Serco NorthLink Ferries Supports New Mast for Swan

The current mast was fitted during the restoration of the vessel between 1990 and 1996 and is now 30 years old, so needs to be replaced. Fitting a new mast to a traditional boat of this size is a major operation and the charity would not be able to do this without the financial support of Serco, who operate the NorthLink Ferries services between Shetland, Orkney and Aberdeen.

The production and fitting of a mast to a boat of this age and character is a very specialist piece of work and the Trust is pleased to have been able to award the contract to Isle Ewe Boats, base on the Isle of Ewe on Scotland’s west coast.

Right: Swan Trust Chair, Mary Irvine, and Trustee Brian Wishart, met Serco NorthLink Ferries Managing Director, Stuart Garrett on board Swan on Tuesday

Alasdair Grant of Isle Ewe Boats has been building and repairing traditional wooden boats since 2009 and set up the company in 2014. Regularly working with another local firm, Johnson and Loftus Boat Builders, the two companies will work together on the construction of the new mast. Their shared sawmill has already been hard at work forming the shape of the new 65-foot mast from a Douglas Fir tree, sourced from Tyre Bagger in Aberdeen.

Having now finished the 2024 season, Swan will be heading to Ullapool during the last week of October to have the existing mast removed and laid on the quayside next to the new one to ensure an exact fit, before the new mast is installed and fully rigged for the journey home. The work will take place at Ullapool Harbour where Harbour Master, Kevin Peach, has offered berthing and crane support to the operation.

With the close seafaring connection to Shetland, Orkney and Aberdeen, Serco is financing this project to ensure the ongoing sustainability and operation of Swan. The links continue with the Tall Ships Races returning to Aberdeen in 2025, with Swan already providing sail training taster sessions to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire based young people hoping to take part in the races.

The ongoing sail training activities provided on board Swan, in partnership with Sail Training Shetland, benefit many young people from Shetland, and in 2022, Swan visited Ullapool to provide day sailing taster sessions to young people there. The links between the locations and NorthLink Ferries services made this funding partnership a natural fit, with NorthLink Ferries being a major sponsor of the Tall Ships Races in Lerwick in 2023. The ongoing support of sail training and maritime heritage in Scotland by NorthLink Ferries, is a good complement to the company’s core values of Trust, Care, Innovation and Pride.

Swan Trust Chair, Mary Irvine said “We are so grateful to NorthLink Ferries for the generous sponsorship that has enabled us to secure Swan’s future by replacing the main mast. This will ensure many more years of safe and exciting sailing adventures on board for all ages and keep Shetland’s flagship vessel and maritime heritage prominent in the local, national and international sailing scene.”

Stuart Garrett, Serco’s managing director of NorthLink Ferries said: “Sailing is part of the heritage of the communities we serve at NorthLink Ferries and therefore we are really pleased to be able to support the replacement of the mast on the Swan. By supporting this project, we want to ensure that future generations can enjoy this historic boat and have some exciting adventures onboard the Swan. We look forward to following the progress of work on the mast and seeing her out at sea again once work is complete."

The Swan is due to set sail for Ullapool week beginning 28^th October and will have the new mast fitted in early November. Work is already well underway with preparing the spar and it is already fully shaped.

Above: The new mast is being prepared in Ullapool. Image: Alasdair Grant