Category: Restoration and repair

National Historic Ships UK 2016 photo competition and Marsh Award winners

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National Historic Ships UK held its 2016 photography competition and Marsh Volunteer Awards ceremonies on board HQS Wellington on London’s Victoria Embankment last week.

The awards aim to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with historic vessels through photography, volunteering and by operating them, and encouraging the public to go on board at festivals and events held around the UK coasts, lakes, and rivers.

The £1,000 prize overall winner prize for the 2016 photography competition chosen from hundreds of entries was winner Yasmin Steele for her image, 50 Degrees South. It was chosen from hundreds of entries awarded by National Historic Ships UK.

Judge Rob Peake, who edits Classic Boat magazine, said the shot was a breathtaking photo that puts the viewer on the aft deck as the boat rolls in a roaring Southern Ocean blow. ‘It’s an accomplished shot too, taken no doubt with freezing hands, on the most unstable of platforms,’ he added.

Now in its sixth year, the Marsh Volunteer Awards supported by the Marsh Christian Trust recognise outstanding volunteers in the conservation or operation of historic vessels in the UK. This year the individual award went to Fred Attwood, who volunteers at Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust. He received a prize of £500.

The Marsh team volunteer award was presented to the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society engineering department for their efforts in operating and maintaining SS Daniel Adamson. The team received a prize of £1,000.

Jill Sim who volunteers at  was presented with a special commendation and received a prize of £500.

The anual National Historic Ships flagship of the year award for operational vessels was awarded to Balmoral in recognition of her outstanding public programme. Regional flagship awards went to Kennet (Merseyside) and Excelsior (East Anglia).

Stirling & Son repair and restoration of 72ft motor yacht Aquatic Life

Here’s a galllery (in no particular order) of an amazing large and thorough repair and restoration job by Stirling & Son. It’s one of those ‘how the other half boats’ moments, but impressive with it, and looking at the photos you can just smell the wood and other materials…

Will Stirling writes:

‘In May this year the 72ft Silver’s motor yacht Life Aquatic was re-launched after an 18-month restoration at Stirling and Son’s No. 1 Covered Slip at Plymouth.

‘To give you an idea of the extent of the work, every bolt was driven out and replaced and I’ve calculated that if all the seams were laid end to end the caulking gang would have raked out and re-caulked a continuous line from the yard to Plymouth city centre.

‘The Gardner 6LXB engines were restored to zero hours by Mike Harrison of Gardner Marine Diesels.

‘Following sea trials in the south west during June, we delivered her from Plymouth, via the Pillars of Hercules, to Monte Carlo where she will be based for the forseeable future.

‘I thought on a personal note you might be interested in a slide show of the job – it is something of a change from the building of the Alert that you followed a few years ago! Hope all is well, Will’

Thanks Will! I trust you’re having a great summer.

A heartfelt plea for someone to look after the sailing barge Beric?

The current owners have sent out the following email appealing for someone to take over the care of Beric, a well known sailing barge.

‘We are the owners of Beric, a traditional Thames Sailing Barge built in 1896 in Harwich, which we have owned since 2009. She is one of the last remaining all-wood Thames Sailing barges, built originally to carry grain, but at different times in her life she has moved all sorts of cargoes, and been everything from a houseboat to a nightclub. She is registered on the National Historic Ships Register.

‘We would like to ensure that Beric is preserved as a living part of Britain’s maritime heritage but we are forced to face the fact that she is now in need of more work to keep her afloat than we will ever be able to afford. Tim Goldsack has been looking after her at his shipyard in Faversham but she needs a complete rebuild to prevent her from disintegrating. We are not in a position to manage that, so so with enormous regret we are forced to contemplate the break up and destruction of this piece of Britain’s history. We don’t want to do that.

‘Rather than have her broken up, we would prefer to donate her to a charity, trust or individual who has the time and capacity to restore and revive her as a long-term project. This might be a company which has a history of having Thames barges as a part of its own heritage, an individual or family who has a love of or connection with these vessels, or a trust or foundation interested in preserving our maritime heritage. It might be a collection of interested people; there is no reason why ownership could not pass to a group of people with a shared interest. We would remain committed to supporting the new owner or owners in any way we could to ensure that Beric’s legacy continues.

‘Are you that organisation or individual, or do you know of anyone who might be interested? Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who might have an interest, or advertise this opportunity in places where people might see it. We are happy to answer any questions. We are open to any ideas or offers that would give Beric a fighting chance of survival.

‘Our contacting details are as follows: beric1896@gmail.com and 07772 342724.

‘Alistair and Jo’