21 arrivals for the period
Whitefish totalled 1900 boxes from 2 Scottish twin riggers and 3 Anglo Spanish liners. The Inverness registered Adventurer landed a good shot of mixed fish from Rockall and the Peterhead-registered Atlantic Challenge made a very good landing from deepwater grounds west of the Hebrides.
The Shellfish sector has once again been very quiet with prawn fishing in particular very poor at the moment. The offshore crabbers continue to land weekly and the Oban-registered Georgia Dawn made a good landing of scallops from local waters.
In the non-fishing sector, the Shetland fishfarm tank ship Caledonia visited for a layover, the Smit naval support vessels were in Ullapool as part of the NATO exercise and the Lithuania warship Jotvingis came in for fuel and fresh water. The Jotvingis (originally named Vidar) was built in 1977 as a minelayer for the Norwegian Navy before being sold to Lithuania in 2006 where she was re-named and deployed as a command and support vessel.
Ferry Works continue with the terminal building taking centre stage now that the pier and gangway are operational. The terminal is scheduled for completion early January. To complete the ferry infrastructure upgrade the harbour has received sufficient funding to replace the 42-year old car ramp with work scheduled to start in early November. The new two-lane linkspan will be quieter and more efficient in discharging vehicles and reducing turnaround times. There will be further disruption to village life whilst the linkpsan is being installed. Additionally for a six-week period the ferry will be unable to discharge vehicles – a passenger only run is being planned by the operator.
Ullapool Harbour Trustees apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused but given the age of the existing structure, a full replacement of the linkspan is the only realistic option. The new ferry Loch Seaforth is finally in the hands of the owner CMAL and the operator Calmac and is nearing completion as we write. Certification of the ship is due any day now which will allow the fully crewed vessel to make the short voyage over the North Sea to the UK. No word as yet on where the vessel will berth as Stornoway Harbour still has significant works to complete prior to accepting the new ship – early December seems the most likely date at this time.
Ullapool Harbour’s 2015 Fund-Raising Calendar is being printed and should be on sale very soon. The latest edition looks to the best yet with magnificent quality images showcasing all that is good about the area. Prices remain frozen at only £6.50 with all profits going to the Tall Ship Trainees’ fund. UHT has now sponsored almost 200 local youths to undertake life-changing voyages onboard our very own Wylde Swan. The Wylde Swan is currently preparing for crossing the Atlantic Ocean to spend the winter in the Caribbean before heading home in April 2015. She is due back in Ullapool from 4th– 25th July and planning for a series of adventure voyages is underway. Details will be posted on the harbour website very soon.