MV Hjaltland

	MV Hjaltland in Aberdeen, 2015
History
United Kingdom
Name	MV Hjaltland
Namesake	Old Norse name for Shetland
Owner	2002-2004: NorthLink Orkney & Shetland Ferries Limited; 2004-2012: RBS - RBSSAF (20) Limited; 2012-2018: previous owner renamed Northern Isles Ferries Limited; from 2018-present Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited;
Operator	NorthLink Ferries
Port of registry	Lerwick, United Kingdom
Route	Aberdeen to Lerwick via Kirkwall
Builder	Aker Finnyards in Rauma, Finland
Cost	£35 million
Yard number	NB438
Laid down	4 October 2001
Launched	8 March 2002
In service	1 October 2002
Identification	IMO number: 9244958; MMSI number: 235450000; Callsign: VSTY8;
Status	in service
General characteristics
Class and type	+100 A 1, Ro-Ro Cargo/Passenger Ferry + LMC, UMS, LI, NAV1
Tonnage	11,720 GT;; 1,831 t DWT;
Displacement	7,434 tonnes
Length	125 m (410 ft)
Beam	20 m (66 ft)
Draught	5.4 m (18 ft)
Decks	8
Installed power	4 x MAK 6M43 5400 kW each
Propulsion	2 controllable pitch propellers and 2 bow thrusters
Speed	24 kn (44 km/h)
Capacity	600 passengers (117 cabins);; 140 cars (650m);
Crew	33

MV Hjaltland is a NorthLink Ferries vehicle and passenger ferry based in Aberdeen. She operates the daily service from mainland Scotland to Orkney and Shetland.

History

MV Hjaltland and her sister ship, MV Hrossey, were constructed in 2002 at Aker Finnyards in Finland.^[1]

Layout

MV Hjaltland carries passengers, cars, freight and livestock. There are a choice of restaurants, bars and lounges, children's play area and a cinema. The restaurants and lounges have a total seating capacity of 600. The original 100 cabins had a total of 300 beds.^[5] All cabins are en-suite, most being two berth, with a number of four-berth cabins for families.^[6] In April 2007, an additional accommodation module was fitted in Birkenhead, increasing her capacity to 356 berths.^[7] The ship is fitted with lifts and was built to accommodate disabled passengers throughout. There are 10 officer and 28 crew cabins.

Each pair of diesel engines drives a controllable-pitch propeller through a gearbox. There are two rudders, two 900 kW bow thrusters and two Mitsubishi stabilisers.^[1]^[4]

Service

MV Hjaltland operates between Lerwick and Aberdeen, with a call at Kirkwall on some days. A walkway, built specifically for the current vessels, can take both foot and car passengers. She is also able to relieve on the Stromness to Scrabster crossing.

Incidents and accidents

In August 2012, a man died after falling overboard into the North Sea about 20 miles (30 kilometres) north of Fraserburgh.^[8]

On 23 August 2013, MV Hjaltland was diverted from its normal route to assist with search and rescue efforts following the crash of a Super Puma helicopter 2 mi (3 km) off the Shetland coast close to Sumburgh.^[9] The ferry was later used to transport the bodies of three of the crash victims to Aberdeen.^[10]

On 9 September 2013, a passenger went missing from the ship during a sailing from Lerwick to Aberdeen. No body was recovered despite a major air and sea search.^[11]^[12]