IT is one of the world’s most famous ships built in Scotland and yet 15 years ago the Cutty Sark was in danger of rotting away at its berth in London.
Then scientists were called in to help save the ship, which has seen a series of high and low points from the beginning of its construction in 1869 at the old Denny’s Shipyard in Dumbarton to the award-winning visitor attraction it is today.
Engineering works are now being carried out to ensure the last surviving Victorian tea clipper is ship-shape ahead of next month’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
A team has been undertaking crucial maintenance work on the 152ft masts as its owners prepare for a series of events that will include concerts, theatre and poetry performances to celebrate the ship’s impressive career.
It is a far cry from the days when the old ship's frame was rusting badly and teak timbers were decaying through an accumulation of sea salt from decades of ploughing the seven seas.
READ MORE: TV series to tell fascinating tales of four Clydebuilt ships
Corrosion problems were said to have been worse by rainwater leaking through the main deck and reacting with chloride ions from the sea salt.
Scientists believed the erosion problem could be halted and began working on a possible solution which involved flooding a small area in the aft section of the ship to nine feet before chemicals are added to kill off bacteria rotting the wood and using electrolysis to kill off the corrosive chloride.
But electrolysis was seen as only one possible solution to conserving the Cutty Sark.
The Cutty Sark Maritime Trust embarked on a campaign to raise £12 million to preserve the 280 ft long vessel for at least the next 50 years.
The Cutty Sark is a survivor and has a rich history, full of fascinating stories and narrow escapes.
Cutty Sark survived storms which ripped its rudder off on two occasions and a dismasting in the First World War, Then in 2007, there was a terrible fire caused by an industrial vacuum cleaner which had been left switched on for two days while a conservation project was being carried out to repair Cutty Sark's iron framework.
Fortunately, the ship's masts, saloon and deckhouses had been removed and put into storage in Kent when the fire took hold.
The tea clipper, built in 1869, reopened in 2012 following a conservation restoration project which allowed visitors to walk under the three-masted ship as well as go on board and learn about its history in the museum.
Now visitors are being encouraged to visit the ship and learn about the history in 150th anniversary celebrations that will reveal the vessel in a new light.
Claire Denham, the Cutty Sark Conservation Research Advisor said: "Even after a large conservation scale conservation project that lasted 6 years, the ship still requires continual maintenance; oiling, painting, deck repairs, rigging maintenance and timber repairs to name a few.
READ MORE: Let us reclaim the Cutty Sark
It is a constant battle to preserve an aging wooden and iron structure with different conservation needs, trying to protect her against the elements in a static position, exposed to the Thames and with millions of visitors bringing unavoidable wear and tear.
"All the projects and maintenance we carry out to Cutty Sark is to insure the longevity of the ship; marrying together research, quality workmanship and proper maintenance to guarantee the future of the vessel. "
The project involves painting and oiling everything aloft to keep the water out and keep things from rusting.
A spokesman for the Royal Museum Greenwich added: "Working ships usually go into dry dock and have bits of rigging taken out and replaced every five to ten years.
"Cutty Sark is out there in the London weather and pollution every day, which makes for some pretty tough conditions and this in turn means a lot of effort goes into maintaining the ship so it can be preserved for future generations."
Visitors to Cutty Sark can now walk along the decks in the footsteps of the merchant seamen who sailed over a century ago; explore the hold where precious cargo was stored on epic voyages; and even walk underneath the 963-tonne ship in the dry berth below to view the elegant lines of the hull.
The Scottish Maritime Museum, which has a centre in Dumbarton at the former Denny Experimental Tank, has confirmed that a new book centring on the fraught construction of the ship – Scott and Linton went bust and Denny’s had to take over the contract – were among the initiatives to celebrate the anniversary.
Chris Wood at TS Rigging said: “Some people say we must be fearless to work up in the rigging. It goes against all your survival instincts to be up that high but if you like heights, it’s a fantastic job. The sunsets from up on the rigging, with the red skies over London sites such as St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge and The Shard, are truly spectacular.”
When Cutty Sark first hoisted her sails on the River Clyde in 1869, the Suez Canal had just opened and the British Raj was still in its infancy.
The vessel, whose name was taken from Robert Burns’ poem Tam O’Shanter, quickly became one of the world’s fastest ships, and has remained an object of fascination ever since.
To help the ship reach speeds of 17 knots, Cutty Sark had over 11 miles of rigging and an original sail area of 32,000 square feet across 32 sails.
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