Average age of leisure boats in Faroe Islands reaches 42 years

The average age of leisure boats in the Faroe Islands is notably high and continues to rise, according to statistics from the Maritime Authority. This year, the average age stands at 42 years.

Out of a total of 2,771 boats in the fleet, 1,414 are between 31 and 50 years old. Notably, the Maritime Authority reports that there are 17 leisure boats in the Faroe Islands that are over 100 years old.

There were no regulations for leisure boats until 1994, when the EU implemented a leisure boat standard. As a result, only boats younger than 30 years old have been built in accordance with this standard.

In terms of towing services, figures from the Coastguard indicate that there were 44 instances last year where salvage operations required towing boats to shore, including both leisure and commercial vessels. This trend is continuing into this year.

Recently, the vessel Brimil responded to an incident involving a fishing boat that experienced difficulties while rowing. This occurred in the North Sea, and Brimil successfully towed the boat to Eiðis.