You’ve gotta roll with it… Port’s new pilot vessel put through its paces in heavy seas<br /><br />Specialist boat builders have captured dramatic video and images of the Port of Cromarty Firth’s (PoCF) latest pilot vessel undergoing a rigorous final trial in heavy seas.<br /><br />They show the Balblair conducting pre-delivery trials in huge seas off the coast of Ireland, where the bespoke boat was built by Safehaven Marine.<br /><br /> The Interceptor 48 class vessel is due to be sailed to Scotland this month, to be brought into service on the busy waters of the firth.<br /><br />It is the second pilot vessel to be built for the Port by Safehaven in recent years, in an investment totalling more than £1.5million since 2019.<br /><br />The Balblair will be part of a fleet of boats used to transport the Port’s highly skilled pilots between the trust port’s base at Invergordon, in Easter Ross, and the vessels that enter the Cromarty Firth. <br /><br />Graham Grant, the PoCF’s marine support manager, said: “The Balblair is a fantastic new state-of-the-art vessel, capable of operating in the most challenging and difficult sea conditions, as the incredible video and photographs show.<br /><br />“She’s a very welcome addition to our fleet and will provide an efficient, safe and stable platform for performing pilotage operations.<br /><br />“The investment in a second new Interceptor 48 provides future resilience as the Port prepares to meet the new demands placed on us from an increasingly diverse customer base.<br /><br /> “We very much look forward to taking delivery and bringing her into service.”<br /><br /> Safehaven managing director, Frank Kowalski, added: “It’s always particularly satisfying to receive a repeat order, as we did after delivering the Dalmore, the first pilot boat, to the Cromarty Firth in 2019.<br /><br />“It shows how successful the boat has been in operation, and the Port’s confidence in Safehaven Marine as a builder.”
