Whitefish totalled 2000 boxes from a single Scottish twin rigger and five Anglo Spanish liners. The Inverness-registered Adventurer sailed on the 27th December and after 10 stormy days landed a very good shot of monkfish for the first market of the year. The Anglo vessels continue to make very good landings of hake and ling from the shelf edge; prices for all species remain high.
Shellfish arrivals have been steady. The two offshore crabbers Heather K and Our Hazel worked throughout the festive period, taking advantage of strong market prices. A number of Stornoway prawn trawlers have called in for ice and the Oban-registered clam dredger Geertruida tied up for a family bereavement.
Non-Fishing vessels have been scarce; the salmon transport ship Viknes called in for ice and the Marine Scotland fishery protection vessel Hirta lay alongside for 48 hours awaiting engine parts.
Ferry Infrastructure Update
The construction contract started in earnest on the 6th January with a steady stream of equipment and steel arriving and old steel being removed for refurbishment. The initial tasks include sheet piling at the linkspan prior to the area being dredged, removal of timber fender piles, removal/renovation of steel wave screens and deployment of the work barge and support vessels. Duration of these works is in the region of six weeks. Thereafter work will commence on preparing the bund and foundation for the pier extension caisson. The seabed off the end of the existing ferry pier will be levelled to a depth of -8m which requires the formation of a 2000 tonne rock bund using material from the local quarry.
Offsite, the dry dock at Inchgreen on the Clyde has been leased by RJ McLeod to construct the pier extension caisson. The caisson will be built over a 12-week period, towed to Ullapool, fitted out with fenders and dropped into place at the end of May. The main benefits of this type of design are the ability to continue construction despite the weather and the ability to maintain the ferry service throughout.
The passenger terminal extension drawings have been submitted for building warrant. Plans and locations for a temporary building in the ferry car park for the duration of the works have been agreed.
The Passenger Access Gangway is in the final design stage and will be delivered by ship from Barcelona at the beginning of June.
The ship is progressing well and is due to be launched on the 14 March, delivered in mid July and will take up the route in early August.
We will update photos to the website (www.ullapool-harbour.co.uk), our Facebook and Twitter accounts. The works required over the next 8 months will cause inevitable delays and disruptions to normal village routine, and for that we apologise in advance. If you require any further information, or have issues at anytime during the works please do not hesitate to get in touch through the usual channels.