Having a finger on the pulse

It's great living near a pier - there's always something going on that's worth watching

- Marsali Taylor

Marsali Taylor

Living with the sea

Marsali Taylor sails an Offshore 8M, Karima S. She’s a dinghy instructor and author of The Shetland Sailing Mysteries starring liveaboard sleuth, Cass Lynch.

Our big pier is the lifeboat pier, Britain’s most northerly, and she’s had several ‘shouts’ this year. I was just sailing back into the marina when I heard the roar of the lifeboat engine starting, and saw yellow oil skinned men running down the pier.

It’s always a worrying moment, knowing that some poor soul is in difficulties. Not this time, though. Naturally my berth neighbour knew all about it: an empty boat spotted floating near Burra, which is only 25 miles by road, but more like 100 by sea, right around the west side of Shetland. When they got there, one of the crew recognised the boat, so they phoned the owner straight away, and found him safely at home – their preferred outcome.