The largest ever vessel to enter Stornoway Harbour is set to arrive at the port today (Wednesday 22nd May). At 285m long it is almost the length of three football pitches and will be arriving with 2000 passengers on board, it will be the largest vessel ever to pass north of the Arnish Point Lighthouse.
The visit is seen as a positive sign of things to come as Stornoway Port Authority continues its commitment to implementing a master plan that will include a new marina and deep-water port, which in turn will attract cruise traffic from around the world.
The ‘Zuiderdam’ will be visiting Stornoway for the first time. It would normally stay at the Outer anchorage but on this occasion will enter the harbour and stay in the Sandwick anchorage using Dynamic Positioning from 7.30am until 10.30am.
Alex Macleod, Stornoway Port Authority’s Chief Executive, said: “This will be the largest vessel ever, by some margin, to enter the Harbour. The vessel is 285m long, 32m wide, 82,820 gross tonnage, was built in 2002 and will have 2000 passengers aboard.
“The visit will give Stornoway an indication of the vessels that will come into our deep-water port and it will allow an appreciation of the size of these vessels. This follows on from the work of our Harbourmaster, Scott Campbell and our Pilots. Without their expertise and knowledge the visit could not have happened. They have been working closely with the master of the vessel to ensure this notable milestone in the Port’s history could be reached and we look forward to welcoming the Zuiderdam to Stornoway.”
