In her early days the Swan took part in the spring longline fishing and drift net herring fishing from May to September.

She was soon taken over by a Whalsay crew and Symbister was to be her home port for almost half a century.

She remained under sail and was converted to the Shetland smack-rig in 1908. This is the rig she has today. She fished under sail until 1935 when, as one of only five herring sail boats left in Shetland, she had an engine fitted, giving her a new lease of life.

After the Second World War the Swan participated in yet another chapter of Shetland's fishing history when the seine net was introduced.

Finally in the 1950s, the grand old lady was retired and in 1960 she was towed away to Grimsby to be converted to a houseboat.