In addition to such vessels as the Warrior and Shieldhall (see separate page) I have been involved in providing support to a number of our more iconic preserved vessels. Foremost amongst these are HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool, Scott’s Discovery in Dundee, HMS Cavalier, now in Chatham and of course, the Cutty Sark.
In each case the work involved surveying the vessel or part thereof, leading to a restoration specification, Conservation Management and various other plans required by the HLF.
Specialists were called in for various aspects of the work, and in the case of the Cavalier, to oversee her restoration in a Tyneside shipyard prior to her being towed to Chatham.
In the early 1980s the owners of the Cutty Sark, the then Cutty Sark Trust, realised that the fabric of the vessel was in some distress. Having recently been employed to oversee the restoration of the Mizzen Mast it was logical to be invited to manage the full condition survey of the rest of the ship.
As a result it was to be my signature on the report that stated that the vessel would become unsafe for public access unless remedial work was set in hand. This led to an initial, unsuccessful bid to the HLF, but was followed by a successful one leading to the restored and re-displayed ship open once again to the public.
My personal involvement ended with the successful HLF bid, but it is pleasing to see her once again open to her public.
Whilst working on the Cutty Sark I was also employed by the HLF to monitor two high value projects. One of these was a refit for the sole surviving passenger steamship, the SS Shieldhall, whilst the other was the re-decking of the restored HMS Warrior, Britain’s first successful iron warship.
One of the lessons learnt early in my career was that good timber doesn’t come cheap and the requirements for Warrior was for a long life, low maintenance deck to replace the historically accurate, but vulnerable, Pitch Pine. The decision had been already made that teak would be used and this was sourced directly from Burma, something that has only now become possible again, the very best shipbuilding timber possible. The decking was laid by the Maritime Workshop, Gosport and the result is the fine deck to be seen today.
In addition to such vessels as the Warrior and Shieldhall I have been involved in providing support to a number of our more iconic preserved vessels. Foremost of these are HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool, Scott’s Discovery in Dundee, HMS Cavalier, now in Chatham and of course, the Cutty Sark.
In each case the work involved surveying the vessel or part thereof, leading to a restoration specification, Conservation Management and various other plans required by the HLF.
Specialists were called in for various aspects of the work, and in the case of the Cavalier, to oversee her restoration in a Tyneside shipyard prior to her being towed to Chatham.
In the early 1980s the owners of the Cutty Sark, the then Cutty Sark Trust, realised that the fabric of the vessel was in some distress. Having recently been employed to oversee the restoration of the Mizzen Mast it was logical to be invited to manage the full condition survey of the rest of the ship.
As a result it was to be my signature on the report that stated that the vessel would become unsafe for public access unless remedial work was set in hand. This led to an initial, unsuccessful bid to the HLF, but was followed by a successful one leading to the restored and re-displayed ship open once again to the public.
My personal involvement ended with the successful HLF bid, but it is pleasing to see her once again open to her public.
Whilst working on the Cutty Sark I was also employed by the HLF to monitor two high value projects. One of these was a refit for the sole surviving passenger steamship, the SS Shieldhall, whilst the other was the re-decking of the restored HMS Warrior, Britain’s first successful iron warship.
One of the lessons learnt early in my career was that good timber doesn’t come cheap and the requirements for Warrior was for a long life, low maintenance deck to replace the historically accurate, but vulnerable, Pitch Pine. The decision had been already made that teak would be used and this was sourced directly from Burma, something that has only now become possible again, the very best shipbuilding timber possible. The decking was laid by the Maritime Workshop, Gosport and the result is the fine deck to be seen today.