A dredger has arrived at Arbroath harbour to begin clearing a lifeboat access.
The all-weather lifeboat has been unable to launch at low tide due to the high levels of silt in the harbour, which hasn’t been cleared for more than 18 months.
Angus Council was unable to find a replacement for a dredging contract that ended in December 2010 and since then an accumulation of muck has blocked the RNLI station’s slipway and the harbour entrance.
The RNLI welcomed the start of work, although it had stressed the inshore lifeboat had not been affected by the problem.
A council spokeswoman confirmed the dredger arrived at the harbour at around 12.30pm on Thursday and it is understood the boat then left and reappeared around 7pm.
A pin-anchor system will be used to dredge the sea bed with legs holding the machinery in position while the silt is removed.
If the main Arbroath lifeboat is unable to launch, help is called in from Broughty Ferry and Montrose.
The station’s smaller vessel, the Duncan Ferguson, a D-class inshore lifeboat, has limited range and space for only three crew members and less equipment than its bigger brother.
Angus Council had set aside a sum of £150,000 for a three-year dredging contract which was put out to tender but the lowest tender submitted was for £690,000.
Photo by Jim Ratcliffe