[Colonol Dekker]

Ok fess up, which of you was it??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6675381.stm

[Shade]

Bloody hell, I never went to see it the times I visited London, and now it might be too late. And I love sailing ships, too

[Nuke]

*checks flame thrower closet*

nope, full napalm tanks all around

[Wobble73]

This is indeed a real tragedy, another piece of our great heritage burns. I hear the Cutty Sark restoration project have already stated that they will rebuild her, but it won't be the same, it'll be a replica as most of the original ship has burned!  

[Colonol Dekker]

I'm just glad i got to look around it before the "silver car" struck.....300 years+ old did ya know. Older than the USA.

[Shade]

Actually about half that, I think. Clippers were only built in the 19th century as far as I know. Anyway, it seems there's hope - Seems that many of the planks as well as the masts were stored elsewhere at the time as it was undergoing restoration, so it may yet be salvageble and, crucially, still mostly original. If so, I'll definitely make a point to go see it next time I'm in the country

There's just something about sailing ships (specifically the old tall ships and any other vessels with square rigging, not that modern carbon-fiber racing crap) that puts me in a state of awe, and seeing one go up in flames, well, it hurts in a way. Especially one as famous as the Cutty Sark.

Some years back we played host to one of the few tall ship races still going (might even have been the Cutty Sark tall ships' race, but I can't remember), and that has got to be one of the most impressive sights I've ever seen - 40, maybe as many as 50 huge sailing ships from across the world moored in Copenhagen harbour, alongside maybe a dozen massive cruise ships not to mention the mandatory 350m Maersk Line container ship and at least a hundred smaller 1-2 man boats criscrossing between them. Now that was congestion, I tell you. Pretty much the nautical equivalent of gridlock Needless to say, I spent the whole day there

I wish I'd had a digital camera back then, but alas I did not and if I tried to scan any of the pics I took the result would be terrible. Oh well, hopefully they'll visit again some day.

[Flipside]

I hope they get the bastards who did this, Cutty Sark was a gorgeous ship, and one of a kind, although they will probably be able to restore it, it's going to take years, and cost a fortune.

[TrashMan]

Isn't HMS Victory a far older ship? And bigger?

If anythnig, you should see that...

[Mongoose]

This is indeed a real tragedy, another piece of our great heritage burns. I hear the Cutty Sark restoration project have already stated that they will rebuild her, but it won't be the same, it'll be a replica as most of the original ship has burned! 

Not to make light of what is obviously a very unfortunate occurrence, but this statement reminds me of a philosophical question I've heard in the past.  A man who owns a boat takes excellent care of it and replaces every single plank that shows signs of decay.  After a number of years, his efforts have led him to replace every single original piece of wood on the boat.  Can he say that he still owns the same boat, or is it a completely different vessel?

At any rate, I've never heard of this ship myself before now, but I hope that it's able to be restored to its former glory.  Tall ships have an amazing elegance and grace about them that's been sadly lost in most present-day vessels.

[Mefustae]

Not to make light of what is obviously a very unfortunate occurrence, but this statement reminds me of a philosophical question I've heard in the past.  A man who owns a boat takes excellent care of it and replaces every single plank that shows signs of decay.  After a number of years, his efforts have led him to replace every single original piece of wood on the boat.  Can he say that he still owns the same boat, or is it a completely different vessel?

Indeed. The material form of an object is all but meaningless. Rather it is the meaning we imbue upon it that makes that object special.

Philosophy is fun.

[Wobble73]

Cutty Sark R.I.P.




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[Flipside]

Not to make light of what is obviously a very unfortunate occurrence, but this statement reminds me of a philosophical question I've heard in the past.  A man who owns a boat takes excellent care of it and replaces every single plank that shows signs of decay.  After a number of years, his efforts have led him to replace every single original piece of wood on the boat.  Can he say that he still owns the same boat, or is it a completely different vessel?

Indeed. The material form of an object is all but meaningless. Rather it is the meaning we imbue upon it that makes that object special.

Philosophy is fun.

'This is the Axe of my Grandfather, sometimes it has needed a new handle, sometimes it has needed a new blade, but in every single way, it is still the Axe of my Grandfather'

[Herra Tohtori]

Why are you people burying her already? Did you actually read the story behind the link?

(...) A Cutty Sark Trust spokesman said much of the ship had been removed for restoration and the damage could have been worse.

Half the planking and the masts had been taken away as part of the project.

Chris Livett, chairman of Cutty Sark Enterprises which is repairing the clipper, said at the scene: "From where I stand there is not a huge amount of damage to the planking that was left on. There are pockets of charred planking and some have gone, but it doesn't look as bad as first envisaged."
   
The chief executive of the charitable Cutty Sark Trust, Richard Doughty, said: "What is special about Cutty Sark is the timbers, the iron frames that went to the South China Seas, and to think that that is threatened in any way is unbelievable, it's an unimaginable shock."

Following an inspection of the site on Monday afternoon, Mr Doughty said: "Buckling of the hull remains a big fear but until we do the measurements we are not going to know.

"With my naked eye, as far as I have been able to see, the structure of the ship seems to be intact." (...)

With any luck, they will get it fixed. And then the fire will be just another occurrence on the history of the ship.

A disgrace nevertheless... Whether or not it was deliberate or an accident.

[karajorma]

I've been to the Cutty Sark several times (I live about 15 minutes drive from Greenwich) so I was pretty upset when I first saw the pictures but relieved when I heard that at least 50% of the boat was away being restored already. They seem fairly confident that they can restore her to her former glory and still keep her mostly the same ship which originally sailed to Shanghai just to bring back tea. When they do, I strongly recommend a visit to anyone who is in London.

That said if it was deliberate I hope they catch and keelhaul the bastards who did it.

[Shade]

Nah. Keelhauling implies letting them out of the water again. Keeltie them... more fitting

[Colonol Dekker]

Kaj is a Londoner 


I'm really glad that its reasonably salvageable, I wouldn't want my kid(s?) to miss out on it.

[NGTM-1R]

I'm just glad i got to look around it before the "silver car" struck.....300 years+ old did ya know. Older than the USA.

You're probably thinking of the Victory there, though that might not be quite so old either.

[Wobble73]

No, the Cutty Sark was built in 1869 (IIRC) in Dunbarton, Scotland. Interestingly, she was built to carry tea as fast as possible from India and the far east and was the fastest sailing ship of her time, breaking many records. Unfortunately, the same year she was built, the Suez Canal opened making it easier and quicker to transport tea from India and could not be used by sailing ships, thus making the Cutty Sark somewhat redundant for her original role.

Dekker may have been thinking about the Victory or even the Mary Rose.

[Colonol Dekker]

Ok i admit i'm no naval historian

Anyhoo its an old ship, older than me at least and i'm glad its not a total loss.

[Flipside]

Talking of the US and saiing ships, are there any Ironclads left over from the civil war? I can't remember if any survived. I know most sunk under their own weight.