Cutty Sark restoration a disaster -- official.

[jaco]

So at least I'm not the only one who thinks that the restoration of the clipper Cutty Sark is a disaster. The project has been awarded the 2012 Carbuncle Cup for terrible design, by a pro architecture magazine.

I grew up near Greenwich and saw Cutty Sark in dry dock many times. You could wander freely round on deck and below, where there was a museum of ships figureheads and other relics. Now her hull is obscured in a glass & steel enclosure, and the "visitor experience" is like a theme park. The real reason for the desecration was to create a lucrative "corporate hospitality venue".

 

[Walter Kennedy]

Hmm thats a shame

Too bad it cant be displayed in water anymore. I hope The H.M.S Victory stays in good shape I wanna visit her someday.

 

[jaco]

Here's how she used to look. You could walk around the entire ship and go aboard through the entry port you can see on the right of the lower pic.

 

[Walter Kennedy]

Ahh The Cutty Sark looks more magnificent in the water. Too bad she caught fire, this mess probally would have never happend. I would have loved to visit The Cutty Sark and go freely about her deck. Just shows some architects of today have bad taste when it came to this project, making it impossible to go on decks.

 

[jaco]

She's actually in dry dock in those pics, since about 1950 She's facing the River Thames, which is wide and tidal at that point, so didn't seem as landlocked as it looks.

Apart from the Cutty Sark, Greenwich has the National Maritime Museum which has an amazing collection of ship models, paintings, weapons etc. Up the hill, there's the Royal Greenwich Observatory, no longer a working observatory, but has a small planetarium and collection of antique telescopes and instruments -- unless it's also been theme-parked to death by now.

 

[Walter Kennedy]

Why does Greenwich get all the good maritime stuff?
Though U.S. does have the Flying Dutchman, Black Pearl, queen Anne's Revenge, The Lady Washington, The Haiiwaien Chiftain, The Lynx, U.S.S Constitution, etc. Though I wanna visit Greenwich and The H.M.S Victory.

 

[Armada]

It's a very unusual looking structure, that's for sure. Personally I don't think it looks that bad, but I've never actually visited the ship, so I won't know 'till I do.

I hope The H.M.S Victory stays in good shape I wanna visit her someday.

She's currently undergoing major restoration work, and I heard they're installing a fire suppression system, so hopefully that makes her unlikely to be engulfed in flames, at least.

Greenwich doesn't get everything, though. The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where Victory stands, is also home to the HMS Warrior (the first iron-hulled warship; even bigger than Victory, and still afloat) and the Mary Rose Museum (containing part of the wreck of the famous Tudor warship). It doesn't get much better than that.

 

[Walter Kennedy]

So many places to go to. How are some of the surviving ships in the world or great replicas catch fire?
I would understand like if lighting struck a vessel and caused fire or some idiot threw his lighted ciggereate into one ( I doubt that would happen at all). Man I wanna visit Greenwich, Portsmouth The Victory And As Armada said The lovely H.M.S Warrior,
The Mary Rose Museum and I wanna visit The British Library In London Thoug I wonder if they'd let me have a peak at their 18th century historical documents- I'm sure they have some.

 

[Post Captain]

Why does Greenwich get all the good maritime stuff?
Though U.S. does have the Flying Dutchman, Black Pearl, queen Anne's Revenge, The Lady Washington, The Haiiwaien Chiftain, The Lynx, U.S.S Constitution, etc. Though I wanna visit Greenwich and The H.M.S Victory.

The only good one there is the Constitution. Lynx and Chieftain are just inaccurate replicas (I do like Lynx, though) and the first three are just fake, nonfunctional Disney fantasy ships- worthless. Lady Washington is also just another replica, just like Californian, Irving Johnson, Exy Johnson, Pilgrim, Spirit of Dana Point, Pride of Baltimore Two, America, Bill of Rights, HMS Surprise...They have plenty of replicas in Europe, too.

The US has Star of India, the oldest sailing merchant vessel, Charles W. Morgan, the third oldest vessel in the world not in dry dock, (1840's) (Made of wood, but is no longer sailing), and Peking, the enormous four-masted barque made famous by Irving Johnson. All three are floating, and one actually sails, which is worth more than three drydocked originals, in my opinion.

 

[Walter Kennedy]

Charles W. Morgan was a whaling vessel of I believe the 19th cent. The Peking? I havent heard that vessel before. The Star Of India is the vessel sailing still. I too like The Lynx along with the Constitution, How many men and woman are usually crewed on those replicas? from videos I see 8 to 13, possibly 20 most of the time. Indeed the Disney movie ships are worthless they're used a bit in the movie and then left in some harbour until they decide to come up with next movie.

 

[Post Captain]

The replica schooners probably have five to eight professional crew. I think the brig Niagara might have as many as fifteen to twenty. Many replicas also use volunteers. The Peking was one of the F. Laeisz Company "Flying P Liners." Several of her sister ships survive in Europe and one of them is still sailing. I actually got to climb aloft on Star of India about three weeks ago. The guys at SD Maritime invited all the crews at the SD festival of sail to go climbing on her. I carried a camera with me, so I'll upload those pictures when I post my next batch of references for HOOCOTS.

I forgot about the Constellation, by the way. We also have that one.

 

[Armada]

All three are floating, and one actually sails, which is worth more than three drydocked originals, in my opinion.

Somehow I think the Royal Navy would disagree.

Good point though, there is certainly a lack of sailing replicas/originals in the UK.
However, I have to say the Warrior is probably the most fascinating ship I've been on. The scale is incredible, and the interior is totally different to the Victory.
Plus, she's still afloat and looks very striking. http://www.hmswarrior.org/

 

[Walter Kennedy]

I'm stunned.... The Warrior is wicked huge. I never knew the Warrior was that big. If only I had british money, I'd imeidiatly purchase a ticket. Doesnt look like they want my american money, thats a shame.

 

[jaco]

There was an argument at the time that the millions spent on turning Cutty Sark into a piece of prestige concept art would be better spent on getting her back to sea. Here's an article about it -- also a slightly mind boggling discussion about whether a preserved ship whose fabric is replaced over time is the same ship it started as..

Agree with you about HMS Warrior, Armada, she is awesome. Visiting HMS Warrior and HMS Victory on the same day was almost nautical overload.

Break out yer dollars Buck, there's another interesting replica in London (mentioned in the article above) which is Drake's Golden Hind, rebuilt in the 1970s. This one did actually circumnavigate the globe too.

 

[Walter Kennedy]

Time to count up my cash! Lets see plane tickets, food, gasoline, hotel nights- I'll be completely broke, but will be worth it! Two Golden Hinds circling the globe, and two queen Elizabeths... Now we just need the Queen Elizabeth from our time to knight the Captain of the modern Golden Hind, wouldnt that be intresting? Even more shocking if the captain's name is Francis Drake

@Jaco By the way do you have any pics of what the the Cutty Sark looked like below decks?

 

[jaco]

@Buck This guy made a nice album taken just before the restoration and fire (they're not my pics) including some taken below deck. And the figurehead collection

 

[Walter Kennedy]

Nice, the Cutty Sark has some Eleagant rooms in her one with fine china. Also cool seeing her decks too bad for me I shouldhave gone to Greenwich earlier.