Marine / Excitement in the air ahead of Swan’s 125th anniversary celebrations
Events are taking place this weekend to mark the milestone, including an exhibition and an open day
“TO ME, the major thing the Swan does is bring history alive.”
That is the view of Swan trustee John Goodlad, who is speaking in the midst of a new exhibition celebrating the 125th anniversary of the iconic boat.
The exhibition at the Shetland Museum is a key part of this weekend’s anniversary celebrations, offering people a chance to learn more about the lengthy history of a vessel which has become something of an emblem for the isles.
There is a host of Swan related items on show from her 125-year history, such as models, lifebuoys and trophies, as well as a timeline on the wall telling the storied history of the much-loved boat, which is now offers sail training.
When asked what makes Swan LK243 so special, Goodlad – who has been a trustee for around 12 years – said although Shetland is blessed with maritime history resources such as the museum and archives, “there’s no substitute for actually being on the boat”.
He said the Swan brings history alive and helps to spark an interest in this history among younger folk.
Goodlad added that the Swan, in her current form, has two objectives – to maintain interest in maritime fishing history, and keep sailing skills alive.
“This is a boat that’s owned by the community,” he continued.
“The trustees are volunteers – there’s a huge number of folk involved in volunteering in all capacities, but this is a community boat which is supported by the community financially and through volunteers. As a result I think most folk in Shetland, I hope, feel that it is aabody’s boat and [something] they’re proud of.”
While the Swan is now a sail training vessel, offering people the chance to experience life at sea on trips around Shetland and further afield, her roots lie in fishing.
The Fifie boat was launched in May 1900 at Hay and Company’s yard in Lerwick, and she was used for catching whitefish and herring.
She was then taken over by a Whalsay crew in 1905, working from the island for nearly 50 years.
The Swan was re-rigged in 1908 to make her more suitable for inland fishing, and this is how she is rigged today.
She was given an engine and a “new lease of life” in the 1930s before taking part in seine net fishing.
All good things come to an end, they say, and Swan was retired from fishing in the 1950s before being towed to Grimsby in 1960 to be converted into a houseboat.
She ended up in Hartlepool in the 1980s, however, and lay neglected.
But the Swan was brought back from the brink in the late 1980s after she was bought by boat enthusiast Keith Parkes, who was keen to restore her but the project was said to be too vast.
She then ended up in the hands of Shetland navigation teacher Tom Moncrieff, who was keen for the Swan to be brought back home and used as a “living museum” and sail training vessel.
This then prompted the formation of a Swan steering group, which ended up buying the boat and taking her home after being made seaworthy enough for the trip north.
The Swan Trust was then formed, which oversaw a six-year restoration project; it was only in May 1996 that the refurbished Swan made her first sail through Lerwick Harbour.
It was in 1998 that she began a new life as a sail training vessel, with many Shetland young people in particular enjoying trips on the Swan.
Goodlad said the trust gets “tremendous” feedback from parents, of mostly teenagers, who say that “after a week on board the Swan, they come back a different person”.
“You canna be an individual, you need to be part of a team,” he said.
“I think that’s a huge part of what the Swan offers – that experience of being at sea.
“[Former skipper] Maggie Adamson once told me that in her experience you get a crew of teenagers coming aboard as individuals, but as soon as the boat is out of sight of the land, and as soon as the sleep pattern is broken up with watches, the behaviour changes and they start to work together as a group as opposed to individuals. Which is a fascinating piece of psychology.”
Goodlad also described the Swan as a “wonderful ambassador for Shetland as she goes around the North Sea into different ports, always flying the Shetland flag”.
“That generates interest, whether it’s in Faroe, Norway, or the Low Countries, Denmark or Scotland or England. There’s a lot of marketing of Shetland which is done. It’d be impossible, but it’d be really good to get a financial assessment of how well the Swan has marketed Shetland as a destination…it’s incredible what she’s achieved.”
Looking for the future, and Goodlad pointed to a “huge refurb job” on the forepeak – or front section – which is coming up, which is set to be carried out after her mast was replaced last year.
“The boat is in great shape, the mast has been replaced, the forepeak is going to be altered,” he said.
“We never have a problem getting a crew and skipper, and there’s never any shortage of folk wanting to sail on her. So long may she continue to be an integral part of the Shetland summer.”
The Swan exhibition will open to the public at 10am tomorrow (Saturday), with trustees set to be in attendance until midday to speak to visitors and share stories. It is being held in the Briggistanes area to the left of the main entrance until 22 June.
On Sunday the Swan will return to her “birthplace” Hay’s Dock for a free public open day, from 10am to 4pm.
At this event the community will be able to tour the boat and learn more about her past. There will also be full-day and half-day sailing opportunities on the Swan on 3 and 5 May, with bookings available online.
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