Golden Mariana to be retired

Orkney Ferries’ oldest vessel – the Golden Mariana – is to be officially retired from its service on the Westray to Papay route.

The decision follows a review of the vessel by the Council’s Marine Engineers who have estimated that the costs to keep her in service – particularly repairs to steel work on her fore deck -  will be around £250k.

The vessel will be retired at the end of September, with the Northerly Explorer taking up the service on Monday October 2 – with support from the current Golden Mariana crew.

The Golden Mariana is around 50 years old.

Whilst the Nordic Sea was initially purchased to replace the ageing vessel, crewing issues and issues with the Papay pier have kept her off the route.

Investigations are now underway into the availability of a more permanent arrangement  - with the Nordic Sea continuing to fill a vital role in the Orkney Ferries fleet, stepping in to provide relief passenger-only capacity across a number of routes in the islands as the company continues to deal with the challenges of its ageing fleet.

Mellissa Thomson is Chair of Orkney Ferries.  She said: “The Golden Mariana has provided a much-loved service to the people of Papay over many years. Whilst we will miss her, her well-deserved retirement is now long overdue.

“In terms of age our other vessels are not far behind – and I’d again reiterate to the Scottish and UK Governments that we must work together to find a solution to ferry replacement in Orkney.”