Fishing vessel returns to home port after 138 years

The Nordlys was once used to catch herring in the waters around Lowestoft

The owner of a 138-year-old fishing ship, believed to be the only one left of its kind, is hoping to raise funds to turn it into a research vessel.

The Nordlys has returned to Lowestoft in Suffolk, where it was built, for the first time in more than a century.

William Lund wants to raise £700,000 to convert the vessel into an eco-friendly ship for scientists to use.

"I am a custodian of history here and it is up to me to maintain that and keep this bit of Lowestoft afloat and alive," he said.

William Lund is the owner of the Nordlys, which has returned to Lowestoft where it was built

The ship - originally called the Jubilee - was built in the coastal town in 1887 at the peak of the fishing industry, and was used as a drifter to catch herring.

By 1910 it had been sold to a new owner in Norway.

The Nordlys was originally built of oak and was rebuilt using Douglas Fir on her deck

The vessel was most recently used to transport wine and olive oil from southern Europe and was later moored in the Netherlands during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Lund, 25, who is an experienced sailor, helped bring the Nordlys back to Lowestoft on a 27-hour journey across the North Sea.

"She was absolutely flying. She sails better than any other boat I have sailed," he said.

"They have such power and life to them. They feel like living creatures that are meant to be out at sea."

Mr Lund said the restoration could take up to three years

For the past five years, and the first time in its history, the Nordlys has not been used in a working capacity.

It is moored at The Excelsior Trust, which provides sailing experiences for the local community, and is where Mr Lund's restoration project will take place, with the help of volunteers.

He said the ship was set to be transformed into a sail-powered research vessel, with the help of traditional boat-building skills.

"She will be used for taking scientists out to sea and giving them the opportunity to do research, without needing to burn too much fossil fuels," he added.

Karol Petryka works at the The Excelsior Trust, where the Nordlys will be restored

Speaking about the ship, Karol Petryka, the general manager of the trust, said: "In the old days, the quality of timber was completely different, and the skill-set of people.

"The majority of the work has been done by hand."

The restoration is estimated to take about three years.