New lighthouse vessel delivered from Polish shipyard
NLV PHAROS arrived in Oban now begins operations
Photo: © Piotr B. Starenczak

On Saturday, 31 March 2007, a brand new ship sailed into Oban bay for the first time and was welcomed alongside the Northern Lighthouse Board pier by staff of the Board. The new ship, named NLV PHAROS, was built by Gdansk Stocznia Remontowa S.A. yard in Gdansk, Poland and was specifically designed and built for the unique work carried out by the Northern Lighthouse Board.

Captain Alan Róre, the designated Master for the 1200 nautical mile passage from Gdansk to the Board’s base at Oban, said “It is a great honour to have been selected as one of the Masters for this, the tenth NLB ship to be called PHAROS. We are absolutely delighted with the ship and her capabilities and are very much looking forward to operating her around the coasts of Scotland and the Isle of Man. From our initial experience during the sea trials in Gdansk to the 1200 nautical mile journey to Oban we could tell she was an extremely versatile vessel and will be an asset to the Board and its operations.”

Dr Stephen Ladyman, Minister of State for Shipping, said he was delighted and that "her arrival continues the Northern Lighthouse Board’s success at offering a strong service to shipping in Scotland and the Isle of Man.”

What’s in a name?
The name PHAROS has been used by the Board for its ships since 1799. The first PHAROS, which operated as a Lighthouse vessel from 1799 to 1810, was a wooden Sloop just 49 feet long (approx 15 metres) and 18 feet wide (approx 5½ metres) and would have been simple in design. A far cry from the new PHAROS which has an overall length of 84.20 metres and breadth of 16.50 metres. The level of sophistication in its equipment is second to none and boasts dynamic positioning, a large aft working deck area, integrated bridge management system and forward helicopter flight deck. All of which will meet the high technical standards demanded by the Lighthouse Board for the exacting operations conducted around our coast.

The ship will work mainly in Scottish and Manx waters (the area covered by the Board) servicing over 200 automatic lighthouses, buoys, beacons and she will also be able to carry out additional tasks such as hydrographic surveying and wreck finding and other commercial work under contract. The ship will operate out of the Board’s operational base in Oban.

The Northern Lighthouse Board’s Chief Executive, Roger Lockwood, said “this is a great day for the Board welcoming this most sophisticated vessel into service. Over the last 18 months we have worked very closely with the Remontowa shipyard on the build of the PHAROS and we are extremely pleased with the quality of the build. This was a complex ship design and not only will the ship represent real value to the ship owners who contribute to the General Lighthouse Fund but it will also meet all of the technical requirements demanded of her. We are very keen to get her out working in our waters delivering the vital service we provide for the safety of the mariner. The level of equipment is second to none and she also offers the scope for us to explore contractual opportunities to generate additional income to help keep our operating costs down.”

New Ship Specification
Class: Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (LRS) with Notations +100A1, +LMC, +UMS, CAC, DP(AA), MCM, NAV, IBS, LA, EP

Principle Dimensions
Length Overall (LOA) 84.20m
Breadth Moulded 16.50m
Design Draft 4.25m
Accommodation 30 cabins
Proposed Manning 7 Officers & 11 PO/Crew
Propulsion 2 x 1500kw Rolls Royce Azimuthing Units
Generation Wartsila Engines 3 x 1370ekw – 2 x 685ekw

Equipped with
• dynamic positioning
• large aft working deck area
• integrated bridge management system
• 30 Tonne Crane
• forward helicopter flight deck
• hydrographic surveying
• wreck finding
• latest environmental standards
• better and safer working environment