Barnabas, Lydia Eva, Calshot Tug Tender, Mary Gordon, HDML, Robin, Barnabas, HSL, 102, Portwey, Pilgrim and Lydia Eva.
I have been entrusted by the heritage lottery fund with the responsibility of monitoring several small vessel restorations. These span the scales from the Barnabas, a 40ft Cornish Herring (or Pilchard) Driver, to the Lydia Eva, the last surviving steam drifter.
All these projects were brought to a successful conclusion, but all of them provided ample opportunity to learn fresh lessons. Perhaps the paramount lesson for clients or contractors is to be sure of your work scope before getting quotes, especially if you are looking for a fixed price! Almost as important is to know your subject and to be able to decide which features define the vessel type and which were just matters of the skipper’s fancy.
Alongside the monitoring tasks, various owners have sought guidance on restoring their vessels and applying for funds from both the Heritage Lottery Fund and other less well known providers.
These projects covered a similarly wide range of vessel types, from the last surviving electric river launch (The Mary Gordon) to the last “Dirty British coaster” the SS Robin.
Many lessons have been learnt and passed on. In the case of the Mary Gordon, having a fixed place of abode withdrawn at the last minute proved fatal to the Trust's application for lottery funding, a problem potentially shared by quite a few owners.
Most of the work involved full or partial survey, the compilation of various plans for lottery applications and standing by restoration work. In a few cases the owners also needed a valuation which we can also supply..
Barnabas, Lydia Eva, Calshot Tug Tender, Mary Gordon, HDML, Robin, Barnabas, HSL, 102, Portwey, Pilgrim and Lydia Eva.
I have been entrusted by the heritage lottery fund with the responsibility of monitoring several small vessel restorations. These span the scales from the Barnabas, a 40ft Cornish Herring (or Pilchard) Driver, to the Lydia Eva, the last surviving steam drifter.
All these projects were brought to a successful conclusion, but all of them provided ample opportunity to learn fresh lessons. Perhaps the paramount lesson for clients or contractors is to be sure of your work scope before getting quotes, especially if you are looking for a fixed price! Almost as important is to know your subject and to be able to decide which features define the vessel type and which were just matters of the skipper’s fancy.
Alongside the monitoring tasks, various owners have sought guidance on restoring their vessels and applying for funds from both the Heritage Lottery Fund and other less well known providers.
These projects covered a similarly wide range of vessel types, from the last surviving electric river launch (The Mary Gordon) to the last “Dirty British coaster” the SS Robin.
Many lessons have been learnt and passed on. In the case of the Mary Gordon, having a fixed place of abode withdrawn at the last minute proved fatal to the Trust's application for lottery funding, a problem potentially shared by quite a few owners.
Most of the work involved full or partial survey, the compilation of various plans for lottery applications and standing by restoration work. In a few cases the owners also needed a valuation which we can also supply..