HMS Victory Restoration Status?

[DeRuyter]

Going to be in London in August and planning an excursion to Portsmouth. Anyone know the status of the restoration? Masts still out? The news stories on the web site are a bit dated, so I was not clear what was going on with her.


I'll likely plan to go anyway because the "Mary Rose" Museum is now open, but as always on vacations - so much to see, so little time!

Thanks

Eric

[David Manley]

Lower masts in last time I looked a few days ago

[Berthier]

Are they still doing the restoration or is this a new one (or maybe just an ongoing never ending one)? Last time I was there, 20+ years ago, the foremast and bowsprit were missing.

As to the Mary Rose, I was sadly unimpressed but I had seen the Vasa in Stockholm a few weeks earlier so the comparison probably wasn't very fair on the Mary Rose at the time...and that was also well over 20 years ago so the restoration must have progressed enormously.

[David Manley]

Victory, like all preserved warships**, requires ongoing maintenance to keep her in good condition. Every 5-10 years she goes through a deeper maintenance and repair period to ensure her long term survival, and that is what we are into now. as an aside, one of my early jobs when I was a trainee in the dockyard was working on Victory, back in 1990-91 (a weird time - spending some of my time on her, the rest working on ships heading off to the war in the Gulf - quite a contrast!)

I visited Vasa a couple of times when I was working with NATO in Stockholm. Of course noting compares with Vasa, but she did have the benefit of her hull being preserved on the sea bed largely intact, whereas most of Mary Rose's hull was left exposed in fairly aggressive tidal conditions and in warm(ish) water that led to it being destroyed. So the curators were always going to be limited in what they could work with. But in both cases the artifacts found in and around the wrecks, and the insight they give into life in the Swedish and Royal navies of the day, arre as important as the wrecks themselves, and both museums do very well in this regard.

I heard recently that Vasa's wood rot is far more advanced than first thought (due in part, I understand, to the bolts that were used to replace her originals) and the ship is at serious risk of collapse, so an extensive (and expensive) programme of advanced preservation and bolt replacement is underway. hoping to get out there again in the next few years to see how they are doing.

[Berthier]

The thing I remember most about the Vasa was her stern, built in the period when money for ornamentation seemed to know no limit it was a magnificent example of the abilities of the wood workers of the time. Like the ornamental additions to 15-17C cannons that served little useful purpose, they were more statements of national wealth and pride.

[DeRuyter]

Lower masts in last time I looked a few days ago

Thanks

I always seem to visit ships when major work is taking place. I went to the Batavia a number of years ago in April and all the rigging except for the lower masts was down. Last time I visited the USS Constitution it was in winter so many of the spars were down for winter maintenance (to be expected). The benefits of visiting off season though is the lack of crowds!

Eric

[Cmmdre]

What a magnificent ship. Thank you for posting these photos of Vasa Daniel. As you said the wood carving is truly masterful.

[7eat51]

Victory, like all preserved warships**, requires ongoing maintenance to keep her in good condition. Every 5-10 years she goes through a deeper maintenance and repair period to ensure her long term survival, and that is what we are into now. as an aside, one of my early jobs when I was a trainee in the dockyard was working on Victory, back in 1990-91 (a weird time - spending some of my time on her, the rest working on ships heading off to the war in the Gulf - quite a contrast!)

I visited Vasa a couple of times when I was working with NATO in Stockholm. Of course noting compares with Vasa, but she did have the benefit of her hull being preserved on the sea bed largely intact, whereas most of Mary Rose's hull was left exposed in fairly aggressive tidal conditions and in warm(ish) water that led to it being destroyed. So the curators were always going to be limited in what they could work with. But in both cases the artifacts found in and around the wrecks, and the insight they give into life in the Swedish and Royal navies of the day, arre as important as the wrecks themselves, and both museums do very well in this regard.

I heard recently that Vasa's wood rot is far more advanced than first thought (due in part, I understand, to the bolts that were used to replace her originals) and the ship is at serious risk of collapse, so an extensive (and expensive) programme of advanced preservation and bolt replacement is underway. hoping to get out there again in the next few years to see how they are doing.

It seems like you have an incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable, as well as important, job.

The thing I remember most about the Vasa was her stern, built in the period when money for ornamentation seemed to know no limit it was a magnificent example of the abilities of the wood workers of the time. Like the ornamental additions to 15-17C cannons that served little useful purpose, they were more statements of national wealth and pride.

Beautiful and impressive pictures. Growing up, a friend, who was more like an older brother, was building a model of the Vasa. It made an incredible impression on me - that was almost 40 years ago. Paul is actually the one to introduce me to wargaming, starting with Richthofen's War, WS&IM, and Tobruk. To this day, WWI aviation, AoS, and WWII tactical armor are my favorite wargaming genres.

[DeRuyter]

Here is an example of what Vasa's stern may have looked like on the fateful day (of course with much more and grander carvings!)

This is the ship I have sailed on, Kalmar Nyckel, which is a replica from the same period as the Vasa, but actually a Dutch built ship in Swedish service. Local carvers from Delaware did the work. The heads on the stern gallery railing are all local policians or major doners:






As Dave noted maintenance is ongoing with a wooden ship. Every winter we take down most of the spars and last year they unstepped the masts for a major refit.

Eric

[csadn]

And remember: "You can't get the wood, you know." ;)