NorthLink Ferries is finalising arrangements to time charter the freight vessel MV Clare as a replacement for the St Rognvald, which makes her final sailing under NorthLink’s flag this Thursday (December 4).

The MV St Rognvald was chartered by NorthLink in June this year to complement the freight carrying service already provided by MV Hascosay. The St Rognvald has recently been sold by ownersGulf Offshore and is to operate a route in the Middle East for her new owners.

The Danish-owned MV Clare will be a direct replacement for the St Rognvald, making her first sailing for NorthLink on Friday evening (December 5) when she departs Aberdeen at 1800 hrs bound for Lerwick.

The Clare –with a gross tonnage of 5,617 tonnes and an overall length of 115m – is bigger than St Rognvald with the capacity to carry up to 54 trailers and 80 cars. Twelve passengers can be accommodated in six two-berth en-suite cabins. The initial term of charter will run until December 23, with NorthLink then having the option to continue the charter into 2004 if the vessel’s performance has proved satisfactory.

The Clare is already a familiar sight in Lerwick harbour, having been periodically chartered by Smyril-Line, shipping cargo between ports in the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Scandinavia and the UK. The vessel and her crew will start making their way to Aberdeen from Denmark early tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.

NorthLink chief executive Bill Davidson said: “We have always been aware of Gulf Offshore’s intentions to sell the St Rognvald and had agreed that when they found a buyer we would release the vessel as soon as a suitable replacement could be found. Ship Brokers Clarkson’s duly coordinated the timing of the sale of the St Rognvald and chartering of the Clare so we can assess her suitability as a replacement for the St Rognvald on the route.”