Readers of The Orkney News will be aware of the problems faced since the purchase of The Nordic Sea by Orkney Islands Council with substantial funding from the Scottish Government which was to serve as a ferry between Westray and Papa Westray.

At the meeting of the Council’s Harbour Authority Sub-committee 22nd August 2023, the challenges and continuing expense of actually getting this ferry into running a regular route appeared in financial reports to the councillors .

It has now become an eye-watering expense of the council’s own making.

In response to questions from North Isles Councillor Mellissa Thomson , Head of Marine Services and Transportation and Harbour Master, Jim Buck, informed the councillors that there would be no immediate change to improvements at the pier at Papa Westray for the berthing of the Nordic Sea. The need for improvements and repairs at both Papa Westray and Pierowall, Westray, are described in the report as being ‘urgent’.

Engineers assessing the berthing requirements have told Jim Buck that it would be better just to have a completely new pier with an estimated cost of between £20 and £25million

Awaiting design requirements, actual works not started in this financial year. Once pier design and condition have been fully assessed there is the possibility of major refurbishment / rebuild required, therefore this would then result in a capital project funding request via the Council’s CPA process.

For readers who are not acquainted with the Nordic Sea Saga here’s a reminder. The Nordic Sea was purchased by the council in March 2020 and sailed from its operators in Norway, arriving in Orkney on 24th of April 2020. The Scottish Government contributed half of the initial costs of the vessel which were stated to be £1.5million.

From the get go there were problems and additional costs incurred. By December 2021, Jim Buck was confident that it was all worth the wait. At the time he explained:

“It would appear to have taken a long time but actually in respect of the certification process when taking a vessel from one country to another it has actually been remarkably quick. She is the first vessel of her type to go through that process and with that comes inevitable hurdles that need to be overcome. The Nordic Sea had a series of modifications made to bring her up to the full UK Classification and Certification standard.

“She was built to a different specification so had to go through the required checks and balances to ensure we met the current specifications for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s current passenger vessel system. She is a really good sea keeping vessel with good properties designed with the right centre of height for that comfortable ride.”

Meanwhile islanders in Papa Westray and Westray have an indefinite wait for the ‘urgent’ improvements and repairs to the islands’ piers if the Nordic Sea is ever to fulfil the promises made when she was first purchased – now over 3 years ago. A future meeting has been promised to take take place between Marine Services officials and the community of Papa Westray.

Archive stories about this topic:

• “All I want is the truth and evidence”, The Nordic Sea Saga
• Orkney Ferries Raised Again in Parliament & The Nordic Sea Saga
• The Nordic Sea Update
• The Nordic Sea Pootering Aboot In Stromness
• Unfolding Story: The Nordic Sea
• The Nordic (Not At) Sea

Fiona Grahame