Cutty Sark

[Pertinax]

The tea clipper Cutty Sark was damaged by fire:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/c...icle1826734.ece

possibly arson, I spent many happy hours around this part of the world and the nearby Maritime Museum when I was younger this is a sad thing to happen.

But...this related earlier article summarises some of my feelings about the "heritage industry":

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/c...ticle510312.ece

[DecimusCaesar]

It was very sad to hear that the ship had been on fire. Some have even suggested that it was started delibrately by vandals, which if true would just be another sad case along with vandalism brought on monuments in Pompeii recently. It is very sad to hear that so many people have such disrespect for heritage sites. I've often heard of Stone Age burial grounds being desecrated. It has gotten so bad in some areas that the burial mounds need to be kept under lock and key.

 

I only hope that the restoration of the Cutty Sark goes well, and that we might one day see her back at sea instead of on land.

[The Augusta]

It was very sad to hear that the ship had been on fire. Some have even suggested that it was started delibrately by vandals, which if true would just be another sad case along with vandalism brought on monuments in Pompeii recently. It is very sad to hear that so many people have such disrespect for heritage sites. I've often heard of Stone Age burial grounds being desecrated. It has gotten so bad in some areas that the burial mounds need to be kept under lock and key.

 

I only hope that the restoration of the Cutty Sark goes well, and that we might one day see her back at sea instead of on land.

 

Alas, it is a sign of the times, Decimus. There is little respect for our heritage, nor do teachers in schools reinforce it. I could write for hours on this subject, but will spare you all. Instead, I will just say how totally disenchanted I am with today's world (if I sound old, I don't care). But I do think that disrespect for our heritage is just another symptom of the general malaise of today's culture. Here in the North West we now find it worthy of comment if a youngster is interested in history or art, or is a caring person with a social conscience - whereas years ago it was worthy of comment if one found a little tearaway defacing a monument. In my neck of the woods, years ago one in ten youngsters worked hard to get to University - nowadays one in five have an ASBO (antisocial behaviour order - for our American cousins).

[Pertinax]

The investigation is "inconclusive" ..

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20070523...ve-6323e80.html

I wonder what the relative cost of the original construction of the vessel was in relation to the restoration costs? I assume that the original spec was for a state of the art , high risk vessel with an uncertain lifespan (versus a very high potential return on capital) .What would be the modern equivalent , a space shuttle?

[Northern Neil]

It does not surprise me in the least that this half - hearted theme - park restoration of Cutty Sark is taking place. It seems to me that it hasn't even ocurred to the restorers that she might be made into a working ship again. Unfortunately it is the way us Brits do things currently. The Victory lies in dry dock in Portsmouth, a concrete mounting driven through her hull. The SS Great Britain languishes in dry dock in Bristol, a functioning ship no more, but a museum. On our railways, steam trains are restricted to a 30MPH maximum speed because of some misconception that the boilers might explode if they are put under too much strain. There is talk of taking them off the rails altogether, hamstringing them in the same way as our great ships.

 

Contrast this to the American frigate USS Constitution. Old Ironsides is a functioning, floating ship still, manned by a full crew. Just look at this: http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/

 

 

Wouldn't it be great if us Brits celebrated our maritime history by actually restoring these ships properly? I would sooner see them entering a harbour under sail than to visit them in dry dock, knowing deep down that what I was visiting wasn't really a ship anymore. However, that would probably contravene some health and safety legislation, or be considered politically incorrect for some reason.

Edited May 24, 2007 by Northern Neil

[Augustus Caesar]

I echo those thoughts NN. Are we really visiting what was a really remarkable ship or just a ghost of what she was? I fear the latter. It's a little like the reconstructed buildings on the forts on or near Hadrian's Wall. Now while they are spectacular and close to the originals they cannot be seen as originals. So do we get a feel for what they are supposed to be? I doubt it. So, as you say NN, I think the best way to get a feel fo this would be to rebuild what's leftand put her out to sea and allow people to get a true feel for what she stands for. That's being a ship on the water in the open sea and not stuck shamefully in a dock or riverside somewhere.

 

If it was vandalism what's the odds that the ship wasn't covered by CCTV? Now whouldn't that be ironic? We can cover everywhere else where damage would run into a few quid with a broken window or two but not a ship worth millions!! Excellent!!!! Again, if it is proven as vandalism what would happen to those if caught?

 

"He's not coming out... he's been a very naughty boy!!" A