MV Snolda

MV Snolda is a ro-ro passenger ferry operated by the SIC Ferries. She operates as the West Burrafirth to Papa Stour service.^[1] The ship was originally named MV Filla until 2003.

MV Snolda arriving at Papa Stour pier
History
United Kingdom
Name	Snolda (2003–present) Filla (1983–2003)
Owner	Shetland Islands Council
Operator	SIC Ferries
Port of registry	Lerwick
Route	Out Skerries (1983–2003) Papa Stour (2004–present)
Builder	Sibbjorn Iversen, Flakkefjord, Norway
Yard number	49
Launched	1983
Completed	1983
In service	28 November 1983
Identification	IMO number: 8302090
Status	In service
General characteristics
Type	Ro-ro vehicle and passenger ferry
Tonnage	130.6 GT 49.56 NT 150.6 DWT
Displacement	292.9
Length	24.4 m (80 ft 1 in)
Beam	7.0 m (23 ft 0 in)
Draught	3.362 m (11 ft 0.4 in)
Depth	3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Ramps	Aft ramp
Installed power	1 × 445 kW (597 hp) at 1,350 rpm
Propulsion	1 × Volvo Penta D30A M5
Speed	9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	1 × rescue boat
Capacity	20 passengers (summer) 12 passengers (winter) 6 cars 1 Artic
Crew	4

Snolda alongside in West Burrafirth

Snolda's passenger lounge

History

Filla was bought as the second of the second batch of new builds for the Council since they took over the inter-island ferry services in the early 1970s. She was renamed to Snolda when transferred from the Out Skerries route to the Papa Stour route to make way for the new MV Filla (2003). This new ferry was based on the original Filla's design but larger, with cargo tanks and refrigerated units and diesel electric driven propulsion.

Layout

The Snolda has a stern loading only car deck, which, in the SIC fleet, is only on her and her successor, Filla. She has a small passenger lounge forward of the car deck.^[2]

Service

As Filla off Fair Isle in June 1986

Entering service on 28 November 1983 on the Symbister or Vidlin or Lerwick to Out Skerries service, Filla took over from the old renovated fishing vessel MV Spes Clara. She became the spare and additional cargo duties vessel. Filla continued on this route until replaced by the new Filla in October 2003.

After being renamed Snolda, she was refitted ready to take up service on the Papa Stour service in April 2004, replacing MV Koada, the old MV Good Shepherd III.^[3] However, ro-ro service to Papa Stour did not start until 17 September 2005.^[4] She continues to serve this route today.

Snolda has carried out the occasional cargo sailing to Foula and Fair Isle out with her scheduled sailings.