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The crew, family and friends of the NorthLink ro-ro ferry MV Hjaltland plus some colleagues from Hascosay and both Lerwick and Aberdeen terminals put their Christmas and New Year ‘down time’ to enjoyable and charitable use with a series of fund-raising events which amassed a significant sum for the Lerwick branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

A cheque for £714.38 was handed over to Lerwick RNLI coxswain Bruce Leask at a ceremony in Lerwick today (February 11).

The vessel ‘lay over’ in Lerwick for two days during the Christmas period and again for two days in Aberdeen over the New Year.

Some 39 crew members and around 35 family and friends on board during each period raised cash by participating in a series of fund-raisers such as pub quizzes, raffles and the sale of DVDs showing the participants in fancy dress. The quizzes were set by Hotel Director Jimmy McCallum while the most unusual fund-raiser was the blackjack table run by Hjaltland Purser Kasia Stachurska, again with all proceeds going to the RNLI.

Hjaltland Master Stewart Gunn said: “The charity fund-raisers over Christmas and New Year have become a bit of a Hjaltland tradition. Crew and family really entered into the spirit of things this year with nearly everyone in fancy dress. We had a fair sprinkling of nuns, clergy and cowboys with the Tooth Fairy, Batman, Marilyn Monroe and Mr T from the A Team also putting in an appearance.

“This year the sum raised was particularly pleasing and, of course, the RNLI is a charity which means a lot to everyone who goes to sea. The cheque was handed over in Lerwick just before we headed off for the Pentland Firth where we will take over the Scrabster – Stromness route while Hamnavoe is in dry-dock,” he said.

Bruce Leask, the Lerwick RNLI coxswain said: “We thank Hjaltland’s crew and family very much indeed for this quite magnificent donation. The RNLI, of course, doesn’t receive any central funding and we exist solely as a result of the goodwill and generosity of individuals and groups like those from Hjaltland. It was a magnificent effort and we thank everyone for the contributions in time and money they all put in.”