Thursday 28 March 2024
 6.5°C   NE Fresh Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Marine / Historic Faroese fleet to sail to Lerwick

The Dragin.

SEVEN historic wooden boats from Faroe are set to visit Shetland in June.

The ships – two of which date back to 1884 – will stop off in Lerwick after visiting Denmark as part of celebrations marking the centenary of the Faroese flag.

The fleet aims to be in Lerwick on 13 and 14 June and the ships will be open to the public.

The visit comes courtesy of Faroese Association of Wooden Sailing Ships, or Felagið Føroysk Træseglskip.

Part of the Faroe fleet.

“Our bonds with Shetland are long-standing and very close, not least through the many aspects we share in our maritime history and heritage,” the group said.

“While in Lerwick the ships are open to the public so people can visit the seven ships and speak with members of the crew about the ships and the old relationship between Shetland and Faroe Islands.”

The Faroese flag was designed in the Danish capital in 1919 by Faroese students and was presented to the public on 2 June 1919 in a park to the north of Copenhagen.

The 2019 Faroese Flag Flotilla will first visit Denmark, taking in the cities of Århus and Copenhagen, before stopping off in Lerwick on the way back to Faroe.

Five of the seven vessels due to visit Shetland have been deemed worthy of preservation by the National Museum of the Faroe Islands.

The Johanna TG 326 and the Westward Ho TN 54 were built in England in 1884.

They will be joined by the Dragin KG 212 built in Copenhagen in 1945, and the five years older Thorshavn.

Norðlýsið TN 24 built at the Torshavn shipyard in 1945 will also head out to sea.

The Norðlýsið.

Two motorised boats will feature in the fleet – the Heimdal VA 151 and the Norðan KG 334 designed and built by celebrated boat builder Lias í Rættará in Torshavn in 1919 and 1945 respectively.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

The daily maintenance and running of all the vessels is taken care of by a dedicated circle of “ship friends” who are interested in the preservation of this cultural heritage.

Johanna and Westward Ho are both ships known in Faroese as slupp – ‘smack’ in English – that were imported from England and Scotland from the late 1870s until the 1930s.

These vessels helped to transform the Faroe Islands from a farming to a fisheries-based society and also to a modern cash-based economy.

There were over 130 ‘smacks’ active in their heyday in the Faroe Islands, but today only Johanna and Westward Ho survive.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.