Orkney Image Library

Nice-looking vessel. Brigantine rig.

In Sinclair Ross's Sail Ships of Orkney under the list of Sailing vessels registered in Kirkwall 1844-1953, the Volant is described as a Schooner of 94 tons, built in Banff in 1875, owned by William Foubister of Kirkwall and sold to Annalong, Ireland in 1916.

I described Volant's rig as brigantine because her whole foremast is square-rigged, but it seems I was wrong. A book I have says calling a schooner with square-rigged foremast a brigantine (as was commonly done) is 'somewhat improper'. I hate to be guilty of impropriety, so I'll switch to an apparently more acceptable name: hermaphrodite brig. But she's basically a schooner right enough.

Have just come across your website and was very surprised to see a picture of the Volant in full sail.As stated the Volant ended up in Annalong Co Down a fishing village at the foot of the Mourne mountains around 1916.This vessel was skippered by Captain William Purdy who was my great grandfather and crewed by other family members one of whom was my grandfather Hubert Purdy.If any one can give me more information about this vessel I would be most appreciative.I believe her Bowsprit can be seen to this day outside a pub in Falmouth England as a consequence of being shipwrecked of the coast.

The Volant was built for my great grandfather, Capt Kenneth Sinclair of Castletown, Caithness using timber he had brought from the Baltic. His 3 brothers and a cousin all had ships that sailed from Castletown. I heard that the figure head was in a chandlers in Falmouth.

More memories of the Volant: William Purdy was my mother’s uncle. She told me it was used for transporting coal and other cargo as both Annalong and nearby Killeel were important ports in the late 1800s. Sadly it was sunk during a gale and the two crewmen, both Purdys, were drowned. On a visit to Annalong in 1980s, we met a man who was at school that day and remembered his teacher, another Purdy, in tears.

Per Lloyd's Register 1877, schooner Volant (99 tons) built at Banff in 1875 by Geddie for J Bremner and sailed with K Sinclair as master. Vessel owned by W Foubister, Kirkwall in 1915-17.