Wick RNLI Lifeboat attended its first call out of 2011 when the crew went to the aid of the 18metre Avoch fishing vessel Georgia Dawn.
The vessel got into difficulties on 11 January some 10 miles east of Wick after fouling its propeller with a floating discarded fishing net, causing the engines to stall.
The lifeboat was launched at 9.15am arriving on scene around 30 minutes later and took the fishing boat on tow back to Wick Harbour, where both vessels arrived safely at 12.30pm.
Divers cleared the net from the vessel's propeller and the boat was then ready for sea again.
