GY689 OKINO

[northeast]

1962, 273grt
Goole Shipbuilding (532) for Diamonds Steam Fishing, Grimsby
Engine-room fire at Grimsby on 12/10/1978, broken up there in 04/1979

[matherman]

In respect to the Okino I wish to ask about the statement placed with the photo as I was the Superintendent of the Royal National Mission to deep Sea Fishermen (Fishermen's mission ) at the Lerwick Centre Shetland Islands in 1978 and we cared for the crew except the Chief Engineer,after they were landed there by lifeboat (RNLI) and I quote from a newspaper report of the time :

"In Oct 1978 the steel hulled motor fishing trawler Okino, registered in Grimsby, (GY689) England caught fire at a position approx 53 miles W of Shetland when a fuel pipe fractured.The chief engineer was badly burned while trying to shut down the engines, and was airlifted from the vessel to hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland by helicopter. The remainder of the crew abandoned ship on to a Ocean Inchcape Ltd. oil supply vessel which took the burning Okino in tow to Lerwick. Upon arrival a significant blaze was still burning below decks which made conditions very punishing on the firefighters attempting to extinguish it with conventional water jets while wearing breathing apparatus, and it was decided to use expanding foam instead, which was successful. This was the first incident that foam had been used in the Northern Fire Board area. "

So to say that it was in Grimsby is incorrect but it may have been broken up there

[michaelb]

Photos from Michael Stephenson....

[northeast]

Many thanks for this correction!

[matherman]

I found these two photos of the Okino at Lerwick harbour after the fire - I am the Mission superintendent in uniform and with me is Commander Finlayson of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society for whom the Mission acted as agent for their work.