Views from the Scord 25.07.08
Harbour full up
Scalloway Harbour filled to overflowing early in the week to last Friday with a substantial tonnage of shipping occupying the west and south facing quays and jetties. Harbour operatives had to shift vessels to squeeze in the latter visitors and regular visitor Ursus had to be turned away with no more berthage for a vessel her size available.
Survey ship Malene Østervold was still present from the previous week on the south quay and was moved to allow the offshore support vessel Grampian Conquest access to the fuel berth.
The substantial Normand Master was still alongside the west commercial quay and coastguard tug Anglian Sovereign came alongside on the old west jetty.
Meanwhile the pier face still generally known as the Muckle Yard was almost entirely filled with the 1,431gt Alexandra S. registered in Avatui in the Cook Islands, a dependency of New Zealand. The vessel is on a return visit having been here previously under a different flag. On this occasion she was discharging salmon farming materials including the component parts of aqualine salmon cages.
Through the week the quayside cleared to allow regular visitor Grampian Frontier to call in, and the VOS Southwind returned, as did the anchor handler Ursus.
The high specification oceanographic survey vessel Franklin called in to port on Saturday. Accompanying her in her current survey was a smaller vessel, the Ping, which could easily be mistaken for a smallish day cruiser but is actually a fully equipped survey vessel used for shallow water coastal surveying. The ferry Snolda is still on the slip and the Ronja Settler continues to be busy for the SSF Factory.
Fishing news
A relatively quiet week with boats Quiet Waters, Resilient, Fertile, Comrades and Ocean Way putting 1,044 boxes through the market.
Charity concert
The Scalloway Boating Club plays host to a longstanding local charity event this weekend organised and compered by John Willum “Popeye”. A large selection of local artistes from Burra and Scalloway will perform a variety of musical acts across a broad spectrum of musical styles and ages including accordian and piano recitals, vocal powerhouse band Laeverick, songstresses Erin Sandison, Stephanie Pottinger, Lisa Ward, Shereen Jamieson and Jessica Johnson, folk rock band the Revellers, local mainstay Robbie Cummings and singer Brian McCaffrey who will appear with a band on this occasion.
Entry on the door will be a mere £5 to all visitors and there will be a raffle held during the evening. Proceeds from the door and raffle will be split between Cancer Research UK and CLAN House cancer support.
Inter-county pool competition
Next weekend sees the annual inter-county youth and junior pool competition between Shetland and Orkney, with Friday’s events held in the Scalloway Boating Club, beginning at 11am. There
will be open competitions for under-21s and under-18s doubles in the afternoon along with the under-18s team match. The B inter-county open will start at 6.30pm for all ages. There are possible opportunities for under-18s coaching throughout the day from visiting professional Alan Reynolds, ranked number three in Scotland and number six in the whole UK for 8-ball pool.
On Saturday the event is split between the Scalloway Boating Club and Lerwick venues due to
the Scalloway Regatta Dance being the same evening. Under-21 coaching starts in the Lerwick Legion at 11am while the under-18 singles open competition starts in Scalloway. Timetabled for 4pm in the Boating Club are the crowd-pleasing speed-pool competitions for Bs, under-18s and under-21s and later at the Norscot Angling Club in Lerwick there is an exhibition match between top ranking Shetlander Neil Cummings and professional Reynolds.
On Sunday from 1pm there will be the inter-county under 21s at Norscot followed by an exhibition of pool and trick shots, again by Alan Reynolds. with the prize-giving later and more coaching possible. Monday sees the under-21 singles open competition start at 11am. With the events split between Scalloway and Lerwick it is hoped that the prominent Scalloway pool playing community will be taking part in, or supporting, many of the events of the weekend.
Mark Burgess
