Cutty Sark fire

Early on Monday morning the 138-year-old British clipper ship Cutty Sark was badly damaged by fire at its site in Greenwich, England. The vessel, which was under going a $49 million renovation, experienced significant damage, although the full extent of the destruction is unknown until a thorough survey is conducted. Donations toward restoring the vessel are being accepted by the Cutty Sark Trust.

In a stroke of luck, major elements of the vessel were not present at the site of the fire as they had been disassembled from the ship during renovations. The 100-foot long masts were stored at Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent.

Richard Doughty, chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust was quoted in British sources as saying: “The ship was undergoing a major conservation project and everyone involved is devastated.

“However 50 per cent of the ship had been removed for conservation reasons, including the masts which are in Chatham, the coach house and a significant amount of the planking, so it could have been a lot worse.”

By Ocean Navigator