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 (more commonly referred to by its current name, Nordlys), 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.
Nordlys’ return to the UK
Nordlys 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 Nordlys 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, Nordlys will become a state-of-the-art research vessel, available for charter by scientists, explorers, and environmentalists.
You can support this project via William’s Go Fund Me Campaign. Supporters will be able to visit Nordlys in Lowestoft and around the UK once she’s sailing again, which means you’ll be able to see the impact of your generosity firsthand!
Follow Nordlys’ Story
Explore the Wine Dark Sea Research website where you can read more about William and Nordlys (Jubilee).
Follow William and Wine Dark Sea Research on social media:
Read this BBC News article about 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.