Tiny vessel makes huge voyage to Shetland
Stuart Prestidge
An adventurous Norwegian has arrived in Lerwick today after a 55 hour voyage from Bergen in a homemade 12 foot boat, which could unofficially be the smallest vessel to ever make that journey.
Audun Nordhus, 64, has been planning the trip for two and a half years and made the journey alongside Roy Hansen acting as a support vessel in his 10 berth Blue Dawn.
“It was tough,” said Mr Nordhus “with the currents and the wind.”
So much so that Blue Dawn towed the unnamed vessel into Lerwick harbour as she took on a bit of water.
The pair are frequent visitors to the isle with Mr Hansen visiting twice a year “to sail with friends and colleagues”.
Mr Nordhus is no stranger to adventure having rowed around Chile’s Cape Horn, failed in an attempt to row from Alaska to Russia and was thought dead in 1996 after himself and friend, Trygve Norman Michelsen, went missing while trying to row from Norway to Shetland.
“I was missing for five days with no food and water,” he casually mentions. “I have two good and two bad”, he adds referring to his four notable nautical adventures.
The pair plan to stay until Thursday before heading back, this time all aboard the Blue Dawn, as Mr Nordhus wants to give his vessel to “someone or some organisation” as a thank you to the residents.
“I give this to Lerwick, so nice people,” he said.
The boat, unmissable despite, or because of its tiny size, is berthed in Lerwick harbour.
