‘The vessel can very quickly be overcome by wind’ — Nordic Sea audit report published

Should Orkney Islands Council (OIC) decide to purchase another second-hand ferry, sea handling simulations, in conjunction with sea trials, should be carried out before a decision is taken to proceed with the purchase.

That is just one of the conclusions of an internal audit into the purchase of mv Nordic Sea, which has been plagued by issues since its arrival in the county in 2020.

The probe also revealed how the brokers overseeing the purchase of the ship pressed the authority into a decision to proceed with the purchase.

The authority was led to believe that there was an “alternative purchaser” eyeing up the ship, while there was also a time-limited funding offer from the Scottish Government on the table.

An internal audit examining the governance arrangements and processes followed in acquiring the Nordic Sea will be discussed at next Thursday’s meeting of OIC’s monitoring and audit committee.

The vessel, purchased from Norway in April 2020, has been beset by defects since its arrival and has only recently returned from Peterhead where its engine was removed, repaired and reinstated.

It was intended to replace the near 50-year-old mv Golden Mariana, which OIC had, for several years, been searching for a suitable replacement without success, and would then take over the Westray-Papay route.

According to the audit report, mv Nordic Sea was bought for £1,091,000, while an extensive refit programme and new equipment cost £348,636, combined with £108,881 of consultancy fees and other costs of £30,647.

The audit does not include repairs since the initial procurement process.

The report details how officials from Orkney visited Myre in Norway twice in order to undertake sea trials and gain a sense of the boat’s handling.

The first, in July 2019, went “very well” but a second trip was required in August due to the benign sea conditions encountered during their first visit.

Their report details how the ship displayed “superb” handling but noted that they were sailing in “perfect” conditions, with little to no wind and zero tide.

The ship also got positive reviews for its design, ease of access for maintenance, visibility from the wheelhouse and the “very high” specification navigational aid package.

However, there were two areas of concern from the sea trials — one of which related to the thruster capabilities for windage to hold the head or stern in tide.

This could be overcome, it was thought, through a rope to hold, or it was also suggested increasing the engine idle revs.

However, it was noted that the officer was not willing to commit on this point due to the piers in Norway being different from those in Orkney.

In February 14 to 17, 2022 — almost two years after the vessel’s purchase from Norway in April 2020 — berthing trials were carried out at Kirkwall and Papay piers.

In calm weather, the handling of the vessel was “excellent”. With the bow and stern thrusters along with the main propulsion power, it was found to be an “extremely manoeuvrable vessel”.

Given good, sheltered conditions, the vessel “can be placed with ease almost anywhere within a small margin of the vessel’s own dimensions,” reported the audit.

However, comments from the berthing trials reveal concerns regarding the impact of wind, with the ship having an “extremely low draught” but a “relatively high superstructure”.

According to the comments made from the trials, in low wave height, the ship’s thrusters were prone to losing grip in the water.

“The vessel can very quickly be overcome by wind” reported the comments from the trials, while advising caution when dealing with side wind on the port or starboard bows during manoeuvres in and around harbours and close quarters situations.

It was advised that skippers be given “ample time” to become familiar with the characteristics of the vessel in various weather conditions on intended berths without stress to become “fully comfortable” with its abilities.

The ship is of “relatively fragile construction” the comments from the trial continued, which could become seriously damaged should a rash decision to abandon a berthing or departure be taken.

The internal audit also noted a lack of information regarding the nature and extent of the works required to bring it up to UK certification level prior to its purchase.

The report also said that the overhaul of the ship was “extensive” — the first time a ship had been converted from Norway to UK certification standards — and this fell on the small technical team at Marine Services, on top of their existing duties and without additional staff.

Piers in Orkney were found to be unsuitable for ships of Nordic Sea’s build, with piers in Norway providing greater protection against the sea elements than those within Orkney.

The audit also recommended a post-project review of the mv Nordic Sea purchase, which includes detailed reviews over the ship’s seafaring capabilities in Orkney and conditions and suitability of piers within Orkney for vessels built from glass reinforced plastic.

The audit concluded that some improvements were required to enhance the effectiveness of the governance, risk management and control surrounding the purchase, rating the processes in this case as “adequate”.