Long Forties

The Long Forties is an expanse of the northern North Sea named for the remarkably even depth found across much of it. A sailor taking soundings could measure roughly forty fathoms over a long stretch of water, giving the offshore ground a name drawn from the practical work of navigation. It lies east of Scotland, beyond the coastal firths and headlands, in a sea crossed by vessels travelling between Britain and northern Europe. Far from a sheltered harbour, ships here are exposed to the changing weather of the open North Sea.