Raise The Reaper's Masts

Aim

Help restore the Reaper to her former glory. As she enters phase 3 of her restoration, the Reaper requires new masts but we need your help.

Our Project

Our historic vessel, the Reaper, has gone through a major restoration process at Babcock's Rosyth Facilities and has now come home to Anstruther. We are on the last push to get all the final fit outs complete to get the Reaper out on the water and back to doing what she does best - going to events across the country to share her story, educate and entertain the masses. 

The masts are one of the most crucial aspects of the restoration and we would like your help to fund this. 

History of the Reaper

The Reaper was built in 1901 by Forbes, J & G Ltd in Sandhaven, near Fraserburgh. She was built as a herring drifter and served as a fishing boat in both the First and Second World Wars. In the late 1930s, she even held the record in Shetland for catching close to a quarter million tons of fish.

Bought by the museum in 1975, the Reaper has since welcomed generations of people on her deck to marvel at her unique design. She is the last surviving first-class sailing lugger of the Fifie type and is now the only example of this once prolific type of vessel. Also, in her retirement from fishing, the Reaper has appeared in many TV shows, such as Outlander and a full episode of Tom Cunliffe’s 2010 series The Boats that Built Britain.

Since her last major refit over 25 years ago, the museum has secured grants and donations in order to complete extensive restoration required to enable a return to seagoing duties. Successful fundraising has allowed restoration of the main structure at Babcock’s Rosyth facilities, but efforts continue to raise funds for the final phase that includes interior fit-out, full electrics, and new masts.

Upon completion, the Reaper can then get back to doing her job as a floating museum and welcome future generations through an annual community outreach programme on the Forth and beyond.

The Scottish Fisheries Museum is a national museum based in Anstruther and first opened its doors in 1969. This means that in 2019 we are celebrating our 50th Anniversary and we have a whole year of events planned to mark this important milestone.

Keep up with everything the museum is up to and learn more about the Reaper and Museum's history through our social media sites and website.

Website: www.scotfishmuseum.org 

Facebook: @scotfishmuseum

Twitter: @scotfishmuseum

Instagram: scottishfisheriesmuseum

#reaper #sfm50 

This project successfully funded on 12th September 2019