St Ninian (II)
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
The St Ninian (II), (gross tonnage 2,242) was built at the Caledon yard in Dundee, and was introduced in 1950 on the indirect sailings between Leith, Aberdeen, Kirkwall, and Lerwick.
Her final departure from Lerwick was on February 27th 1971, she was then sold to Atlantique Cruise Lines Ltd, Nova Scotia. After two summers of cruises to Saint Pierre, Miquelon, and Saint Albans, she was laid up in 1972. Some time later she was sold to an American, Mike Gordon who operated Gordon Tours. Re-named "Buccanero" and registered in Guayaquil in Ecuador, she was carrying goods and passengers to the Galapagos Islands in 1980 when Gordon B Smith, en route to New Zealand in "Varangian" saw her and visited her in Puerto Ayora, Galapagos.
Nissen-type shed on left was removed in April 1957, fishing boats in dock are (partially hidden) LK471 "Endeavour" of Whiteness and LK644 "Fear Not" of Burra. Truck on pier is PS1642, first registered in 1947. The vessel anchored out in the harbour is a 'Coal Hulk' used for storing coal, and was owned by Hay & Company. It was later towed to Iceland and carefully sunk as the basis for a pier.
The small boats shown include, anti-clockwise from St Ninian's bow, 'Skylark', built by Howarth's yard and used to ferry workers to the Heogan Factory, in the corner, 'Fertile' used by Malakoff Ltd as a workboat, at the Bressay slip, 'Norna' used to carry goods to Bressay. The Shetland model with coachroof and wheelhouse is 'Atalanta', owned by William Smith aka 'Willie da Pilot', and the open Shetland model is 'Ivy' owned by Andrew Leask.
