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Cutty Sark burns down

B

Blue Velvet

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Jul 4, 2004
21,929
265
This is a bit sad, especially to those who have visited or live in London. A piece of naval history, up in smoke... always prominent in the TV coverage of the London marathon and a real landmark down in Greenwich.

The famous 19th Century ship the Cutty Sark is "100%" ablaze and is being treated as suspicious, the London Fire Brigade said.

An area around the 138-year-old tea clipper is being evacuated amid fears that gas cylinders were on board.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6675381.stm

http://www.cuttysark.org.uk/index.cfm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutty_Sark
 
You managed to post while I was typing -- I've pointed people to this thread, just 'cos your posts all nicer with the words n' all :)

Quite sad really. However, some of the people on-site seem to be (relatively) optimistic. About 50% of the ship had been taken away during the current renovations, so hopefully much of it is safe. There had been reports that you could see 'right through' the ship, which sounded pretty bad. However, I've just heard that was due to the renovations -- so really quite a lot must've been removed from the hull's exterior.

Fingers crossed, we have plenty of skilled people able to restore the ship in as authentic a way as possible.
 
displaced said:
However, I've just heard that was due to the renovations
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Yup, I think it'd been stripped back to it's basic timber and iron frame, with the exception of the forecastle and bow which look in reasonably complete judging by Skycopter.

The Chairman of Cutty Sark Enterprises said:
inspected the site said at around 8:35 a.m., "The decks are unsalvageable but all the planking had already been removed; however the damage is not as bad as originally expected."
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As I understand it, it was due to be completed by the end of 2008/start of 2009, I wonder if they'll set themselves a new target completion date for 2012?
 
The masts and decks themselves had been removed for the renovation. They will have catalogued every plank in what was left so it will be possible to reconstruct what's gone if they want to. Won't be the same though will it :(

Would it be a better idea just to board that Swedish galleon currently moored near HMS Belfast and "purloin" it in the spirit of Sir Francis Drake for a replacement?

gothenborg1.jpg
 
dynamicv said:
The masts and decks themselves had been removed for the renovation. They will have catalogued every plank in what was left so it will be possible to reconstruct what's gone if they want to. Won't be the same though will it :(
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That's good to hear, although you're right about it not quite being the same. I hope there's some artisans out there who've kept old shipbuilding and woodworking practices alive and can rebuild it in as authentic a manner as possible.

Would it be a better idea just to board that Swedish galleon currently moored near HMS Belfast and "purloin" it in the spirit of Sir Francis Drake for a replacement?
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Excellent idea!

Yaarrrgh!
 
displaced said:
That's good to hear, although you're right about it not quite being the same. I hope there's some artisans out there who've kept old shipbuilding and woodworking practices alive and can rebuild it in as authentic a manner as possible.
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The team that work on HMS Victory will be their best hope I would have thought, although that ship is even more precious now :(

If this was arson, I want them to bring back the stocks. Anyone who would deliberately destroy such an amazing piece of history needs public humiliation and a damn good birching before rotting in prison.

I hope it's not though. I'd prefer to think nobody could be that sick.
 
dynamicv said:
...it will be possible to reconstruct what's gone if they want to. Won't be the same though will it :(
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Indeed – while they'll be able to use a fair bit of the original materials, quite a lot is going to have to be replaced. How much of the original needs to be left on the ship before it's considered a replica?

It's sad news – I quite like old ships. I find it incredible that anyone would want to start a fire like this deliberately. :(
 
Those in the know are now saying there is a good chance the ship can be restored, thanks to the masts, rigging, sails, figurehead, decks and numerous artifacts having been moved to Chatham dockyard for the duration of the refurb.

I certainly hope so. Police are going through CCTV footage as there were several people around just before the fire started.

Pictures of the remains:-

RecutCuttyJBT_468x606.jpg


BurntSark1JBT_468x313.jpg
 
dynamicv said:
Anyone who would deliberately destroy such an amazing piece of history needs public humiliation and a damn good birching before rotting in prison.
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Yeah, seriously. What would someone have against the Cutty Sark? Ridiculous. What's the point? My first reaction was "probably a chav", but a chav? It's got to be someone a lot dumber than that. Besides, this type of vandalism sound very chav-vy.
 
I read somewhere that the term 'chav' is apparently derived from a nautical term, used to greet a crew mate or fellow sailor/boatman on the River Medway - as in "How are you, my old chavvy?"

I don't know how true that is though!
 
Such a saddening situation. Another one of the treasures of history has been wiped from the earth by a waste of organs and skin. This type of thing really grips my sh*t. :mad:
 
Jaffa Cake said:
I had heard it was derived from a gypsy term for a cheeky youngster, or something.

If they find a scorched burberry cap at the scene of the crime then we've got our culprits.
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What is it in England with chavs and burberry?
In the US Burberry is for the very affluent and well to do.
RL and Tommy are for the youngsters.
 
138 years ago when they laid the keel I wonder if they could have imagined the ship would travel world successfully only to be damaged by a fire while being restored. To bad although it sounds like they will restore it.
 
amd4me said:
What is it in England with chavs and burberry?
In the US Burberry is for the very affluent and well to do.
RL and Tommy are for the youngsters.
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I think chavs like stripes, because they also like Adidas trousers and hats.

Burberry is to a chav what Tommy is to white suburban American kids and "wiggers". I don't know why either brand became so popular with such people, but there you go.
 
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