No timetable for Nordic Sea return to service after ‘minor bump’

The Nordic Sea may be out of service for some time after she sustained a “minor bump” on her first run as a passenger vessel.

According to Orkney Island Council (OIC) the vessel, which made her first run between Westray and Papa Westray this week, is currently being kept pier-side until arrangements can be made to get her out of the water to carry out a full assessment.

It is hoped this will also be an opportunity to resolve an ongoing engine exhaust issue.

The vessel, which was bought at a cost of over £1million back in 2020, it has since undergone a £500,000 refit.

Asked about the damage, an  OIC spokeswoman said: “It’s not possible to give a date yet for return to service until we know timelines for service engineers and possibly parts.

The council has said that any repairs will be done locally and the Golden Mariana will cover the vessel’s Papay to Westray route for the immediate future.