OWNER REPORT
“We had travelled 2,332 MORE BIRDS
nautical miles on the log, had Going outside Bressay, we cleared Noss, another amazing bird colony. The strata
some great experiences with
of the sheer cliffs slant down gently to the sea, and every two feet or so, there’s
a gannet, row upon vertical row of them lined up just a peck away from each
the natural world and other. There must be a lot of bird food in these waters to feed the thousands of
especially the bird life, the
birds that watched us watching them.
comradeship at sea, fun times
ashore, and the further north
MORE WIND
we sailed the better everything
The wind started to build and strong NE winds were forecast overnight. There are
two yacht basins in Lerwick, one well sheltered for smaller boats, and the other
was. We will surely go back.”
open to the north-east. It was already rafted three or more deep, except for a very
large Belgian catamaran. It was already blustery and the only way in was to back
down wind to the corner of the dock. A season in the Mediterranean gives you lots
of practice at stern to mooring so we swung round and backed in to come
alongside the big cat. The cat’s owner was worried because although a good fifty
feet long, he only weighed seven tons and we are 24! We did offer to change
places, but that would not do – “Non”.
We checked in to the harbour office along with lots of Norwegians over for a duty-free
weekend. We went to the famously hospitable Lerwick Boating Club, and then to the
Queen’s Hotel for more local scallops and lamb, this time from the Shetlands of course.
SPLIT TACKS
Next morning after another rolly night, we got up early to stuff the fenders back
down between us and the Belgian catamaran. I was to fly back to London for son
Alastair’s and fiancée Francesca’s Engagement Party. Bernard and John kindly drove
me down to Sumburgh Airport for the flight and then went on to Sumburgh Head
to commune with the puffins.
At the Scalloway Boating Club, Alan, who owns a sixty foot fishing boat, told them
that to comply with EU fishing regulations, 10 boxes of dead fish of the wrong kind
are tipped back into the sea for every box of quota fish brought ashore. So much
for fish conservation with regulations made up in an office in Brussels, not at sea.
OFF AGAIN
The forecast on Sunday evening was for a day of obliging westerlies on Monday
night/Tuesday, then strong south easterlies by Tuesday evening. So as soon as
I arrived back from London on Monday, we topped up with diesel and departed
40
www.oystermarine.com
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