From the membership of the trust a "Swan Return Group" was formed to make arrangements for bringing the vessel back to Lerwick. This involved a great deal of careful planning, since the vessel had to be seaworthy and had to satisfy the requirements of the insurers through Captain Elliott before she was allowed to undertake the long journey north.

A lengthy list of equipment was prepared...[and]...was taken south free of charge on Hay & Company's vessel Shetland Trader - an appropriate gesture from the firm which had built the Swan ...

The delivery crew left Lerwick on Friday 5th April, 1991. They were fortunate in having as skipper William Simpson who, many years before, had served on the Swan and whose family had owned her for most of her career as a fishing vessel. Engineer was George Sinclair of Trondra, loaned to the trust by his employers Malakoff & Moore because of his skill with engines. His knowledge was to be tested to the full on the way north. The other two crew were Tom Moncrieff and Dennis Geldard.

On arrival at Hartlepool they began to prepare the Swan for her journey. The electronic equipment which they installed included a radar, an echosounder and a Decca navigational system - instruments which hadn't even been dreamed of when the Swan was fishing, and which demonstrated the enormouos technological advances of the 1950s.

The hull was entirely empty and the first task undertaken by her crew was to lay temporary flooring to accommodate 17.5 tonnes of ballast considered necessary for stability. There was no sleeping accommodation, so a temporary bunk, big enough for three, was constructed for'ard of the hold. George Sinclair tested the engine for several hours and pronounced it fit for the journey.

After four days work the Swan was ready for her journey. The surveyor was satisfied that she was fit for the trip and Tom Moncrieff had completed the delicate job of swinging and adjusting the compass. With full fuel tanks the Swan left Hartlepool at 12.15pm on Wednesday, 10th April and by 12.30 she was clear of the outer buoy. By 8.00pm she had the Longstone Light abeam. The wind was fresh and from the south~west, making ideal conditions for the journey. The Swan was retracing a journey which she had last made more than 80 years before.