MV "Fivla" is a ro-ro passenger ferry operated by the SIC Ferries. She operates as the fleet relief vessel.
History.
"Fivla" was bought as the third of the second batch of new builds, the second of the same style, for the council since they took over the inter-island ferry services in the early 1970s. She is the second ship named "Fivla" built for the council, the first being the first of the first batch of inter-island ferries, operating from 1973 to 1982 for the council.
Layout.
The "Fivla" has two lanes on her car deck. Like most SIC Ferries her size she has a passenger lounge located beneath the car deck.
Service.
Entering service on 22 April 1985 on the Bluemull Sound service, taking over from the original MV "Geira", which was then sold out of the fleet. She operated alone on the Gutcher, Yell - Belmont, Unst - Oddsta, Fetlar service until 1988 when she was joined by MV "Fylga."
Once the two new Yell ferries were introduced in 2004, replaced "Fylga" on the service. This is the same year that the Fetlar terminal changed from Oddsta to Hamars Ness.
Due to a vessel change, on 3 October 2005, "Fivla" was relegated to the fleet relief vessel, which she still operates as today. Each month she covers a different ro-ro ferry in the fleet so that they can go for their annual refit. She also covers any breakdowns that occur across the fleet. The only rest the ferry gets is when she goes for her own annual refit, normally on the Malakoff slip in Lerwick.
On 28 April 2010, while carrying out refit cover in Yell Sound, she was trapped underneath the linkspan in Toft. This was due to four preventer chains on the linkspan snapping simultaneously from the low spring tides and the lower freeboard of the relief vessel. Due to this, during the following days (29 April and 4 May 2010), she operated a special service between Vidlin and Ulsta, Yell.
References.
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