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Fishing vessel returns to home port after 138 years

Debbie Tubby & Aimee Dexter
BBC News, Suffolk
Jamie Niblock/BBC An aerial of the front of the Nordlys ship. The outside of the ship is painted black and the top deck is made from dark wood. The boat is moored on water and is sitting next to a white boat.Jamie Niblock/BBC
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.

Jamie Niblock/BBC William Lund is looking towards the camera with a light smile. He has long hair in a ponytail, and is wearing a grey shirt and black coat. Behind him are boats docked.Jamie Niblock/BBC
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.

Jamie Niblock/BBC An aerial view of two boats next to each other, docked on a stretch of water. The one at the bottom is the Nordlys and is made of dark brown wood. The boat at the top is white and significantly smaller. Jamie Niblock/BBC
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."

Jamie Niblock/BBC The side of the Nordlys ship is painted black with a sign that says the boat's name in gold. William Lund is standing on the boat's deck, bending down looking at rope.Jamie Niblock/BBC
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.

Jamie Niblock/BBC Karol Petryka is off centre to the right looking towards the camera. He has short brown hair and is wearing a black jacket. Behind him is a wooden replica of a boat. Jamie Niblock/BBC
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.

LISTEN: Rare historic ship returns to its Lowestoft roots

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