PORTSMOUTH, United Kingdom, Dec. 1, 2011. HMS Victory, the oldest commissioned warship in the world, will undergo an extensive restoration at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as part of a $21 million contract with BAE Systems.
Helping to preserve the vessel for the next 10 years and beyond, this new contract will see the iconic ship being overhauled from the tip of her masts, right down to the cradle in which she rests in dry dock. Working in partnership with subcontractors Bell Rigging and T Nielsen & Company, the highly intricate work will be carried out by a team of specialist engineers, helping to sustain the traditional wooden shipbuilding skills such as shipwrights and joinery.
Since July, the company’s engineers have been undertaking vital maintenance work to prepare the ship for the next phase of the ambitious renovation project and have removed the upper sections of the vessel's three masts, as well as the booms, yards, spars and associated rigging.
The five year contract, with an additional five year option, will allow a detailed schedule of work to begin, including the installation of a new fire suppression system to help protect HMS Victory for years to come. A project team will now undertake a full survey of the vessel to identify priority areas, which is expected to include the replacement of shipside planking and repairs to the middle-gun deck, as well as planned maintenance.
The project is one of the most extensive restorations of the 246 year old warship since she was repaired after the damage sustained at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. BAE Systems has supported HMS Victory for more than 13 years at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, as part of its military and technical services offering.
