On a quiet Monday morning in Spring of 2025, I found myself stepping into the Heritage Museum in Wick, a modest, unassuming building from outside. I wasn’t expecting to be impressed but I had a few hours to spare, and I thought discovering local history would be a good way to pass the time. Instead, I discovered a treasure trove of fascinating local lore.
A vast collection of photographs, objects, and tools made the history of Wick come alive to me. My guide, Eswyl, was knowledgeable and passionate about Wick’s past and present – my companion on a voyage where I discovered the story of this community shaped by the sea. Run by The Wick Society, which is dedicated to protecting the area’s maritime and social heritage, the museum contains an astonishing collection of memorabilia. A dedicated team of volunteers, well-versed in Wick’s history, take real pleasure in receiving visitors and I found their enthusiasm contagious.
Discovering a sailing legend
Eswyl and I kept in touch, and that summer I returned to Wick. One sunny afternoon, she invited me aboard the Isabella Fortuna, a graceful Fifie fishing boat moored in the harbour. Built in 1890, she is the oldest floating wooden fishing boat in Scotland, with a history as fascinating as that of the town itself. Built in 1890 in Arbroath by James Weir for fisherman John Smith, more than a century later the Isabella Fortuna is the oldest of its class still afloat and plying the waters off Scotland. in 1890, when she was launched, she was the largest boat on the east coast of Scotland. In 1890, a newspaper of the day confidently declared that bigger fishing boats than this were not possible.
Owned by the Smith family until 1972, she made a profit every year drift netting for herring and line fishing for cod and haddock from the cold waters of the North Sea. In 1922, the first engine, a (Kelvin K2 44HP), was installed on board, marking her transition from sail to a diesel-powered motor fishing boat. This engine was later replaced by another one in 1932 (by a 66HP Kelvin K3 66 HP).
Restoration of a beloved sailing legend
When the Smith family retired from fishing in 1972, the Isabella Fortuna passed into the hands of Hobson Rankin, an Irishman who had made Arbroath his home. Even though he was later forced to sell it, Rankin cherished the vessel until his death in 2025, requesting that his ashes be scattered at sea from this beloved boat.
In 1997, The Wick Society bought the Isabella Fortuna from Rankin for £3000 pounds – half its worth – after having converted her back to a sailboat with a single engine. That same year, the Wick Society acquired a small lifeboat shed – for the modest sum of one pound – to house the Isabella Fortuna.
Major restoration work was completed in this shed. The two-year project included the replacement of large planking, the installation of 110 pieces of oak frames and use of over 800 bolts. All deck beams, a new deck, caulking and pitch tar were put in, and the engine was also completely overhauled.
A devoted community turns tragedy to triumph
In 1999, two years later, the restoration was finally complete, and the 135-year-old boat was ready to be launched again. The launch was planned for April 2000, but a miscalculation in the tides sent her slipping sideways. The hull was severely damaged and forced another round of painstaking repairs.
Under the careful supervision of Malcom Bremner, a former fisherman and harbour master (Scotland’s youngest harbour master!), the restoration began anew. He was joined in this endeavour by a fellow director of The Wick Society, Tony Sinclair. Along with a crew of volunteers, they devoted countless hours to making the Isabella Fortuna seaworthy again. Malcolm also rallied carpenters, painters and others, to volunteer their help. “The shed saved the boat,” recalls Bremner. “If there wasn’t a lifeboat shed there wouldn’t be a boat.”
Seven years later, their perseverance paid off. The Isabella Fortuna was launched again – this time triumphantly. When asked why he did not give up on her, Bremner’s answer was simple: “I fell in love with her. She was a feisty fishing boat – a stable boat, with a real history – and I wanted to save her.”
A fitting symbol of Wick’s spirit and pride
Today, the Isabella Fortuna is more than a historic vessel, she is the beating heart of a community. Twenty-seven volunteers help to maintain her and run free summer tours off Wick Bay, offering visitors a glimpse of both the town’s maritime legacy and the beauty of the northern Scottish coast.
More than just a local summer highlight, the maintenance of the Isabella Fortuna is a true community project. Lifelong residents of Wick work with newcomers to keep her mission alive. In 2019, the National Historic Ships Society’s Flagship of the Year Award was bestowed on the vessel.
Connections have been forged, and today team members support each other both on the boat and ashore. That spirit of unity and pride was formally recognised in 2024, when the volunteer group of the Isabella Fortuna won the Best Crew Prize from the National Historic Ships UK. It was a fitting tribute for this uplifting community that has turned the revival of past glory into present day solidarity – and for a boat that the Isabella Fortuna remains. Even after more than a century she is a living symbol of Wick’s rich history and an inspiration for the town’s future revival.
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