Our position 60:09.222N 01:08.494W

Distance covered 212.6 Nm

We left our berth shortly after 4am, heading for the fuel pontoon we had identified the day before. By 4.45 we were on our way with a full fuel tank.

Leaving Skudneshaven inner harbour

Alongside the well-hidden diesel quay

Final departure

At first we could not lay the course for Lerwick and the sea was quite lumpy, but soon the wind came round as had been forecast and we were able to head Northwards, close reaching at around 6kn in a calmer sea.

  Not all the boats service oil platforms

  No flag change required here, just taking down the last courtesy flag

The day was sunny at times, but it was cold and by evening we were in the oil fields and passing one platform after another. In the dark they gave us something to look at as they slipped by. The ones burning off gas looked particularly dramatic.

I spent some time trying to photograph the oil rigs at night, partly to alleviate the boredom of the night watch, but the motion made it impossible to hold the camera still enough for the exposure length!

After daybreak the wind strengthened and by the afternoon we were approaching Shetland. The tide made it more favourable to enter Bressay Sound from the North and there were lots of birds to identify as well as the many oil support vessels and rigs under construction. It was very windy and there was a strong tide with us as we ran down the sound to Lerwick harbour.

First views of Shetland. We were very struck by the lack of trees after the heavily wooded Scandinavian countries.

An oil platform support vessel came out of Bressay sound as we entered and we had a good view of the cruise ship at anchor

  This was a new oil platform under construction

We tied up on the South side of Victoria pier, alongside a German yacht. Because there was a cruise ship in the harbour, the other pier was not available, as it was being used by their launches. In spite of the wind, the temperature seemed warmer, and we were pleased to be back in the UK.

Tied up at Victoria pier. It was noticeable that very few of the visiting yachts were British. They were well outnumbered by Swedes, Norwegians and Germans