Lerwick 60:09.228N 001:08.495W

Pelagia
Frans & Sarah Toonen
Sat 10 Aug 2013 14:00
Saturday 10th August. Wind W3 increasing to W4.

We are due at a wedding in Cardiff and booked a ferry from Lerwick (Shetland) to Aberdeen, we didn't want to leave Fair Isle but felt it was important to ensure a safe berth in Lerwick marina as we need to leave Pelagia on her own for a few days and not to leave our arrival too late. 

On Fair Isle we became friendly with a dutch couple on a aptly named 41 footer called Skua, they also decided to move on to Shetland today. As most departures are determined by the tides in this region we both left at 0730, I jokingly said last one there buys the beers… so the race was on. The wind dropped after 10 miles in our 40 nautical mile journey and Skua was the first to give up and start her engines, therefore forfeiting the race. As we approached the most southerly point of Shetland the wind increased again to a lovely steady force 4 and without the swell we experienced between the island as we were now sheltered by land. In the remaining 20 miles we had a wonderful sail reaching 8 knots which is quite fast for us.

Leaving Fair Isle, in these light winds we use the cruising chute:

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The race is on, Shetland already visible in the back ground:

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Pelagia steaming along at 8 knots through Bressay Sound into Lerwick:

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On pontoon in Lerwick, Sarah watching a cruise boat come in looking a bit smug as I said a cruise boat would never fit on the harbour quay… with a bit of cream I quite like humble pie.

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