New Orkney dive boat is launched

January 23, 2015 at 12:44 pm

Huskyan being placed in the water for the first time.

A new purpose-built Orkney dive boat was launched from a shipyard on the south coast of England yesterday.

Huskyan has been built for Emily Turton and Ben Wade, who operate Radiant Queen Charters and are based in Stromness, taking divers to the popular wreck sites of Scapa Flow and further afield.

The spacious new boat, which has been built by Newbury Engineering of Newhaven, is 16 metres long and has twin 230hp engines.

Huskyan can carry up to 12 divers at a time and will replace their current vessel Radiant Queen, a restored 52ft former fishing boat, which was built in 1948.

Ms Turton, who explained that the name Huskyan is an old Orkney word meaning strength, said that the boat should in Stromness next month, in time for the 2015 dive season getting under way.

Further details in The Orcadian next week.