rate of flooding overwhelmed the operational bilge pumps and additional pumps either failed or could not be used due to power supply issues. The salvage pump from the lifeboat was not used.
- The skipper was proactive in ensuring that the crew were safe and managed to raise the alarm in an area of poor signal coverage.
Recommendations
No safety recommendations have been made due to previous recommendations made for Guiding Light and Guiding Star and Opportune.
Related publications
- A safety flyer to the fishing industry was also produced with this report to highlight the safety issues identified by this investigation.
- MAIB report 13/2024: Guiding Light and Guiding Star
- MAIB report 3/2026: Opportune
Photograph credit
Image courtesy of MarineTraffic.
Published 2 April 2026 Contents
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