Friday 24 October 2025
 10.7°C   NNE Near Gale
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Transport / ‘Minor issue’ with Hjaltland bow thruster to be addressed during dry dock

NorthLink's passenger ferry Hjaltland leaving Lerwick. Photo: Shetland News

NORTHLINK has confirmed there is an issue with one of the Hjaltland’s bow thrusters – but says it plans to wait until dry dock to fix it.

Managing director Stuart Garrett, said following an enquiry from Shetland News, that the issue is “minor” and is not affecting normal operations.

It is understood to have been ongoing for a number of months.

Garrett said the other thruster is operating normally.

“The affected thruster can be used safely if required,” he added, “but will be addressed when the vessel goes into drydock for routine maintenance early next year.”

Bow thrusters are used to help manoeuvre the boat when docking.

Meanwhile elsewhere on the Northern Isles ferry service network there was a “cargo shift” incident on Wednesday morning onboard the Hamnavoe ferry which runs between Stromness in Orkney and Scrabster on the Scottish mainland.

Some vehicles were damaged when what appeared to be a large piece of machinery toppled off a trailer, with no injuries reported.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:

  • Removal of third-party ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 

Sign up
for our Newsletters

Stay in the loop with newsletters tailored to your interests. Whether you're looking for daily updates, weekly highlights, or updates on jobs or property, you can choose exactly what you want to receive.

Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

  • Removal of third-party ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.