The life of a boat
24/04/12 05:01
The Cutty Sark was designed to be a state-of-the-art Clipper ship by Hercules Linton. She was designed specifically to outsail the clipper Thermopylae. They chose a brand new company to construct her. Scott & Linton had been in business less than one year when they penned the contract for construction. They promised to launch the boat within 6 months. It was a big job for a small firm and they were not equal to the task. Payment was to be made in seven installments as the ship was completed with penalties assessed for delays. The company ran out of money to keep working and a second firm, Denny’s completed the work. The ship was launched nine months after construction started and it took another month to have her masts lifted and running rigging installed. She was of composite construction: a wooden hull on an iron frame.
From that point, it is history. The last merchant clipper at the end of the era of sail, Cutty Sark was fast and capable. Built in 1869, she was designed for a service life of 25 years in the wool trade. After her life as a merchant vessel, she served as a training ship until she was put on public display in Grteenwich, London, in 1954 where she has served as a window on the golden days of fast clipper ships ever since.
In May of 2007, a faulty motor on a dust extractor caused a fire that burned through all three decks of the ship and charred her timbers. It was initially thought that the ship might be a total loss. However, this week the ship will once again open to the public in time for the Summer Olympics and the Queen’s diamond jubilee. The Queen herself will cut the ribbon on the new display.
You have to love history to undertake such a project. The restoration following the fire cost over 50 million British pounds ($80.8 million). That’s a lot of money for a ship that cost 16,500 pounds ($26,652) for her original construction.
I have no idea whether or not I will get to London again. But if I do, a visit to the Cutty Sark will definitely be on my list things to do. I have mixed feelings about how the restoration has been done. I am grateful that she has been preserved. I am an amateur boat builder and I love seeing how various boats have been built. I enjoy touring ships and looking at their details. However, it is now impossible to see the whole ship in the water as she was intended to be seen. First of all, she isn’t in the water any more. She is suspended by a series of giant beams 3 meters above a lower observation deck. Then she is surrounded by a greenhouse of smoked glass providing a climate-controlled viewing area. The result is comfort. The viewing area is air conditioned – as is the entire ship. In my opinion, the air conditioning detracts from the experience. Clipper ships were hot and cramped and noisy below decks. Their stairways were narrow and difficult to negotiate. The restored Cutty Sark has three glass elevators to take viewers to the various levels in comfort.
So they have made here into a tourist attraction instead of the queen of the oceans that she once was. No worries, when in London I’m a tourist. And I guess it might be interesting to walk under the ship and view the keel. It is a sort of fish’s viewpoint, I guess. If you can’t see the sharp bow parting the water, at least you can examine the undersides.
I didn’t contribute to the Cutty Sark restoration. I thought from the time they started that the plays were a bit extravagant. I didn’t like the idea of elevators and air conditioning. I think the greenhouse looks ridiculous. But I have contributed to restorations and re-creations of historic ships in the past. I contributed to the Amistad Project. I have made a small gift to the restoration of the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. Both the Amistad and the Morgan are projects of Mystic Seaport. At Mystic Seaport they restore and recreate historic ships to be put into the water and they have a commitment to using the vessels as training ships so that generations of young people can experience the teamwork and skills of sailing. The Morgan will be heading to sea in 2014 on a voyage of teaching and living history. The Cutty Sark will never again touch the ocean.
Boats are intended to be in the water. Having said that, the Cutty Sark had a long service life that outlasted the expectations of her builders. Ships in those days served for about 25 years and then were scrapped. They had to earn their keep in a few years. The elements took their toil. More importantly, technology was advancing so quickly that newer and faster ships came along to replace the old ones. In order to remain profitable, shipping companies had to keep investing in new ships.
My scale is smaller and my timeline is slower. I build boats for my own enjoyment. Given my age, a service life of 25 years is sufficient, though most of the boats I build will be good for a couple of generations if they are properly maintained. As much as I enjoy building them, I enjoy paddling and rowing even more. So yesterday, after spending a little time on the construction of a rowboat in my garage, I headed to the lake with a little kayak and went to visit the beavers. They were at home, which meant that they weren’t out on the water. A turtle swam by to greet me. The birds danced in the air. The sky was blue and the day was perfect for a paddle.
The queen will be on hand for the ribbon cutting of the Cutty Sark. I have never had royalty present for the launching of one of my boats. But yesterday as I paddled my tiny boat, I felt like a king. No royal has ever had it any better.
In May of 2007, a faulty motor on a dust extractor caused a fire that burned through all three decks of the ship and charred her timbers. It was initially thought that the ship might be a total loss. However, this week the ship will once again open to the public in time for the Summer Olympics and the Queen’s diamond jubilee. The Queen herself will cut the ribbon on the new display.
I have no idea whether or not I will get to London again. But if I do, a visit to the Cutty Sark will definitely be on my list things to do. I have mixed feelings about how the restoration has been done. I am grateful that she has been preserved. I am an amateur boat builder and I love seeing how various boats have been built. I enjoy touring ships and looking at their details. However, it is now impossible to see the whole ship in the water as she was intended to be seen. First of all, she isn’t in the water any more. She is suspended by a series of giant beams 3 meters above a lower observation deck. Then she is surrounded by a greenhouse of smoked glass providing a climate-controlled viewing area. The result is comfort. The viewing area is air conditioned – as is the entire ship. In my opinion, the air conditioning detracts from the experience. Clipper ships were hot and cramped and noisy below decks. Their stairways were narrow and difficult to negotiate. The restored Cutty Sark has three glass elevators to take viewers to the various levels in comfort.
So they have made here into a tourist attraction instead of the queen of the oceans that she once was. No worries, when in London I’m a tourist. And I guess it might be interesting to walk under the ship and view the keel. It is a sort of fish’s viewpoint, I guess. If you can’t see the sharp bow parting the water, at least you can examine the undersides.
I didn’t contribute to the Cutty Sark restoration. I thought from the time they started that the plays were a bit extravagant. I didn’t like the idea of elevators and air conditioning. I think the greenhouse looks ridiculous. But I have contributed to restorations and re-creations of historic ships in the past. I contributed to the Amistad Project. I have made a small gift to the restoration of the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. Both the Amistad and the Morgan are projects of Mystic Seaport. At Mystic Seaport they restore and recreate historic ships to be put into the water and they have a commitment to using the vessels as training ships so that generations of young people can experience the teamwork and skills of sailing. The Morgan will be heading to sea in 2014 on a voyage of teaching and living history. The Cutty Sark will never again touch the ocean.
My scale is smaller and my timeline is slower. I build boats for my own enjoyment. Given my age, a service life of 25 years is sufficient, though most of the boats I build will be good for a couple of generations if they are properly maintained. As much as I enjoy building them, I enjoy paddling and rowing even more. So yesterday, after spending a little time on the construction of a rowboat in my garage, I headed to the lake with a little kayak and went to visit the beavers. They were at home, which meant that they weren’t out on the water. A turtle swam by to greet me. The birds danced in the air. The sky was blue and the day was perfect for a paddle.