The conservation of the fire-ravaged Cutty Sark has reached a milestone.

A fire last May set the project back by a year after the blaze burnt through each of the Leven-built ship's three decks.

The counter, a large and delicate part of the ship's stern, was lifted by crane from the rest of the ship yesterday. As the seven-ton iron counter was slowly hoisted clear, cheers went up from the relieved conservation team at Greenwich in London.

Richard Doughty, chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust, said: "This is a major milestone in the project with the lift of the counter. The risks have all been eradicated, we're supporting the ship and there are slings around the middle to keep it secure."

Richard Hamilton, chairman of the Cutty Sark Trust, said: "We were always going to be nervous when we were doing something that had not been done since she was first put together."

The tea clipper was started by Dumbarton shipbuilders Scott & Linton and, after the firm was declared bankrupt, finished by the town's William Denny & Brothers in 1869. It was undergoing a £25m conservation project when the fire broke out.

The cause of the fire remains unclear. Police are expected to release a report into the fire in the next few months.

The fire added millions to the conservation costs.