As well as outfits of access equipment for NorthLinkOrkney & Shetland Ferries three newbuildings on order at Aker Finnyards,MacGREGOR RoRo Ship division is also supplying complete bow sections for thevessels

MacGREGOR RoRo Ship division is supplying bowsections for three passenger/vehicle ferries ordered by NorthLink Orkney & ShetlandFerries Ltd from Aker Finnyards. NorthLink Orkney & Shetland Ferries is a jointventure between Caledonian MacBrayne and the Royal Bank of Scotland which, at the end oflast year, won the contract to operate subsidised ferry services to Shetland and Orkneyfrom the Scottish mainland.

The NorthLink-operated passenger, car and freight servicesto the Northern Isles are due to start in 2002. Two 12,000gt vessels (hull Nos 438 &439) will serve the Aberdeen-Shetland route, while an 8,600gt vessel (hull No 440) willoperate across the Pentland Firth between Scrabster and Orkney. The pair of 125m ships andthe 110m version will each have capacity for 600 passengers, plus cars and freight.

MacGREGOR scope of supply for all three ships,including installation, comprises:

• complete bow section
• bow door
• bow ramp/door
• stern ramp/door
• two side-hinged passenger doors (P&S)
• two side-hinged pilot/bunker doors (P&S)

Additionally, for the two larger ships:

• side-hinged ramp cover.

NorthLink ordered the two 12,000gt ships from AkerFinnyards in late December, and confirmed the 8,600gt version as a firm order in January.The two larger vessels are scheduled for handover next summer, followed by the smaller onein the autumn.

In line with the general trend among European yards forpassing responsibility for larger units on to subcontractors, Aker Finnyards contractedMacGREGOR to supply the entire bow sections, which will be delivered to the shipyard withbow door and bow ramp/door already installed.

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