The Orcadian Features

Stanger family’s long link with North Boats
(From The Orcadian dated September 26, 2002)

Monday, September 30 saw the end of a long family connection with P&O Scottish Ferries for Jim Stanger. His father and grandfather worked for the company, as well as his sister and two nephews. (www.orkneyphotographic.co.uk)

I commenced working with the North of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Shipping Company on January 3, 1973, down the pier at Kirkwall. Early in 1975 the first ro-ro St Ola started sailing between Stromness and Scrabster.

In August, 1975, I was sent from the pier office in Kirkwall to Stromness to be operations clerk for the Pentland Firth service. This was a completely different type of work from what I had been doing, but soon I got to know the work involved and have enjoyed this right up to the present moment. In 1978, I was promoted to operations manager, Pentland Firth Services. One of the things I have enjoyed in the job I have been doing, has been meeting people and throughout the years have made many friends in this way.

Throughout the years famous people and TV personalities have travelled across the Pentland Firth on the St Ola (2). A few I can recall are Bill Roache, Ken Barlow of Coronation Street, Russell Hunter, Paul Young, and Robert Dougall, the famous BBC TV newscaster.

The first ro-ro service St Ola was purpose-built for the service. It was a very fine ship. One of the features on this St Ola were the purpose-built livestock pens. These could accommodate up to 80-100 cattle or 400-500 sheep, depending to the size of the animals, or a mixture of the two. The animals were loaded into these pens from a specially constructed gangway which was put into position with a forklift truck. There were livestock pens at the top of the shore ramp where animals were placed before being loaded on to the ship.

Sometimes the animals were kept in pens at the West Mainland Mart at the top of the Ferry Road and to get them on board the St Ola they were just run down the road. This could look like a stampede from a TV Western film, with animals rushing at a good speed down to the ship. A few times animals would head for the streets of the town with the stockmen in pursuit and soon they would be caught and directed towards the ship again. I cannot imagine this being done today.

These pens could be taken down in the ship and the space used for putting cars into on very busy sailings. Eighteen cars could be loaded in these spaces. Drivers did not like being put there as it meant reversing into a very confined space.

On various occasions we have carried other unusual animals including deer, llamas and ostriches, to name a few. Many extraordinary loads have been carried across the Pentland Firth, a circus with animals, cages, tents etc, a medieval jousting tournament with horses and equipment for this, vehicles for a monster truck event, 75-100 tonne cranes. I can recall two occasions when there was a heavy presence of police at the ferry. That was the day after the Indian restaurant murder, when every vehicle was searched and passengers were quizzed. The other occasion was shortly after the St Ola had left Scrabster, someone phoned to say that a bomb had been planted on board. The Ola continued to sail to Stromness. Before docking, the police cleared everyone from around the pier area, the St Ola discharged all vehicles and passengers and nothing was found. It was thought that a motor cyclist had missed the boat and had phoned to say that there was a bomb on board, hoping that it would return to Scrabster, so he would be able to get on board.

One amusing incident that I can recall happening was one morning before the St Ola was due to sail for Scrabster, two elderly ladies went into the ticket office and asked for two day returns. They were given their tickets and boarded the St Ola.

After about an hour of sailing the two ladies went to the purser’s office and asked when they were expected to arrive in Hoy, as they thought the sailing to Hoy was longer than they thought it would be. They were not happy when they were told they were sailing to the Scottish mainland and not Hoy as they had thought.

Monday, September 30, 2002, will see the end of P&O Scottish Ferries services to Orkney and Shetland. For me, it is a long family association with the company coming to an end, as my father and grandfather before me both worked for the company, also my sister and two nephews.

Jim Stanger