Sailing to Shetland 2024 II

June 26 – July 9

Wednesday June 26

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Change of crew. Børge left to go back to work. Thank you for good company, Børge, see you later in Norway.

Ellen came in the evening. I went to Sumburgh to meet her, an hour or so by bus. Just after the plane came in, fog settled over the island, and the next day the airport was closed.

Thursday June 27

Christian Radich had moved to the pier. I went over to look and met one of the deck officers, Sindre, who had been on board Statsraad Lehmkuhl when I sailed with them i 2020. It was on the trip when we had a stow away on board, I said. Oh, were you on that trip! It was in the news in every newspaper and on the radio, he said. Later I met two young girls from Radich, and told them the same. That story is still being told on all the sail ships, they said. On Lehmkuhl they try to downplay it, but it still is a good story. I have written about it on another post.

Another, quite different vessel came in and tied up alongside us. It was a big RIB, longer than Vestavind, with two huge outboards. Thinking it was a tender from a ship nearby, I asked where they came from (in Norwegian, since I heard them talking to each other). From Ørsta, they said! They had started from there at 06.15 in the morning, and were here around three in the afternoon. That’s ten hours! They had plans to go to Iceland, but would wait for calmer weather. Those Vikings, they never give up! I think I should warn my friends in Ireland! (Later we heard that they had given up going to Iceland, and returned home due to the weather.)

The morning was foggy and cold. We spent the day in town, going to the museum and walking the streets. The evening was nice and sunny. From the old fort we have a nice view over the town and the harbour. Here are some impressions, also from the streets behind.

Most of the boats here are Norwegian. This beautiful boat here belongs to 87 year old Svein Langvik from Tau, just across the fjord from us. He came in today together with his son.

Friday June 27

We hired a car for three days. First destination was Jarlshoff again. Børge and I visited a week earlier, now I wanted Ellen to see this very interesting place, claimed to be one of the richest archeological sites in UK. We were not as lucky with the weather, but at least it did not start to rain until we were almost through. Here are some pics from details this time.

And some of the bigger picture.

After a short stop at St. Ninian’s Isle, we visited Paparwark Furniture at Bigton nearby. Eddie had suggested we go there, and were rewarded with a nice talk to Cecil Tait, who has been making fine furniture for more than 20 years.

They also have wool from their own sheep. This yarn, in natural colours, will be transformed by Ellen into warm gloves for me!

Davie Meddes, of Sew Far North in Sandwick, first appeared on a Facebook account of a former colleague of mine. They were sailing to Svalbard in their 45 foot yacht in 2021. Two years ago, I developed an interest in old sewing machines, and sought advice and tips for repairs and maintenance on YouTube. There again Davie came up with some very good and instructive videos on a Husqvarna machine I was trying to repair. I understood that he and his wife, Gilly B, live in Shetland and have a workshop there. Davie is a sailmaker and Gilly is an artist. You can see her designs here. A retired fireman, Davie is now a sailmaker and professional sailer, apart from being an expert on sewing machines. Here’s his website.

I got in touch with them, and he invited us to their place. In our contact before the visit, it transpired that Davie had been looking for exactly the machine I happened to have on the boat, a Pfaff 362 from ca 1960. As I have some of these before, I offered him to have mine, and he would find one of his for me. So here we are, officially exchanging sewing machines. I received a Husqvarna that I have been looking for, so this was a good match! Thank you, Davie!

While in the south Mainland, it may be a good opportunity to remember Betty Moat’s incredible, and involuntary, journey across the North Sea in midwinter of 1886. From Grutness on south Mainland, Shetland, she was going on the sailing vessel Columbine up to Lerwick to sell her hand knitted products. Caught in a storm, the main sheet parted and threw the skipper overboard. As the two remaining crew set out to rescue him in the tender, Betty was left alone below deck on the ship. The crew in the tender did not find the skipper, and were not able to make it back to the mother vessel. They made it to the shore however, but the Columbine and Betty Moat were considered lost after two days’ search. Great was the exitement when reports came that the Columbine had drifted ashore on Lepsøya, north of Ålesund, Norway, eight days later! The 60 year old woman, unable to do anything, and being cold and practically without food, was of course completely at the mercy of wind and current. How the ship made it to the shore, after having drifted past rocks and skerries, is another wonder in this incredible story. You can read more about Betty Moat at https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usbiography/m/bettymouat.html

Saturday and Sunday June 29 – 30

Back to Unst, this time by car. To get there, you take two short ferry trips, and drive over the island of Yell. We were looking for a place to get some coffee and snacks, but we thought this cafe was a little too petite, especially when there was a little rain!

In the north end of Yell, there is a beautiful bay with a white sand beach, at Breckon Sands. There is also a little farming community, with the Atlantic Ocean as their closest neighbour.

This is a memorial of the 58 fishermen who were lost in a storm in July 1881. They say that the Shetlenders are fishermen who also do some farming on their crofts. Up to the beginning of last century, they went to sea in open boats, often for several days, and so far that that they could not see land. They would navigate by the sun, birds that they saw, currents and clouds which reflect the colours of land. The same way that the Vikings would do it, and the old navigators in the Pacific. But sometimes tragedy struck, like here.

There is a beautiful traditional song from Unst, the Unst Boat Song, that we first heard when Eddie sang it at a visit in Marsabit, Kenya, in 1994. According to Shetland fir Wirds, it is Shetland’s oldest surviving song. The text is fragmented Norn mixed with some dialect. You can listen to it here.

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Starka virna vestilie
Obadeea, obadeea
Starka, virna, vestilie
Obadeea, monye.

Stala, stoita, stonga raer
O, whit says du da bunshka baer?
O, whit says du da bunshka baer?
Litra mae vee drengie.

Starka virna vestilie
Obadeea, obadeea
Starka, virna, vestilie
Obadeea, monye.

Saina, papa wara
Obadeea, obadeea
Saina, papa wara
Obadeea, monye.

Starka virna vestilie
Obadeea, obadeea
Starka, virna, vestilie
Obadeea, monye.

So we continued to Unst. Highlight here is again the cliffs at Hermaness Nature Reserve. And the wide, open landscapes, with scattered settlements and always, the sea in the background.

Some old machinery where we stayed:

And, again, signing the visitor’s book in the bus shelter:

Monday July 1

I am now officially retired! Still feels like holiday, though.

Back in Lerwick, the marina is filling up. Both due to weather conditions, and also because school holidays have started in Scandinavia and Europe. Poor little Vestavind is sqeezed behind four big boats, from Norway, England and Germany.

Some have been here many times, like Ark Mari from Levanger, Norway. This is her 32nd time since 2000, said one of her crew members. That is more than once per year!

Tuesday July 2

The forecast promised fair weather, and we took the bus to Scalloway. At the museum I was given free entry for the rest of this year, “since you have made it a habit of coming here”. This time I consentrated on the fishing history of the community, while Ellen studied the Shetland Bus saga. Apperntly, our queen Sonja also has made it a habit of coming here, incognito. She visited the museum in 2023.

Otherwise, some pics from the streets and passages:

Wednesday July 3

After a week with many good impressions, Ellen flew home. Now waiting for the next crew member, Janis. Seems that Sunday and Monday will offer favourable weather for sailing back home.

Thursday July 4 and Friday July 5

Coming from Spain, Janis’ flight was delayed, so he lost his connection in Manchester and arrived in Shetland on Friday.

Saturday July 6

Another visit to Scalloway and the museum in Lerwick.

Sunday July 7

We left Lerwick at 9 a.m. local time. We had little wind the first day, and the sea was calm. So there was no sailing, just motoring. The autopilot had problems, and we had to hand steer all the way. That’s tiring, but rigging a system with elastic, rope and pulley helped.

As night approached, clouds thickened and I worried for some time about visibility. We would also pass some oil fields in the middle of the night. But it turned out to be quite uneventful. Showers passed around us, but we always had one ore more rigs in sight and could maneuvre by them and the information the chartplotter gave us.

I had tried to find information about mobile telephone coverage in the North Sea. Some people I talked to said it is possible, but expensive. Before leaving Lerwick, I contacted Telenor Maritime, who provides rhe service. A very helpful advisor called me back and gave me useful information. So, as we passed certain installations we were able to send and receive messages home. It turned out I paid 40 NOK for the usage, which was only a fraction of the prices I had heard about. But I think it depends on your subscription. Mine was favourable. Anyway, somebody was glad to know all was well onboard!

Monday July 8

With morning came a south west breeze, and in the afternoon the sun came out. We rolled out the genoa, but kept the engine running. Average speed was six knots. It takes time though, and even after the first sight of land it took six hours until we entered the harbour in Haugesund. Being summer holiday, and beautiful weather, the visitor’s marina was full. An inviting fender on the outside of a German boat indicated we could tie up alongside, which we did at 9.30 p.m.

Tuesday July 9

A beautiful morning promised a good last leg from Haugesund to Talgje. Karsten Torp came on board in the morning. He sails on the i land  lake Mjøsa, but has also sailed extensively in the north of Norway.

And later, in Kopervik, Tobias and Oskar came on bord. Two promising crew! Although they sometimes think sailing is too slow!

We set sails as we reached the open Boknafjord and had a beautiful four hours in sun and light breeze. The last hour and a half the genakker Obelix pulled us home.