The pair are the ex-whaler and current emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV), Ocean Swift, and multi-role offshore support vessel, Ocean Sprite.

Both vessels arrived from Bergen and are now laid up during a period of reduced activity in the offshore service industry.

They are operated by Sartor Offshore Rescue Ltd of Aberdeen (part of the Norwegian-based Sartor Offshore Group).

The veteran 579 gross tons Ocean Swift began her varied career in 1957, when she was built as the whaler, R5, by Haarlemsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij of Holland.

After initially sailing with Rosina Shipping Company, she was sold to Calpe Shipping of Gibraltar in 1958.

In 1964, she was hired to the Royal Norwegian Navy, before being commissioned as HNoMS Andenes the next year.

She carried out fishery protection duties in Norwegian territorial waters until 1981, when she became an accommodation vessel at Haugesund.

Acquired by Remøy Havfiske of Alesund in 1984, she was converted to the support vessel, Kim, afterwards servicing oil rigs in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. She was renamed Rescue Kim in 1995 and Havila Sky in 1998, on being sold to Havila Supply AS.

During 2004, she underwent extensive repairs in Wear Dock and Engineering’s dry dock. She was renamed Ocean Swift in 2007, when Havila Rescue UK was sold to Ocean Mainport Holdings.

The 1,499 gross tons Ocean Sprite was built as Edda Sprite by James Brown & Hamer Ltd at Durban, South Africa, in 1975.

After subsequently sailing under the names of Sprite, Emerald Sprite and Emerald Bas, she joined the Havila fleet as Havila Sea in 1998. She also took her current name in 2007.

Several vessels have recently made unscheduled visits to the Port of Sunderland. After leaving Seaham Harbour, bound for Bilbao with a cargo of scrap metal, the 2,056 gross tons cargo ship, Ashley, put into port early on January 22 for engine repairs. She resumed her voyage on January 25 after lying at Corporation Quay.

With northerly gales forecast, last Friday saw two vessels sailing out of Burntisland on the Forth estuary entering harbour for shelter.

They were the 77-foot multicat vessel, Forth Fighter and the 131 gross tons tug, Voe Chief, which were bound for Harwich and Ramsgate, respectively.

Owned by Briggs Marine, Forth Fighter was last seen in the Wear last November, when she carried out work on North Dock basin navigation beacon.

Voe Chief was built by Damen shipyard, Holland, in 1980 and is owned by Shetland-based tug and workboat operator, Delta Marine.

Both vessels sailed from Greenwells Quay last Saturday.