Peerie Boat Week makes a splash

ORGANISERS of the slimmed-down Peerie Boat Week have hailed the event as a big success.

Over 120 people went on trips through Lerwick Harbour on the sixareen Vaila Mae and the modern built haddock boat Laura Kay.

A further 34 people enjoyed other boat trips, 40 went on tours around Shetland Museum, Hay’s Dock or Lerwick Harbour, and 146 people attended lectures.

The wind meant that there were no public sailings on Saturday, although a crew took the Vaila Mae out into the harbour for additional training in the elements.

There was also a well-attended keynote lecture from Brian Lavery on the uprising of fishwives in 1968 following a triple trawler disaster in Hull.

The festival was organised by Shetland Amenity Trust in coordination with Emma Miller of Realta Events Management.

This year’s event, which saw its main programme take place between 17-19 August, was smaller than its “big brother” Shetland Boat Week.

The amenity trust’s head of development Davy Cooper said: “I’m delighted with the way Peerie Boat Week has run. The enthusiasm from boat owners, volunteers, boat crews and the public is still clear to see.

“There is a demand for this type of maritime themed festival and I do hope that we can begin discussions for the 2019 event within the next few weeks.

“There have been a number of suggestions for events, activities and additional boats to display and we will be following all of these up.

“I know that the amenity trust is committed to preserving and promoting Shetland’s maritime heritage and this is the perfect interactive, community led way to deliver on this.”