Shetland-Norway Ferry Service Petition

[ll]

High harbour dues charged locally were a main factor in making the Norrona visits unviable. If Scalloway harbour is to be dredged to 8.5 metres, a ro-ro berth could be built and ferries could be offered its use for free.

 

If the Norrona contributed iro. £4m per annum to the Shetland economy, an investment providing free ro-ro berthing would soon bring more £ into Shetland than its build costs.

 

Given the SIC provide rent free berthing to Klyne Tugs Lowestoft, who operate the coastguard tugs, it would not be unreasonable to offer the same to a ferry company . All KTL bring to Scalloway is noise pollution and oil spills c/o the Anglian Sozzled!! They have a £76 million pound contract to provide this service and can well afford to pay dues.

[Oddrun]

Yeah, but I had a helluva job getting my car on the flight...

Renting a car is possible.....and it is easier to drive with the steering wheel on the left side when you are driving on the right side.....

What I think is, that no Norwegian tourist will choose the boat that takes 10 hours from a place where there is a plane that can take him to the same place in one hour !

The problem is when you want to travel other times than the Summer holidays......

[Far Haaf]

I was amused to find this thread. Mr J. White recognised a business opportunity with a connection to Kristiansund. It was a very viable opportunity which only failed because of the EU.

Hopefully he will continue in his efforts, fighting against the bull manure of the EU.

[gafynandrew]

High harbour dues charged locally were a main factor in making the Norrona visits unviable. If Scalloway harbour is to be dredged to 8.5 metres, a ro-ro berth could be built and ferries could be offered its use for free.

 

If the Norrona contributed iro. £4m per annum to the Shetland economy, an investment providing free ro-ro berthing would soon bring more £ into Shetland than its build costs.

 

Given the SIC provide rent free berthing to Klyne Tugs Lowestoft, who operate the coastguard tugs, it would not be unreasonable to offer the same to a ferry company . All KTL bring to Scalloway is noise pollution and oil spills c/o the Anglian Sozzled!! They have a £76 million pound contract to provide this service and can well afford to pay dues.

 

I was thinking along the same lines....but for historical reasons instead....Scalloway the ancient capital of Shetland and was the home (after Lunna) of the Shetland bus, for that reason you see more Norweigans here in the summer than any other nationality.

[Infiltrator]

Signed the petition but I don't think it'll make any difference. Northlink have made it clear that it's all about saving costs now, so clearly they've already decided that there's no other profitable business available for the boats.

I thought the Summer capacity was already stretched without sending one of them off to Norway a couple of times a week?

[ll]

If the next tendering process for the North Isles routes is done with any fairness, Pentland Ferries will most likely get the Pentland Firth route and Northlink will have the Hamnavoe free to go to Norway!

[david]

With the current contract Northlink couldn't provide a Norway service without an extra ship as they are contracted to provide a nightly service (excluding weather/dry docking).

 

Giving that cost cuttings would have to be made, if in a new contract they lost the Pentland Firth route then I'm sure the Hamnavoe would be sold.

[Rasmie]

Has anyone got any idea if the route is viable? what sort of revenue might a ferry company make?

It would never be feasible to subsidise this route - its hardly life-line. Never saw many getting on or off the Norroena and I used it most years as a gateway to Europe.

When Smyril started it killed of the wideroe flights and similar could happen with the Flybe flights, if the ferry service was re-instated.

Howver if the route was commercially sustainable that would be fantastic.

[MuckleJoannie]

^^ Persuade Flybe to use an old Hercules for the flight. The original Ro-Ro plane.

 

There were air services carrying cars and passengers across the English Channel in the Fifties and Sixties. You can see one of them here.

 

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/silver_city.htm

[stephen]

Personally I believe this to be a non-starter due to the need for an extra vessel, crew etc., however I would be happy if I am wrong.

 

I would, however, like to suggest that those who are for this idea form a committee, gain costs and draft a report. If you could give a detailed report supporting this venture, it would be looked into. Or why not charter a vessel and run charters yourself? I believe that in our culture we always look to others to provide things for us. This is an example of a venture that could be run by a local working group.

[MJ]

you mean like the shetland airline? that went well.

[Mutton]

A link to Norway in the summer is a fantastic idea. The north boat could make four return trips over in the summer on a Friday or Saturday night. This would allow people a window in which to enjoy a two week holiday.

 

I'm sure the route would be popular and so would incur no extra costs.

 

It's simply not viable to make the route permanent or to charter a boat for the summer in order to do it. So Northlink branching out every so often is the best way forward.

 

So come on Northlink (aka the Scottish Ministers), listen to the people amend that contract to allow for the Norway summer sailings!

[stephen]

A link to Norway in the summer is a fantastic idea. The north boat could make four return trips over in the summer on a Friday or Saturday night. This would allow people a window in which to enjoy a two week holiday.

 

I'm sure the route would be popular and so would incur no extra costs.

 

It's simply not viable to make the route permanent or to charter a boat for the summer in order to do it. So Northlink branching out every so often is the best way forward.

 

So come on Northlink (aka the Scottish Ministers), listen to the people amend that contract to allow for the Norway summer sailings!

 

The problem with this is the boats are pretty much full during the summer, so removing sailings would cause problems. Ferry's are available for charter, but as we are talking peak season - this would be expensive.

 

The main source of income from Ro-ro's is freight, and as such the passenger ticket prices alone generally doesn't cover the cost of the sailing (eg. Rosyth ferry). So any viable route would need to provide enough freight to fund the trip - would that work from Lerwick? Unfortunately I doubt it. What could be a viable alternative is a Norway - Lerwick - Aberdeen/ Rosyth route. This would also provide extra accommodation during the busy summer months. Unfortunately this would require a suitable vessel.

[Kavi Ugl]

But.....who says that for all 7 nights per week during the summer all sailings have to come fae sooth?.

 

Why not allow 1 night to be given to a Norway service?. There are one of two freight vessels that could come fae Aberdeen on that night with any freight.

 

In terms of the new contract(and let's be honest NorthLink will get it) why can't they leave the Pentland Firth to Mr Banks and run the Hamnavoe between Kirkwall and Aberdeen?. Fae what I hear the Hamnavoe is running with pretty much nothing on the Pentland Firth but is this true?.

 

I've heard Andrew Banks say on Radio Orkney that for just half the subsidy NorthLink get he could provide a free service

 

[stephen]

In terms of the new contract(and let's be honest NorthLink will get it) why can't they leave the Pentland Firth to Mr Banks and run the Hamnavoe between Kirkwall and Aberdeen?. Fae what I hear the Hamnavoe is running with pretty much nothing on the Pentland Firth but is this true?.

 

I've heard Andrew Banks say on Radio Orkney that for just half the subsidy NorthLink get he could provide a free service

 

 

Ive only ever made 2 return trips on the Hamnavoe - one was in the height of summer and both legs were pretty much full. The second was in winter - the trip to Orkney was near empty with passengers (a ton of lorries though), the return leg must have been running at 50%.

 

I think that one of the main causes for the established year-round service to Aberdeen was freight and logistics.