WINDERMERE'S newest passenger vessel, MV Swift, has seen lockdowns, a double wedding, and has completed over 130,000 passenger journeys in her first year.

Despite not sailing for four out of her first 12 months she has still covered over 8,500 miles and hosted school groups, corporate events, birthdays and wedding celebrations.

One of the highlights of the first year was hosting the double wedding party of sisters Francesca and Lucia Cutolo. They celebrated marrying their respective husbands Jamie Hope and Ben Maddocks with a three-hour trip onboard MV Swift.

“It was an amazing day from start to finish,” said their mum Claire, owner of Villa Positano in Bowness. “It was great that all the families could get together and have so much fun. To be the first big party to celebrate on board MV Swift – amid all that spectacular Lake District scenery – was just a wonderful experience.”

MV Swift officially came into service on October 25 last year.

“The training required before taking charge was a real challenge,” said Boat Master Rob Beale. “I had to forget everything I knew about manoeuvring boats and learn new skills

“She has dials that rotate and operate the thrusters which allow much greater manoeuvrability. It’s been an honour to skipper such a wonderful vessel. The bridge is a bit like Star Trek with all the controls and lights,” says Rob.

Chairman of Windermere Lake Cruises Bill Bewley says: “While the launch of the vessel came at a time of significant economic uncertainty due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we were confident that the Lake District’s visitor economy had a bright long-term future. After a year in service, we know that MV Swift is playing an important role in the area’s economic recovery.”