The truth is, that from time to time, "scheduled" heavy costly boats move around with a very limited cargo, and the cost to move them is not warranted by the load revenue on some trips. It is like moving an empty train. The second issue is time and timing and the sometimes urgency thereof. To have a few high speed people movers of the inflatable hard bottom type, is just good common sense. They are incredibly sea worthy for their size, and they are efficient and quick. Take a look at what the rescue vessels are about, and the current type of lifeboats on large ships. They are also...FUN. Tourists like FUN!! I recall being in Kirkwall one June, on the waterfront, and a large seven story German tourist ship was overnighting off shore but in full view. The following saturday morning, they shuffled over two thousand tourists from that boat into Kirkwall, with grace and organization, and again quickly. It was an impressive feat. There is a retired ice breaker in Canada that circumnavigates Newfoundland with about 90 tourists. Each day they do a land-ho assault in these same type of inflatables, visiting quaint seaside ports. This sort of thing could evolve in Orkney. Ship to shore visitation by inflatable. The cost of these things is not excessive. They are a cinch to maintain. Often the engines are outboards, which means no motor repair downtime as a spare can be plopped on in about ten minutes. They don't consume much of that er....stuff....that is floating around in the Gulf of Mexico these days, and they provide a solid link to people on Orkney's out islands, for spontaneous trips, emergency backup, and special visitations by small groups. The Brits make these things, and are experts in the technology. Avon is a common Brit brand here amongst the yachties. I have spent a part of my life living on a property accessible only by boat. Our existence here in Canada involves Manitoulin Island for me and my family. We have only one ferry to the island which connects it to the south. The alternative is across a swing bridge, which takes you north, hundreds of miles in the wrong direction. The government here "study" these things to death before doing anything. There are thirty thousand islands in Georgian Bay where I live, and these hard bottomed inflatables are coming on like gangbusters. The government continues to study the issue. People running those incredible Orkney islands are amazingly clever and intuitive. They know indeed, what they are doing. This proven technology has a secure and productive spot in Orkney today. Orkney's new little boat addresses a niche, with a good budget number, and a variable application that covers a lot of bases. It improves the lives of those who live there, without emptying the sock. I am looking forward to hitching a ride or five, on this new type of Orkney fun boat transportation. It is a nice change to be close to the water and connected to the sea, instead of standing on tons and tons of quivering steel, reverberating to the rhythm of some massive pair of diesel oil guzzlers. Oh...and as to the genealogy point, this site when I joined many years ago, had but one restriction. That was that discussion regarding family research was limited to generalities, and that those type of specific name enquiries were to be the domain of the ancestral group at the Kirkwall library, who are only too keen to oblige root connectors. Searching your own family name was a no no on this site. If there was a change, I am not aware of it. One nice thing, Bruce's note woke up a few of the dozing adherents. Nice to see the juices flowing again. Bin a long dry spell. Bruce, thanks for the link. Take good care of Stronsqy. I guess some day somebody will confess that the oil blowout catastrophe in the Gulf, has raised questions about safety in the North Sea. That "ain't " a bad thing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as Mr. Obama is discovering. Nite all.....Stephen I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind." - July 1, 1960. From the Canadian Bill of Rights.

Stephen's an idiot. I am likewise fed up with his perpetual, unfounded bashing of the United States. He's like the Unabomber, living in a small cabin in the woods, tossing grenades over the border from time to time to satisfy some grudge he has against an entire country. Granted an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That was the problem in the Gulf. Stephen, why don't you direct that comment toward British Petroleum first, George Bush second, and then to Mr. Obama who has had his hands full with other problems created by the republicans and their disdain for regulation and for government in general. I congratulate the Canadians on their regulations as I understand they require oil companies to drill a second well at the time they drill the first. We are having to wait months for that, and it appears to be our only real hope in stopping this current problem. When I say we, I mostly mean BP. The US government is not in the business of drilling for oil or stopping leaks. As for your freedom, Stephen, you can thank the US for that. Your little cabin in the woods would belong to someone else if Canada had to depend on its own military to defend the country. Also, you can thank us for subsidizing your prescription drug prices as we have to pay the manufacturers more for the same drugs to make up for the discounts your government gets on them. ----- Original Message ----- From: "stephen davie" <stephen.davie@sympatico.ca> To: <orcadia@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 11:27 PM Subject: [ORCADIA] Ferry Tales... An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as > Mr. Obama is discovering. > > Nite all.....Stephen > > I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my > own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I > believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. > This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind." > - July 1, 1960. From the Canadian Bill of Rights.

Not called for and not very nice either Ridlen! Marion from Maine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Ridlen" <mikeridlen@earthlink.net> To: <orcadia@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 10:12 AM Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Ferry Tales... > Stephen's an idiot.

All, I believe we should not write something to or about someone that we would not say to their face. And oh yes, fast boats are fine. I was being a bit tongue in cheek about Orkney living the slow pace. Tuck On Jun 17, 2010, at 11:08 AM, <marion@fairpoint.net> wrote: > Not called for and not very nice either Ridlen! > Marion from Maine > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Mike Ridlen" <mikeridlen@earthlink.net> > To: <orcadia@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 10:12 AM > Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Ferry Tales... > > >> Stephen's an idiot. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message