Introducing William Lund &
his 150-year old ship
William Lund is the founder of Wine Dark Research and a young sailor with a profound love for traditional vessels. William first fell in love with the iconic East Coast fishing smacks (small ships) while volunteering abroad the historic ketch Excelsior and it was there that he formed a connection to these timeless ships. The experience ignited a desire to preserve the craftsmanship and spirit of these vessels for future generations.
When the opportunity to save Jubilee, a 150-year-old fishing smack, the decision was clear: the dream of restoring and repurposing this historic ship into an eco-friendly, sail powered marine research vessel became a calling.
Jubilee returns to the UK
Jubilee is the last of her kind, an extraordinary 150-year-old fishing vessel which was on the brink of being lost forever. William and a team of intrepid sailors returned Jubilee from the Netherlands to her birthplace on the East Anglican coast in the UK, just eight miles from where she was built. The challenge now is to restore her using a traditional boat-building skills.
Once restored, Jubilee will become a state-of-the-art research vessel, available for charter by scientists, explorers, and environmentalists.
Follow Nordlys’ Story
Explore the Wine Dark Sea Research website where you can read more about William and Jubilee.
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Read this BBC News article about Jubilee (previously named Nordly’s) return to Lowestoft in Suffolk, where it was built, for the first time in more than a century: Fishing vessel returns to home port after 138 years.