Freyja of Scapa to be named by young Orkney namesakes!

The Council’s third new tug - Freyja of Scapa – will be officially named by two young Orkney namesakes at a ceremony at Scapa Pier on 15 May.

Five-year-old Freyja Hazel Seatter, from Orphir, and Freya Evans, 9, Tankerness, have been invited to perform the official duty.

Cheryl Seatter – Freyja’s mum – said the youngster was quite excited when she found out she was going to be naming a boat with the same name as herself!

“We are in Orphir and have a great view out over the Flow so we see the tugs coming and going. It will be a lovely memory to have for ourselves and Freyja. Not everyone has the chance to officially name a boat that has the same name as yourself!

“Cliff and I chose the name Freyja as we like the old Norse names. Freyja was a firey Norse goddess. Our younger daughter is called Brynja, another strong Norse name meaning armour.”

St Andrews Primary School pupil Freya, who turns 10 in June, said: "I think it's really cool to have a boat with the same name as me, I'm going to look out for it when I'm at the beach and out and about.”

It’s been full steam ahead for Freyja of Scapa since she began work at the end of October 2022 alongside her sister ships - Odin of Scapa and Thor of Scapa, who have been in service since September 2020.

The new tugs play a vital role at the heart of harbour operations being used for ship handling, towing and escort. Each 32m tug has a maximum bollard pull ahead of 78 tonnes and a free running speed of 14.3 knots.

The three tugs were built at Sanmar Shipyards of Turkey and replace the ageing fleet, which served the Council admirably for more than 30 years.

Chair of Orkney Islands Council’s Development and Infrastructure Committee, David Dawson, said: “We are delighted that we have two namesakes – all be it one is spelled slightly differently – to perform this official naming duty in May and hope that it will be a memorable story for them to retell to their children and grandchildren.

“The naming of ships is an ancient maritime tradition that goes back thousands of years. It confers upon vessels an identity which often becomes integrated into local culture and folklore, and in this case, and the previous two, has a tangible link with our Norse heritage.

“The tugs will bear these proud names as they go about their business of facilitating safe and efficient maritime operations in Orkney waters. They have an exemplary track record since coming on stream whatever the demands placed upon them.

“It’s great to see the three tugs side by side at Scapa knowing that this is another step forward in part of the OIC’s fleet modernisation efforts.”

OIC Head of Marine Services, Transport and Harbour Master, Jim Buck, said: “Our thanks go to both young ladies for agreeing to be part of this special ceremony, which I hope will be a day to remember for them both.

“These tugs represent the confidence of Orkney Islands Council in the future of the Islands Marine industry. As the Harbours Authority, utilising our own resources and the income generated by successful attraction of business to Orkney, we now have three of the most efficient, environmentally conscious tugs available on the current market.

“Odin of Scapa, Thor of Scapa and Freyja of Scapa represent a commitment to the people of Orkney to create sustainable, viable harbours with the ability to move towards a low carbon, green maritime future and these tugs are the first steps on that generational transition.”