SHETLAND UPDATE

So, Chris, where are you now? We are currently on the Island of Westray, the most northerly of the Orkney Isles, at 59 degrees North, the same latitude as Oslo and Stockholm. Westray has a population of about 600 – it has two small shops and fish & chip shop that opens for 3 hours twice a week. We are berthed in the only harbour, surrounded by fishing boats.

How has the trip gone so far? Overall very well. The problem has been the weather, particularly early in the journey, with strong winds pinning us in ports along the east coast. Other than that, Nell, the boat has performed as expected, and the crew have been up to scratch. Diesel, my terrier, isn’t so keen on the rougher journeys, but he loves the new harbours and beaches to explore when we arrive at a new place.

What have been the highlights? Various moments and ports of call have stood out. Wells, Norfolk, was a fine place to be stuck for 10 days. Holy Island was a magical place to spend the night at anchor, watching the seals and puffins. Wick , though not beautiful, was special as it was our last port on the mainland UK. I could write a whole article on Orkney with its archaeology, including the 5,000 year old Skara Brae village, and the moving story of Scapa Flow and the loss of HMS Royal Oak. Visits from friends and family, have been wonderful – several in Wells of course, but also as far north as Amble, Berwick Upon Tweed, and Oundle Osteopaths, John and Jo visited us in Lossiemouth.

Another major highlight is breaking the £7,000 fundraising target that we had aimed for, in aid of Volunteer Action. Thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters, we have raised £7,825 to date. Several companies deserve a mention, including Oundle Osteopaths, Hunt & Coombs Solicitors, Country Court Care, and Woodford & Co. But there have also been over 70 individual sponsors, many of whom have sent touching messages.

And the low lights? Apart from the continual battering of the winds, early on, the lowlights have included visits to Grimsby, Hartlepool, and Peterhead. They were all necessary stops for us – what is sad, is that they were obviously thriving towns at one time, and were hugely invested in, but as industry has changed and moved on, they have not. Off-shore windfarm traffic, just about keeps the ports ticking over, but the sense of decay and despair, is really apparent.

Where are you heading next? We need a good period of settled weather for the 100 mile journey into the north Atlantic, to reach the Shetland Isles. Whilst we wait for this to come along, we will mosey around the other Orkney Isles that we have not yet been to. The wildlife, the beaches and the colour of the sea, is superb. The people here are really kind souls. We have been given fresh fish and freshly caught lobster, by the locals. Everyone has time to chat, and a story to tell.

Do you have a message for people in Oundle? Yes, I miss Oundle and its people, but the way of life in the Islands is at a wonderful pace. I would highly recommend anyone that hasn’t been, to venture north and see this area for themselves. My other message is that the fundraising for Volunteer Action is still open at Go Fund Me - Nell to Shetland – every penny goes directly to this superb charity.

To date we have:

Travelled 684 nautical miles. Spent 103 hours on the move, at sea

Stayed in 14 different ports

Spent 3 nights at anchor in delightful bays

Had 9 sets of visitors

Been asked 33 times how Diesel copes at sea

Been asked more than 37 times about Volunteer Action

Raised £7,825 for Volunteer Action