The CA is delighted to welcome Andrew Halcrow as our newest Honorary Local Representative to support our worldwide community.
Andrew, a lifelong sailor, will be the HLR for Shetland, a thriving archipelago in the heart of the North Sea.
Andrew was born in the Shetland Isles and has lived there almost all of his life. His father was a sailor, who owned a traditional "Shetland Model" boat, a clinker built, double-ended boats usually rigged with a dipping lug sail. This is the boat Andrew learned to sail in, before getting hooked on windsurfing and dinghies and sailed a 505 for a while. He bought his first yacht when he was 21, a small plywood yacht, similar to a folkboat.
When Andrew was twenty-nine he built his own 9.6m steel yacht, a Tahitiana called ‘Elsi Arrub’ and with his brother sailed around the world in her for five years.
After returning to Shetland, he skippered a local 23m wooden sail training vessel called Swan for 8 years, taking her around Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides and northwest Europe, especially to Norway.
Andrew continued to follow his dreams and long harboured a goal of sailing single-handedly non-stop around the world. His trip was to be completed only using renewable energy sources and traditional navigation, so he removed the engine from ‘Elsi Arrub’ and in 2006 set off. This first attempt was thwarted by his appendix bursting south of Australia. He tried again in 2013, but was dismasted northwest of Cape Horn. Andrew wrote about his experiences in the book ‘Into the Southern Ocean’, which is featured in the CA Book Reviews (available to CA members).
Andrew currently works servicing marine lifesaving equipment for a firm in Lerwick.
"I would like to thank the Cruising Association for giving me the opportunity to serve as an HLR for the Shetland Isles,” said Andrew. “My main motivation to be an HLR is to help other sailors in need of any assistance while in Shetland. I have been in that situation myself and have appreciated help when it was offered.
"I have sailed all around Shetland and know the coastline, harbours and anchorages very well. So, I feel I have a lot of knowledge to pass on about the area. I am also very familiar with many local service providers. As such it would be a pleasure and an honour to give assistance to any Cruising Association members sailing here."
HLRs assist CA members in whatever way they can. They help with things like sourcing emergency repairs, finding moorings, securing visas, translations, explaining local customs and bureaucracy, provisioning, land transport and excursions. And if they can't help themselves, they'll know someone who can. They also keep us up to date with matters arising in their areas that might concern CA members.
Find out more about HLRs here, and you can find HLRs near to you via CAptain’s Mate.
7 December 2022