Using as many authentic materials and techniques as possible, boat builders Jack Duncan and Robbie Tait have now started work on the three month project.

The design is based on the sixareen Industry, which is displayed in the Shetland museum boat hall.

The men hope to replicate the craftsmanship which would have been witnessed in boat sheds more than a century ago.

Mr Duncan said: "Neither Robbie or I have built an open boat of this size and are looking forward to the challenge.

"It's close on 50 years since I stood at a bench with Robbie as apprentices to the late Jimmy Smith and it's great to be working with him again."

The sixareen, so named because of her six-man crew, evolved when the need arose for crews to fish further from shore.

The first sixareens were imported from Norway in kit form until the mid 19th century when increasing import duty made it more cost effective to import the raw materials and build the boats on the isles.

The vessel is being made as part of Shetland's contribution to the

international Northern Coastal Experience (NORCE) project.

This initiative has already seen a Fair Isle yoal, crafted by Fair Isle boatbuilder Ian Best, launched last year and a haddock boat is currently being constructed in the Hay's Dock boat sheds as well.

NORCE focuses on traditional coastal culture and how it can be used to support tourism development in Shetland, Orkney, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe and Newfoundland.

The boat sheds will be open to the public throughout the construction and visitors will be able to follow the progress of the boats to learn more about the traditional boat building techniques.

Curator Tommy Watt said: "The restoration of Hay's Dock was integral to the museum and archives project, preserving this historically important part of Lerwick.

"It is fantastic to see the boat sheds being used for their original purpose, giving visitors a unique insight into the dock's past and allowing us to construct boats which have not been made in Shetland for many years."

All three boats will become part of Shetland museum's floating collection.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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