Historic Maggie Helen set for move as next phase of restoration is to begin

Shipwrights working on the boat. Photo: Dave Donaldson. 

A historic boat will be on the move as its extensive restoration work enters the next phase.

The Maggie Helen will be moved from Shetland Museum’s boat shed onto the slipway to allow for the skilled shipwrights to continue their work outdoors.

The team arrived in Shetland in April and have already made significant progress on her hull and deck.

The boat, also known as Loki, was originally built at the same boat shed back in 1904.

While the relocation is taking place, a temporary car park closure and access diversion will be in place at Hay’s Dock from the evening of Sunday, 3rd July, through to Tuesday, 5th July.

A walkway over the slipway usually provides access to the Museum and Archives as well as Hays Dock.

However, it will be removed with a crane on Monday to enable the boat to be moved.

The Museum is closed to the public on a Monday but a temporary diversion will be put in place for pedestrians which will take them around the back of the building.

The walkway should be lifted back into place later that day.

The Shetland Museum and Archives car park will be closed from Sunday evening to enable the crane to be moved into place.

The team at the Museum and Archives have asked anyone parked there to ensure their vehicle is removed by Sunday evening. They also ask anyone in the area to respect the cordons and safety signs.

The shipwrights will continue their work on the slipway over the coming month and hope to have the boat afloat on the next very high tide.

Initially built in the early 1900s as a 13-metre long fishing vessel, from 1952 to 2007 Maggie Helen was renamed Loki by Thomas Moncrieff and converted into a pleasure craft.

She cruised around Shetland and Scandinavia every summer from 1953 to 1997.

Since 2007 the boat has been in storage at the Shetland Museum after an initial stage of restoration work.