The Swan LK243 is a restored herring drifter built in 1900. This vessel was one of the finest built during the herring boom here in Shetland in the late 1800s. She’s survived two world wars and near destruction, found partially submerged in Hartlepool harbour in the 80s. The Swan Trust was set up in Shetland to bring her home and restore her to her former glory, and now she’s a sail training vessel, keeping alive the old traditional methods of working a sail Fifie.
I had a most fantastic sail on her one afternoon recently, the first time I’d ever been on a sailing boat, and this was really something special.
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I have lived nearly my entire life by the sea, and would you believe I have never been on a sailing boat before? Not properly, anyway. I’ve been on aboard a few while they were berthed, but I had never experienced the thrill of being out on the open sea with the sails down, wind at our backs.
Until recently.
Regular readers will be aware that I am one of the main contributors to the blogs on our local tourism board website – Shetland.org. I also write regular features for their quarterly magazine, 60 North.
This means I get to do All. Sorts. Of. Awesome. Things! So I can write about stuffs, y’know.
My first time on a sailing boat
One of these awesome things, recently, was the opportunity to sail on the Swan LK243, a restored herring drifter built in 1900. This vessel was one of the finest built during the herring boom here in Shetland in the late 1800s. She’s survived two world wars and near destruction, found partially submerged in Hartlepool harbour in the 80s. The Swan Trust was set up in Shetland to bring her home and restore her to her former glory, and now she’s a sail training vessel, keeping alive the old traditional methods of working a sail Fifie.
This was the first time I’d ever been on a sailing boat, and it was really something special.
I wrote a more detailed historical piece for the Shetland.org blog, but I wanted to share a few extra photos I didn’t include in that piece here, plus to perhaps point more readers in the Shetland.org direction. If you ever wanted to learn more about Shetland, that’s the place to do it!
In the meantime, here are some photos taken on the day. The Lerwick RNLI lifeboat crew were also out on exercise that afternoon, pictured below.
Read my piece on Shetland.org on The Swan – Shetland’s Legacy of Sail
Find out more about the Swan LK243 on The Swan Trust website
Courgette and Basil Soup
I love your photos Elizabeth – you really captured your time on the boat 🙂 So cool that you get to do this kind of thing!
woow this looks amazing! I wish I had the stomach to do that, but I always get seasick! lol x
Oh my goodness! I would love to go sailing and this boat looks amazing!
I’ve never been but I I know it would be awesome. So glad you had a great time sugar.
Great post
Charlotte x
This looks like so much fun! I’m such a wuss when it comes to water though, haha.
Amazing. I’d so love to tag along.
What an amazing experience and such an interesting post! We’d love to go on a sailboat, we’ve only ever been on ribs.
Your photos are amazing! I love them. Very cool that you get to do these kind of things in the name of work!
I’d love to go on a proper sailing boat, I’m so jealous that you did! Your photos look amazing and I shall definitely be checking out your other post xx
I love being on the water. This looks like a great outing. You’ve got some great photos!
Oh that’s amazing. I love the water. I have entertained the idea of joining a sailing club. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.
What a gorgeous boat! I’ve been wanting to go on a proper sailing boat for years.
How amazing. And what a beautiful boat to sail on for your first experience on a sail boat. Your photographs are stunning and it looks like you had the perfect weather for a trip out to sea. Hugs Lucy xxxx
Wow what an amazing experience! This looks peaceful and just fabulous! H x
Wow I’ve never been on anything quite like that before it looks beautiful. I must admit if I was on it and it moved I’d be terrified.
What a fantastic adventure for your first sailing experience! The boat looks really fascinating and I would love to sail on It too x
That looks so cool! I’m terrified of boats, but I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
What a fab opportunity for your first time on a sailing boat. The pictures are great x
What an amazing opportunity. The boat looks fab.
Lovely boat.Beautiful pics.I love sailing too.I actually love the ocean ,water,blue sky. The entire experience of the world becoming one.
The boat looks gorgeous. It must have been a fantastic experience. Hopping over to read the other piece.
It looks like a fabulous experience – when the waters are choppy I am prone to sea sickness. But I do harbour a secret desire to learn to sail – I love being in, near or by the water.
What an amazing opportunity you got! I love old boats etc… my grandad would always tell me stories about them and how he sailed on them. It’s been beautiful restored for sure!
Jordanne || Thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
That looks like a great experience. I would probably get sea sick though 🙁 Your photos are gorgeous.
That’s amazing! I spent myself a few afternoons on a boat called Eleonora. It’s a very famous sailboat and I really enjoyed it.
Great pictures! You must have had a great time.
Mika | http://www.la-french-connection.com
This looks amazing. I’m lucky that my dad has a yacht so I have spent so much time at sea, I couldn’t imagine my life without a boat.
Absolutely stunning photos and what an amazing experience, there is something quite liberating about being on the water x
I’ve never been sailing but I think I would love it!
Wow – looks like a great experience. I love being out on a boat. You just feel suddenly so grounded and relaxed. Which is weird because being on the sea you aren’t actually grounded!
Looks like an amazing experience! I’d love to sail on a classic looking boat like that 🙂
Beautiful photos! I’d love to have a day like this one day 😀
awesome photos and great scenery.
What a treasure that boat is. I guess living by the sea, you get to see it everyday and not want to go on it?
Looks like you had great weather too:)
I would love to live by the sea!
What gorgeous photos! Sailing isn’t for me as i am terrified of deep water lol
Wow, absolutely stunning pictures. What a lovely time!
Beautiful photos I hasn’t gone sailing in ages. The Swan look amazing!
Never been sailing but this gave me serious goals. I loved the pics!
I’ve never been sailing either, definitly something I’d love to have a go at x
Oh wow this looks absolutely amazing! I’d love to do something like this in my life xxx
Ive never been sailing but I would love to. Your trip looks fabulous!
What a fab experience – being at sea is quite unlike anything else isn’t it
Looks like a lot of fun! I took a sail on a tall ship when I was in Australia and it was brilliant!
I have been sailing a few times during summer camps, I have great memories, but never in my adult life….and I used to live by the sea!!!
I’ve never been sailing but I have always wondered what it would be like, looks like you had a great time.
I have never been sailing, if honest I am scared of the sea, but the photos are amazing and I quite fancy having a go now x
OOh the Swan looks amazing, so much history there. I love sailing it’s so peaceful when you get out on the open sea and breath all that lovely fresh air.