Filla Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

**Title: 'Filla' Ferry Faces Propulsion Issues, Temporarily Out of Service** Content: The 'Filla,' a vital ferry serving the Shetland Islands, has been removed from operation as of March 5, 2026, after encountering significant propulsion problems. The vessel was sidelined in Kymbister following the port side propeller's entanglement with a piece of discarded rope. This interruption comes at a challenging time, as three additional ferries operated by the Shetland Islands Council—namely, the 'Geira', 'Daggri', and 'Hendra'—are also out of service for scheduled dry-docking. Consequently, this has led to reduced inter-island ferry services, with some routes being maintained by just a single ferry. During a council meeting on March 9, officials underscored the vulnerability of the current inter-island ferry operations, noting a complete absence of spare vessels within the fleet. With the impending dry-dock schedules, it was determined that the 'Filla' would remain out of service for the time being. In the interim, the 'Fivla' has stepped in to cover the routes until the 'Filla' can resume operations. Efforts to repair the 'Filla' are ongoing, particularly concerning the gearbox, with some repair tasks requiring the ferry to be removed from the water. As the annual dry-docking is already scheduled for early April, it has been decided that the 'Filla' will stay out of service until the scheduled maintenance can be performed, ensuring a thorough and comprehensive repair.

The service connecting the community of Skerries to the mainland of Shetland has been disrupted on Jan 20, 2020, after a crew member of the 'Filla' was contacted by Test and Protect team and told to have a Covid test. The council run service was due to resume on Jan 21, either with the current crew or a replacement crew. In the nightof Jan 20 the Covid test came back negative.