suuusssiiieee

I hope that new cafe at Tesco's has metal shutters for their windows with the amount of debris that are expelled from the sea on a wild day.

Yes i have to agree - the new bus shelters (i use the term loosely) are an absolute joke. When they were starting work i counted 3 workmen on a Sunday busy moving metal barriers around, no doubt on a hefty overtime rate, perhaps the budget for this work went on that, and could be the reason they have the appearance of being half completed. Come winter should even seats appear in the not to distant future i would challenge our gormless council members to stand out in the elements in that structure on a dark, wet, cold winters night.....bet they wouldn't so why should us.....disgrace.

The drydock was unavailable until the 6th due to a shipment for the latest Royal Navy submarine new build being loaded onto a cargo vessel in wet dock. Once that was completed the dock was then ready for Hjaltland.

Oh dear it all smells a little "desperate" to me. I shouldn't worry though, the well heeled and arty farty brigade will do as their told in a zombie like haze. Don't get me wrong i have been to a few screenings in Mareel since it opened, and whist accepting the place is now amongst us and must try to keep afloat i hardly was blown away with the place - quite the opposite i was incredibly underwhelmed. If they get back to releasing decent films people actually want to see instead of the dross of the last few months i would go more often, alas i don't. In the long run the place will take, take, and take again, always in need of that extra helping hand....

Mistral

Yes there's time they should have sailed when they didn't and vice versa, but that's life you can't please everybody! The first few winters after P&O did catch NorthLink out purely because they were naive to think their ships wouldn't roll, pitch and generally move about...the evidence on this was chairs without lashings, gambling machines not tethered, and generally things not properly secured, all of which were addressed eventually. As for the freight vessels - yes they are unfit for purpose, and a radical re-think should be taken on them. However (NoLink) or Serco whatever you wish to call them will not want to be seen to be proven wrong so they will soldier on regardless.

Here is the Hamnavoe in Birkenhead with the "new look" what to you think everyone? (Scroll to bottom of thread for pictures). http://forum.shipais.co.uk/index.php?/topic/19300-hamnavoe-into-lairds/

On another site there is a photo of that horny viking Magnus adorning the funnel of the Hamnavoe in drydock, so indeed no more "N" logo. *Edit found link to the new look: http://www.orkneynewstoday.co.uk/new-viking-livery-set-for-northlink-boats/

Da cable ship is alongside in Kirkwall sailing tomorrow.

I see on facebook this morning a photo mock up of the new look the ferries will sport on their hulls after drydocking - bold choice to go all white, it will be a nightmare to keep tidy..

Fourth barge confirmed http://www.lerwick-harbour.co.uk/fourth-accommodation-barge

I'd heard a possible 4th barge may be heading to Lerwick soon....can anyone confirm or deny this?

Yes even several months in it's still not very pretty to look at...still never mind. I see 2014 & 2015 cruise lists on the LPA website, 31st July could be interesting - two 3,000 passenger ships on the same day, hold on to your hats for that one! Never has the fabled deep water town centre berth been needed more....

This on-line survey is all very well but what about elderly & people that have little or limited internet access that use the bus services? Should there not be an option for a paper survey you could pick up on the buses? Very poorly thought out.

Saw a cruise advertised for here in March looking for the Northern Lights, they are getting earlier it would seem....mv Discovery if anyone's interested. Guess the passengers will experience real Shetland weather at that time of year!

Kavi that's pretty disheartening to hear about that one particular tourist. Indeed walking the street on Friday i was amazed at how shabby it has become, DE Shoes for example has very poor paintwork outside their shop. It's maybe just a trivial thing but it looks sad to see. Lerwick the "grey town" as the Norwegians say....

I could just about remember the Sea Crown many moons ago, so i did some digging and came up with this for the masses that have no idea what the Sea Crown looked like... http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=937953 The stern is sadly missing in the photo but she did not go to much past the spur if i mind right, and she certainly was not bad bad looking certainly more pleasing on the eye than the ex prison.

I was wondering what has happened to the ever so cute little duck that was at the Skipidock slip, have not seen it in ages. Someone said it had died, can anyone confirm this?

That lamp post stump could be reused as a cheap bollard for when the council next decide to barricade off a part of Shetland from the public...on the other hand i can see why they have left it alone, it would take 6 guys a fortnight to dig it out!

Well obviously the good souls at LPA decided where it should go, but what's the bets an outdoor seating extension application will be coming the Thule's way in the near future? I heard a whisper a third barge may be coming into Lerwick also.

Love all the pictures thanks you for posting them here...aaah yes Mousa Sound the channel that's not safe enough for our north boats but ok for cruise ships that are strangers to these waters most of the time....

Having had the delight of sailing with the good ship Hrossey over the weekend down to and up from Aberdeen here are my thoughts on the new Serco experience.. The mid ships bar extension is excellent, there is more space to sit down and generally the bar now feels more cosy than before. I would however add a tv up towards the end of the bar towards the canteen as by sitting up around that end the one and only tv is to far away. It is important to state you are an islander and show your islander card (or even boarding card) as the nice people behind the bar will not themselves ask you if your an islander even if they have seen you travel dozens of times in the past. You will save 25% on food and drink so remember to do this EVERY time you purchase anything on board. A friend travelling with me didn't do this once and was charged full whack. Food is generally good although i did not purchase a breakfast as £9.95 is frankly taking the p*ss. I did note a very small uptake for the exclusive £18.50 lounge. When heading down the midships bar was lively and packed whereas the "lounge" had 4 people in that space, a total waste in my opinion. I don't really think that idea works and hopefully that space that is so under used can be put to better use for ALL passengers to enjoy and for free! The recliners at the front should not be there for reasons mentioned before, they will not be a great place to sit on a bad night. The area at the shop could have had 4 booths with horseshoe seating to make is feel cosier rather than look like one side of a 747. Overall not bad although there is still room for considerable improvement. I have also filled up these opinions on their on board feedback form. Again my main gripe has to be the completely unnecessary tannoy call at 6am down and 6.30 up. There should for people in the cabins be an opt out option (more so if you are travelling only as foot passengers) should you wish not to be awakened at that time.

£1.1 Million on top of the £600,000 plus the original investment equals a lot of cash that this island really could have put to better use sorting out essential services for the majority, and not pandering to the select minority of the arty farty brigade. Alas it's to late to fret about it now.

Kavi it would be great but just canna see that one ever coming into here. I hope i look back on this post and admit i was wrong if she ever does! Queen Mary 2 is up around here next month sometime, maybe she will come closer this time than she did a few weeks ago.

No pipes i'm pleased to report, and no ponies either. Still think this port could do more for passengers staying in the town, ie stalls, entertainment etc. Again the fabled cruise pavilion had only one local and no passengers go in it in all the time i was on the pier, waste of money and time it is.