World’s tallest schooner is another notable visitor

Lerwick played host to the world’s tallest topsail schooner from Friday morning until Saturday evening.

The sail training ship Wylde Swan, registered in Makkum, Holland, visited the isles with a crew of 30 trainees and 10 crew.

Matu O’Flaherty from Ullapool, was carrying out some varnishing on Saturday and said when the ship is in port the crew have a programme of maintenance, “a bit like the Forth Bridge”.

There is room aboard for a maximum of 60 passengers when on overnight trips. When the vessel does day trips, a source of income, it can take up to 120.

With the summer rigging the sails are enormous and with the stunsails set, the ship is 36 metres wide and 28 metres high. The total area of sail is 1,130 square metres. In winter this is reduced to 800 square metres.

The vessel is no stranger to Lerwick having been here transporting herring, especially in the 1920s and 1930s. She was last here during the 2011 Tall Ships Race.

She was built in 1920 as a steamship to be fast to deliver the fish fresh and quick to market, she was built long and narrow. Her maximum speed is 14 knots.