May start for short sea ferry -
Operator advertises for crew
(From The Orcadian dated March 22, 2001)

The man behind a venture to run a short sea ro-ro ferry service across the Pentland Firth says he'll be open for business at the beginning of May.

South Ronaldsay businessman Andrew Banks is advertising this week for experienced officers and seamen to work for his company Pentland Ferries.

He hopes to take on 15 staff and eventually operate three round trips a day from St Margaret's Hope to Gills Bay in Caithness.

Speaking this week he said each journey would last an hour - roughly half the time taken by the St Ola which operates between Stromness and Scrabster. The first sailing is due to leave the 'Hope at 8am.

Mr Banks said the linkspans installed in the 'Hope and Gills Bay were ready for use.

He previously asked the council for financial help but his application was rejected. Attempts by the council to get involved with the operation of a short sea crossing in the late 1980s ended in failure and the loss of millions of pounds

"I have not had much help at all. Not even from Orkney Enterprise," he said. "I am delighted that everything has worked out. We got there in the end but it has been a long haul."