Sian Thomas wrote: > What - you let a bit of a breeze and a slight swell put you off? You have > to be tough to live on a wee island - tough and with a large freezer to > enable one to look at the boat bouncing across the waves from the confort of > the conservatory with no need to venture forth for several days! Quite so. The Northern Isles ferries sail in almost all weathers. When the ferries don't sail it is not because the ship would be in danger from the wind or waves but because the vehicles (& passengers) it carried would be in danger of being damaged (or injured). The Scrabster/Stromness ferry (MV Hamnavoe) is often cancelled due to bad weather in the Pentland Firth. However, the Hamnavoe is a floating gin palace whereas what's really needed is a larger version of the Northern Isles ferries; the restaurants, bars and shops on the Hamnavoe are totally un-necessary for a crossing that only takes 90 minutes. -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?"

I would disagree with you that the restaurants are unnecessary for the 90 minute crossing. When my husband and I go home to visit we are might glad to have the restaurants on the ship because we are travelling with little kids. Little kids don't do as well on snacks when it is meal time and when traveling from Edinburgh in a car, we can't always have a meal with us and in the early morning, there is not much open to feed the kids before we leave on the ferry, if they are awake in teh car. So I do appreciate the ability to have a meal on the ship. If it was just my husband and myself, we would not need it but it may still be appreciated especially after travelling all night. Ginger > Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 10:26:06 +0100> From: [email protected]> To: [email protected]> Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Ship Plotter - Orkney> > Sian Thomas wrote:> > What - you let a bit of a breeze and a slight swell put you off? You have > > to be tough to live on a wee island - tough and with a large freezer to > > enable one to look at the boat bouncing across the waves from the confort of > > the conservatory with no need to venture forth for several days! > > Quite so. The Northern Isles ferries sail in almost all weathers. When > the ferries don't sail it is not because the ship would be in danger > from the wind or waves but because the vehicles (& passengers) it > carried would be in danger of being damaged (or injured).> The Scrabster/Stromness ferry (MV Hamnavoe) is often cancelled due to > bad weather in the Pentland Firth. However, the Hamnavoe is a floating > gin palace whereas what's really needed is a larger version of the > Northern Isles ferries; the restaurants, bars and shops on the Hamnavoe > are totally un-necessary for a crossing that only takes 90 minutes.> -- > Bruce Fletcher> Stronsay, Orkney> <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont>> "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?"> > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message The next generation of MSN Hotmail has arrived - Windows Live Hotmail _________________________________________________________________ Feel like a local wherever you go. http://www.backofmyhand.com

Last year the Graemsay only got cancelled on one day - much to STevie's disapointment. I think he likes the challenge of sailing the boat in rough weather! I agree that the Hamnavoe does seem to be cancelled on quite a few occasions in the winter. As I said to Charles, I'll maybe keep a diary this winter and see just how many (or few) times. I have heard that most of the freight traffic is going on Banks' ferry on the short sea crossing, very little of it apparently coming up on the Hamnavoe. Allegedly due to cost but I don't know how true that is. Sian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay)" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 10:26 AM Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Ship Plotter - Orkney > Sian Thomas wrote: >> What - you let a bit of a breeze and a slight swell put you off? You >> have >> to be tough to live on a wee island - tough and with a large freezer to >> enable one to look at the boat bouncing across the waves from the confort >> of >> the conservatory with no need to venture forth for several days! > > Quite so. The Northern Isles ferries sail in almost all weathers. When > the ferries don't sail it is not because the ship would be in danger > from the wind or waves but because the vehicles (& passengers) it > carried would be in danger of being damaged (or injured). > The Scrabster/Stromness ferry (MV Hamnavoe) is often cancelled due to > bad weather in the Pentland Firth. However, the Hamnavoe is a floating > gin palace whereas what's really needed is a larger version of the > Northern Isles ferries; the restaurants, bars and shops on the Hamnavoe > are totally un-necessary for a crossing that only takes 90 minutes. > -- > Bruce Fletcher > Stronsay, Orkney > <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> > "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?" > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >