This has been a tough few months for the community of North Berwick, Scotland. Most recently, the seaside town's local ferry – along with more than 10 other boats – was wrecked when a bad storm hit the East Lothian coast.
According to news source The Scotsman, a 15-meter stretch of the harbor wall was swept away sometime around 3:00 a.m. during a storm on December 15, damaging boats and flooding buildings located near the water.
The Girl Pat is a commercial ferry popular with tourists and bird lovers. Less than a week before the storm damaged the vessel, its beloved owner and operator, 66-year-old Chris Marr, died of head injuries. The cause of the injuries is still unclear, reported the East Lothian Courier.
Marr was well known in the community, running boat trips to the nearby Bass Rock along with his father and brother. Local residents told the East Lothian Courier that Marr must have taken hundreds of thousands of people out on his boat over the years.
As if that's not enough bad news for this seaside town, The Scotsman reported that its fire department had burned down just weeks ago.
"This storm is another blow for the town so soon after Chris's death and the loss of the fire station," said local councillor David Berry. "The fact his boat has been damaged will hit locals hard, and I hope that it is salvageable. Although [it] looks bad at the moment, it could have been a lot worse. It will take a few days to catalogue all the damage."
Everyone who owns a boat knows that there are risks associated with spending so much time out on the water. Sometimes, however, the worst damages can happen when the vessel is at its dock. That's why it's important to have commercial watercraft insurance in the case of an accident. By working with a marine insurance agency with years of experience, you can get matched with the highest-rated providers in the industry.