The Northern Lighthouse Board's new build aids to navigation vessel, as Afloat previously reported, left its shipyard in Spain to carry out sea trials in the Bay of Biscay.
The new vessel, to be named NLV Pole Star, is to serve the NLB, which is the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) responsible for the seas off Scotland and the Isle of Man, and last month departed the Gondon Shipbuilders yard in Gijón to begin sea trials.
They marked the final stage of the £51.8 million newbuild needed to be completed with a comprehensive set of sea trials before travelling with the NLB crew to its homeport in Scotland.
It was three years ago, in December 2022, when the NLB announced the award of the newbuild contract to Gondon for the construction of the hybrid-powered vessel. Subject to successful sea trials, the NLB should take delivery of the NLB Pole Star this month; however, Afloat has tracked the new vessel still at the northern Spanish shipyard.
Following the first trials, the Ship’s Master with the Northern Lighthouse Board, Alisdair Graham, commented, “From our departure it became evident that she is an extremely quiet vessel at sea. Throughout the accommodation you can barely tell you’re on a ship. Currently she has minimal weight onboard and is sitting at a draught of 3.25 meters and has the qualities of a comfortable sea boat. We had about 20 knots of wind yesterday and a long Atlantic swell rolling in at around 2.5-3 meters, and she handled this well. I was suitably impressed.
He added, “We stopped for a fire drill, and she provided a very stable platform on the afterdeck. Although it is still early days, I am filled with confidence that she will prove to be the vessel we all hoped for. We all just want to take delivery and sail over the horizon, but hands must remain in pockets for now.”
The new vessel is a step change from what has gone before, using new technology to minimize the impact on the environment and will bring additional capability to help deal with the effects of climate change.
Once delivered, the new NLV Pole Star, having replaced its namesake predecessor, which Afloat adds has also served in the Irish Sea supporting the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL), will enable NLB to give a vital safety service to mariners in Scottish and Manx waters.
