Orkney Islands Council embarked on a replacement programme for one of their existing GRP pilot vessels last year by contracting the services of Macduff Ship Design to act as both the owner's designer and project manager, handling the concept design and tender process. This initial stage of the project has culminated in an order for the new vessel being signed with the Tyovene shipyard in Finland (UKI Workboat Ltd) for delivery in 2010.

The contract features some notable firsts. It is the first UK pilot boat to be powered with Doosan engines, supplied along with genset by WaterMota. It is also the first pilot boat to be built by UKI Workboats for the UK market and the first pilot boat of this specification to be designed by Macduff Ship Design. UKI Workboats are well known in the UK as builders of fisheries patrol boats and also the National Oceanography Centre Southampton's (NOCS) marine research vessel 'Callista', which was the subject of Maritime Journal Vessel Launch coverage in October 2005.

Orkney Islands Council currently operates three GRP pilot vessels from Scapa, with speeds ranging from 16 to 19 knots. The oldest of these was built in 1976. As modern tankers have increased in size and speed, the need arose for a new vessel capable of boarding pilots at higher speed, all year round and in greater safety, especially given the tidal conditions within the Orkneys area of operation.

A Europe wide tender process was undertaken and in the face of close competition UKI won the evaluation. The resulting vessel from he pen of Macduff Ship Design is of all aluminium construction, measuring 21.4m LOA with a moulded breadth of 5.75m and a draught of 1.7m.

At the heart of the vessel is a pair of WaterMota supplied Doosan KE4V222TIM main engines, each developing 880 bhp at 2,100 rpm and coupled to Twin Disc MGX 5147 Quickshift gearboxes with a ratio of 1.96:1 and driving 4 blade fixed pitch propellers. This combination will give a top speed of 21 knots and ensure the vessel can operate comfortably and safely in the tidal conditions prevalent around Orkney. A Westerbeke 22.5 kW generator provides ample power for all electrical services and the standard of outfitting will be high.

Equipped to carry a crew of three, stationed aboard throughout a 24 hour period, the vessel has two cabins (one single and one double) a mess and galley together with a shower/WC and a large wet gear locker. Individual pilot seats are fitted in the large wheel house to accommodate the three crew and three pilots. There is a corner mess in addition to the crew mess below deck.

Extensive consultations between all parties, including the vessel's crew, have produced a design that should serve Orkney well into the future. Consultations with Macduff Ship Design and WaterMota Ltd will be most welcome on their stands at Seawork 2008.