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ST. OLA

Shipbuildervessel built by Hall, Russell & Company, Limited (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1864 - 1992)

Shipownervessel built for North of Scotland & Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company

Date24 January 1974

Object NameFERRY

MediumSTEEL

ClassificationsShip

DimensionsGross Tonnage: 1345 ton
Length 70.21m x Breadth 14.46m

Object numberABDSHIP002647

Keywords

About MeYard: Hall, Russell & Co.
Yard Number: 963
Subsequent Names: CECILIA (1993); ODIGITRIA (1994-95)

Fate: still in existence 2010.

Propulsion: Motor
Description: Roll on roll off ferry, 1 vehicle deck with passenger deck above

Owners:
1974: North of Scotland & Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company, part of P&O Short Sea Shipping, then P&O Scottish Ferries.
1993: Operated by Skagerbrak & Kattegat, southern Baltic Sea. Ownership still listed as P&O Scottish Ferries, registered in the Bahamas.
1994-95: International Energy S.A. (Ventures Sea Line), registered in Panama.
2000: Government of the People's Republic of China, registered in China. Still in operation in 2010.

General History:
Launched Thursday 24 January 1974 by Mrs Herbert W. Scott, wife of North Co. general manager.
This was the North Company's first drive-through vehicle carrier. Built at a cost of £1.4 million

29/01/1976: ST. OLA's first crossing of the Pentland Firth. It continued on this route until replaced 1992 by another ro-ro ferry of the same name.

'With a length of 230 feet, the ferry will have capacity for 400 passengers, 80 motor cars and up to 80 head of cattle...passengers on the two-hour run wil have the facilities of two lounges, a self-service cafeteria and a bar.'
'The Master of the new ST. OLA will be Captain J G Stevenson, at present in command of ST. OLA II. One unique aspect is that the Master, Mate, Chief Engineer and Second Engineer of the new ship served together in the present ST. OLA from the time that she first entered service - twenty years ago!'
(taken from the launch booklet, 1974)

The advertisement publicising this first roll-on, roll-off service to Orkney in January 1975 claimed that, with bow and stern doors enabling quick and easy loading and unloading, she would be able to make up to three Pentland Firth crossings a day. Her speed of 15 knots and improved manoeuvrability through bow thrust units made possible the reduced passage time of 2 hours. However, car ferry services had been introduced much earlier on the Clyde (1953) and the Western Isles (1965), albeit with the slower side lifts. The owners had hoped to start the new service in August 1974, but it was delayed by the late completion of the berths at Stromness and Scrabster, the latter not being ready till the beginning of 1975. St. Ola arrived at her Stromness base on 13 November for docking and manoeuvreing trials, and appears to have remained there till entering service over two months later. St Ola had covered accommodation for all her 400 passengers and fin stabilisers provided a more comfortable crossing.

On 25 September 1976, as ST. OLA was beginning to discharge at Scrabster, the new terminal ramp collapsed. Until it was repaired the traditional method of loading and unloading was used there, employing an emergency crane. Heavy goods vehicles, on which Orkney increasingly depended for supplies, could not be carried.
(Sources:- Gordon Donaldson, Northwards by Sea, p.133; Press and Journal, 11/07 and 11 and 14/11/1974, 29/01/1975, 27/09/1976) [Newspaper refs from BNA, downloaded 27/06/2022].

ABS St Ola (1974) Supplementary Material 30/1/23 (All newspaper refs from A.W. McRobb scrapbook)
ST. OLA was out of action for almost three months in the Winter of 1982-83 as a result of a serious fire on 27 October 1982. It was returning to station after survey and overhaul by the Clyde Dock Engineering Co. in the Govan Dry Dock when fire broke out in the engine room off the Southern tip of Arran. Sea conditions were extremely rough and, powerless, it was in danger of running onto the rocks of Pladda Island. Capt. David Pottinger sent out a Mayday call. The crew were unable to control the fire and were obliged to seal off the engine room. Fire fighters from two naval vessels were winched aboard by Sea King helicopter. The diving support vessel SEAFORTH CLANSMAN got a line aboard when ST. OLA was only 300 yards from the rocks and took it in tow back up the Clyde. The crew of 17 were unhurt and the ship was returned to Govan. (Scotsman, 28/10/1982).

However, that was not the end of ST. OLA’s problems on the Clyde. On 8 December fire again broke out in the engine room and firemen had to be called to the Govan drydock to extinguish it. The cause was believed to be a spark from a burning torch. (Glasgow Herald, 09/12/1982). On 4 February, now at Greenock, the battery charger rectifier on the electrical switchboard burned out. The P and O general manager, Eric Turner, said this had nothing to do with the earlier fire. ST. OLA finally left the Clyde on 6 February, but was delayed by bad weather, with its speed at one point reduced to four knots. (Press and Journal, 5, 7 and 8/2/1983). On finally returning to Stromness it immediately re-entered service. The Orcadian commented that ‘the sight of ST. OLA going out that morning rejoiced the heart of those who watched her. Her services in recent weeks have been acutely missed’. For the month of December Caledonian Macbrayne’s CLANSMAN was used as a replacement (manned by ST. OLA’s master and crew). Otherwise the service was principally maintained by ST. MAGNUS, the Department of Trade having given a special dispensation to increase its passenger complement from 12 to 50. (Orcadian, 4/11 and 2/12/1982, 10/2/83).

Another (and unscheduled) drydock visit was months later, in October 1983, when ST. OLA had its keel surveyed at Aberdeen. (Orcadian, 20/10/1983). Perhaps surprisingly, it was back in Govan for survey and overhaul in January 1985. This involved some refurbishment. The cafeteria was converted to became entirely self-service, with 160 modern seats and new tables. New chilling and cooking facilities (eg microwave) were expected to give better self-service. A canopy was installed on the sun deck, to give protection, it was said, from the wind. (Glasgow Herald, 5 and 7/2/1985).

One of the more notable examples of weather disruption was in early April 1980. With 180 passengers aboard ST. OLA cruised for 8 hours in Scapa Flow in a gale because the master decided it was unsafe to attempt to berth at Stromness. A subsequent letter to the editor of The Orcadian (11/04/1980) praised the catering staff ‘who worked hard and cheerfully to provide light refreshments.’

Traffic on ST. OLA’s Stromness-Scrabster crossing rose each year during the 1980s. For example, in 1984 it carried 85,374 passengers 18.165 cars. The figures for 1987 were 102,041 and 22,911 respectively. During its annual survey and overhaul in January 1987 new rudders were fitted. The work was to have been done in Aberdeen by Hall Russell, but the order was lost through a union ban on sub-contracting. It was carried out instead by the Wear Dock and Engineering Co., Sunderland.
The regulatory changes which followed the capsizing at Zeebrugge in 1987 of HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE called into question the future of ST. OLA. In April 1989 it was added to a list of 7 UK registered roll-on roll-off ferries which did not meet the higher anti-capsize regulations being introduced. Additional sponsons would be required to increase buoyancy. The initial response of the P. and O. ferries management was that, instead of retaining ST. OLA till about 1995 as intended, they were now searching the second- hand market for a replacement which was larger and met the regulations. However, the search was unsuccessful. By August 1989 the Department of Transport was considering P. and O. proposals to modify ST. OLA. The following month the contract to fit side sponsons, in effect giant buoyancy tanks, was awarded to Appledore Aberdeen (the former Hall Russell yard) at a price of £700,00, which would include alterations to the cafeteria and the addition of a prefabricated observation lounge and would be carried out in November 1989.

Sources (all refs from A. W. McRobb scrapbooks in the AMM):- Shetland Times, 5 and 25 /09/1986, 03/04/1987, 21/12/1988, 17/03/1989; Press and Journal, 15/01 , 28/03 and 23/09/1987, 13/03 and 05/09/1989; Orcadian, 29/10/1987, 21/01 and 21/04/1988; Scotsman, 05/04/1989; Caithness Courier, 02/08/1989.

In November 1983 Purser Walter Leask retired after 33 years on the ship and her predecessors. ST. OLA made her last scheduled sailing on 21 March 1992.
(Press and Journal, 28/11/1983, 26/03/1992)