View Full Version : Hey, Orkneycadian................
Tugmistress
24-Oct-11, 22:11
you gone a bit quiet now Gills ferry combined a couple of sailings today and Northlink went as usual ;)
orkneycadian
24-Oct-11, 22:18
:eek: Shocking news! :eek:
How much did we, the taxpayers, pay for them to make less than a full quota of trips today?
Tugmistress
24-Oct-11, 22:27
tbh i don't know and i don't care, you slate us lot when we don't sail due to weather yet you don't say a thing when gills does the same lol
Mystical Potato Head
25-Oct-11, 00:37
Are the MV Hjaltland and MV Hrossey which have Kirkwall on their route, part of the subsidised passenger, car and freight services to the Northern Isles or do the tax payers only pay for the
Hamnavoe which is based in Stromness?
I didn't really understand that. therealducati was booked on the earlier sailing cancelled due to weather. The later sailing went but the weather hadn't changed, if anything it was a teeny bit worse.:confused
Tugmistress
25-Oct-11, 08:52
MPH they are included in the subsidies too.
Ducati, they combined two sailings in to one due to the weather - and i am guessing they have done something similar today too.
hi tugmistress
i would'nt worry too much about what orkneycadian says,he is a wind up merchant and his heid is full o mince ;)
you gone a bit quiet now Gills ferry combined a couple of sailings today and Northlink went as usual ;)
orkneycadian
25-Oct-11, 23:14
I don't suppose this new found vigour of Northlink for being seen to be meeting the service obligation has anything to do with an up and coming tendering exercise by any chance? :roll:
Its not easy being a cynic, but I was amazed how the other week, Northlink managed to retrieve the dummy they had spat out over the withdrawal of accepting tour bookings, once they found out that Stromness and Scrabster were to remain the service ports. Then, like now, they had to be seen to be providing the service, even though a few weeks before, they were not that interested when they thought they might not be able to compete. A smartly executed U turn on which they must be commended! :D
Tugmistress
25-Oct-11, 23:45
i know nothing of the politics of it all, i just hope we end up still having a job, and i respect each skippers personal wishes and knowledge of when it is safe to sail and not to ;)
Too right Tugs.
Wonder how the folk of Orkney would survive without the ferry services subsidised or not.
orkneycadian
26-Oct-11, 00:43
Well, I don't think we would starve.... Crossings have been made since time immemorial by enterprising individuals using vessels of shaky construction (probably explains the lack of trees in Orkney and Caithness! [lol])
We have enough industry and demand over here to justify a ferry service being run privately, and there are a multitude of examples of this over the decades I can recall.
I hate the terminology "lifeline" that the Scrabster to Stromness service has been daubed with. It conjures up images of us Orcadians clamouring on the pier at Stromness for our emergency food supplies and water, like some famine relief operation in a 3rd world country. It also gives the impression that if it were not there, we would all perish!
'Perish' the thought...Orkneycadian!!..............lol :roll::lol:
You have my vote...Orkney Mannie/Wifie. I will support you.
BTW....There are great things said about the Orkney people in Canada/ amongst which is...They are the toughest people in the World!
They were some of the original 'Hudson Bay' Traders in the late 1600' and into the 1700's.
The Orkadian is a highly valued person....well just a notch or two below a chiel frae Kaitness.
Ha Ha I wonder how long it will be before we hear the argument used by many Scots nationalist "its our oil and the rest of the UK profit off it" , afterall the Northern Isle if they wanted independance have more of claim to the oil fields?
On the suject of port closures. Aberdeen has been closed since last night, and still on restrictions now.
On the suject of port closures. Aberdeen has been close since last night, and still on restrictions now.
Wrong kind of wind. :eek:
oldmarine
27-Oct-11, 00:45
Why are people picking on Orkneycadian?
I agree with you/ leave the poor Orkney....person.....alone/ just 'cause he/she lives on a wee Island!
Why are people picking on Orkneycadian?
Why not? He loves it. And deserves it also.
Well in a couple of days Mrs Beks and I are going over to Orkney for a few days, so been looking to book our crossing.. Had a look at Northlink (Scrabster to Stromness): two passengers and a car:
£15.80 x 4: £63.20
£47.30 x 2: £94.60
Total:£157.80
Then looked up Pentland Ferris at Gills to St Margaret hope:
£13.00 x 4 £52.00
£30.00 x 2: £60.00
Total; £112.00
So we're now trying to decide where we'll spend our saving of £45.80...
Tugmistress
27-Oct-11, 10:12
I'll not argue that gills is cheaper for people this side :) trouble is Northlink are not allowed to be seen to go 'in to competitive pricing' :( we have been saying for years that a day return price would be good and a discount scheme for locals this side but the bosses don't listen !
enjoy your trip over :)
I'll not argue that gills is cheaper for people this side :) trouble is Northlink are not allowed to be seen to go 'in to competitive pricing' :( we have been saying for years that a day return price would be good and a discount scheme for locals this side but the bosses don't listen !
enjoy your trip over :)Hi Tuggs
The Northlink is a nice boat and the meals very reasonable, but thought we'd try the Gill's as we're going to be over that side for a bit...
oldmarine
27-Oct-11, 16:52
Well in a couple of days Mrs Beks and I are going over to Orkney for a few days, so been looking to book our crossing.. Had a look at Northlink (Scrabster to Stromness): two passengers and a car:
£15.80 x 4: £63.20
£47.30 x 2: £94.60
Total:£157.80
Then looked up Pentland Ferris at Gills to St Margaret hope:
£13.00 x 4 £52.00
£30.00 x 2: £60.00
Total; £112.00
So we're now trying to decide where we'll spend our saving of £45.80...
Where to spend your savings should be no problem. I'm certain that if you want to spend it you will find a way to do so.
Where to spend your savings should be no problem. I'm certain that if you want to spend it you will find a way to do so.
I'm sure I will....
Mystical Potato Head
27-Oct-11, 19:24
MPH they are included in the subsidies too.
Ducati, they combined two sailings in to one due to the weather - and i am guessing they have done something similar today too.
I kinda knew that but people only moan about the ferry thats based in Stromness.
There has always been an anti Ola group in Orkney,big surprise,they mostly come from Kirkwall/east mainland,including coucillors,some didnt even want Stromness to have road sign,never mind a ferry.One councilor was disgusted that Stromness had a new welcome to sign and demanded that Kirkwall get a new one immediately but it must be bigger(i kid you not)..If the Hamnavoe were a Kirkwall based ferry you wouldnt here a word said against it because it would mean more employment for the area. The everything must be in Kirkwall brigade have been bitching for years(decades) because they had to go to Stromness to get the ferry so they were all delighted when the council ploughed £10 million plus into the rival route which of course was nearer and on the route to Kirkwall,no more having to go to bloody Stromness.Despite being warned that they would never meet their projected amount of crossings in summer,never mind winter,due mainly to building a pier where the were warned not to, they whooped and howled with delight when the Varagan set sail.The start of a long and epic battle to control the Pentland Firth.A few months later,pier mangled in storm,as they were warned would happen,boat laid up,end of venture.I laughed so much i burst my ribs.
Mystical Potato Head
27-Oct-11, 19:39
I'll not argue that gills is cheaper for people this side :) trouble is Northlink are not allowed to be seen to go 'in to competitive pricing' :( we have been saying for years that a day return price would be good and a discount scheme for locals this side but the bosses don't listen !
enjoy your trip over :)
There always used to be day returns but the times have changed now with the final crossing back to Scrabster being much earlier than before.Theres only one side of the pond that you'll get discounts and it aint on the Scrabster side.One up for the Orcadians though.
I kinda knew that but people only moan about the ferry thats based in Stromness.
There has always been an anti Ola group in Orkney,big surprise,they mostly come from Kirkwall/east mainland,including coucillors,some didnt even want Stromness to have road sign,never mind a ferry.One councilor was disgusted that Stromness had a new welcome to sign and demanded that Kirkwall get a new one immediately but it must be bigger(i kid you not)..If the Hamnavoe were a Kirkwall based ferry you wouldnt here a word said against it because it would mean more employment for the area. The everything must be in Kirkwall brigade have been bitching for years(decades) because they had to go to Stromness to get the ferry so they were all delighted when the council ploughed £10 million plus into the rival route which of course was nearer and on the route to Kirkwall,no more having to go to bloody Stromness.Despite being warned that they would never meet their projected amount of crossings in summer,never mind winter,due mainly to building a pier where the were warned not to, they whooped and howled with delight when the Varagan set sail.The start of a long and epic battle to control the Pentland Firth.A few months later,pier mangled in storm,as they were warned would happen,boat laid up,end of venture.I laughed so much i burst my ribs.Mentioning Kirkwall, about ten years ago, parked our car outside the Harbour Masters in Scrabster, and went over to Orkney on the Rolypoly, noticed a cargo ship in Kirkwall called the Contender, found out she ran a freight/cattle service down to Invergordon, but also took passengers, so booked at Orcargo (?) and had a two berth cabin..
Overnight journey through the rigs and pulled into Invergordon at some unearthly hour, and had to wait for the train to Thurso, where we paid a 'over-due' parking fee to Scrabster..
Quite a journey, not to be repeated as I understand the Foot & Mouth period caused the service to be withdrawn?
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