A £700,000 restoration of
Captain Scott's Arctic explorer vessel has been completed.
A party has been held to celebrate the end of a two year
project to restore and conserve one of the world's most
important historic ships
Built in Dundee in 1901, Captain Scott's RRS Discovery has
undergone a £700,000 restoration project.
Never-before-seen parts of the Arctic explorer vessel
including the engine room and coal bunkers have now been
opened up to the public.
Gill Poulter of RRS Discovery said: "The ship is obviously
over 100 years old so she needs quite a bit of tender loving
care. We had undertaken a structural survey of the ship
about five years ago and it obviously identified some areas
that needed work to keep her in better condition in the
future. We made an application to the heritage lottery fund
which was successful thankfully and that enabled us to start
work on the ship."
As well as remedial conservation work to repair decayed and
damaged timbers, the ship had her entire hull washed, primed
and repainted and her decks re-caulked and sealed.
Today a party was held to celebrate the successful revamp.
Professor Stewart Brymer of the Dundee Heritage Trust said:
"Discovery is in the top 10 of the register of nationally
important ships in the UK. When the work was being
undertaken we had contact from as far afield as New Zealand,
Australia, Canada and the United States - all interested in
the work that was going on onboard the vessel."
Around one million visitors have climbed onboard the
Discovery since it was returned to Dundee more than 20 years
ago.
The Discovery is now one of the few historic ships in
Britain that has its internal humidity and temperature
monitored.
Registered: 02/06/08
Posts: 236
Loc: Whangarei New Zealand
My husband is building a scale model of Discovery and has the plans, but, he is having difficulty sorting out the rigging. Is there anyone who can give him some advice, please?
#21868 - 07/03/0903:48 AMRe: Dundee's Discovery restored to former glory
[Re: bombz]
Sailor
veteran
Registered: 02/06/08
Posts: 1381
Loc: Nova Scotia
never heard the sex pistols singing it...come to think, I never heard the sex pistols sing anything..... but I have heard literally dozen of verses. However, only about 4 are widely sung. They concern the Captain, his wife, Mabel, the Mate, Carter, and the cabin boy, "Nipper".
A similar version extolls the virtues of the North Atlantic Squadron.
_________________________
If you say it loud enough and often enough, it must be true.
#21931 - 07/04/0903:28 PMRe: Dundee's Discovery restored to former glory
[Re: Doon the Toon]
Sailor
veteran
Registered: 02/06/08
Posts: 1381
Loc: Nova Scotia
A similar version was included in an album called "Barrack Room Ballads" in the '60s. It was a compilation by various artistes. Same song is also on one of the "Rugby Songs" series of LPs around the same time.
BTW, "Friggin in the Riggin" is a different song altogether than the "Good Ship Venus", the chorus of which is denoted as verse 1 in your link. Where "Venus" is upbeat and bouncy, "Friggin" has a slower tempo, the song is a lament for boredom. Chorus goes
Friggin in the riggin Friggin in the riggin Wankin on the plankin There's [censored] all else to do
The tune is "Eh'll Tell the Boaby"
_________________________
If you say it loud enough and often enough, it must be true.
Rett. Sorry to have missed this thread for so long , and that it has become the source of some merriment.
But to try and seriously answer your question on rigging a vessel.
First she ( Discovery ) is ship rigged. that is square sails, not fore and aft as in most yachts. Although if memory serves me correctly she is not a " ship ".
Depending on size of model these can be a real bugger to get ones hands in side. SO
Hint Number One Rig from forward to aft one mast at a time. Hint Number Two Do the standing rigging on the fore mast then the fore stays then the running rigging. Hint Number Three its easier to do without sails. Hint Number Four If the model is from scratch and not a kit, you will probably have to try and make/walk your own ropes for scale effects. Hint Number five Try to get a look at a good kit model such as BOUNTY I have one here done by my student which is complete in every detail( except the blocks do not work ) the whole is only 12 inches long. But some kits have good instructions.
There is a book that covers the subject in five languages ; turn of the century so about DISCOVERY's time.
Have not seen a copy since I retired from ship restoration in 96 Book is by Captain Pautche ( will try and check spelling as he came from the continent). We had to borrow a copy from Transport Canada and had it copied a huge book.so expensive.
There is also the book on Victory which has a lot on regging.
But if you can get old volumes of the Royal Navy's " hand books they would also give a good insight.
Registered: 02/06/08
Posts: 236
Loc: Whangarei New Zealand
Many thanks EckM, I had given up hope of any help! Ihave been able to get a book "rigging Period Ship Models", by Lenarth Peterson, which John thinks will help him. I shall ask our local bookshop to try to get a secondhand copy of Captain Pautche's book. John has built a number of ships, thebest being the Unicorn, and he has just completed the ketch Scotland, so is ready to lay the keel for Discovery. Next time we are south in Auckland we shall see what we can get through the Naval Museum. All help is very welcome. Keep sailoring on! Many thanks again.
Thats a good move I have corresponded with that museum in the past.
and if he has done a full rigged ship like Unicorn, she was rigged the same as BOUNTY, so he should have no problems.
The Captain's book is a book of all ship types and rigging versions so he might be better-off with Petersons, Also its so rare that you would be very lucky to buy one but the museum may have a copy he could borrow. Best of luck.
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