Cutty Sark prepares for grand unveiling
Ahead of the reopening of the restored Cutty Sark clipper ship, built in 1869, we were able to visit the Greenwich site and speak to the chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust, Richard Doughty
Q: What was it like when the Cutty Sark was burnt down?
A: Oh it was dreadful, absolutely dreadful. I got this call at home very early in the morning asking me to comment on my feelings about the ship being alight from stem to stern and that was how I actually found out that the Cutty Sark was on fire. It was galling.
Q: When did you begin the restoration process?
A: Well I suppose for me it goes right back to 2001. The ship used to be owned by the Maritime Trust, which was an organisation set up by the Duke of Edinburgh to do for all things Maritime what the National Trust was really doing for property and so it built up a huge fleet of ships and the milk cow for that fleet was the Cutty Sark. It was the only one that was generating any income. And then in the late 80s they did some survey work on the ship and found that it was in danger of structural collapse. So they started to plan an application to the heritage lottery fund for a restoration project. Now that was actually turned down in 1999 and that was turned down because what they were looking to do was to replace the original fabric with new material, to literally restore back to new, whereas, the current vogue is to try and retain as much of the original material as possible.
What happened broadly speaking was a new trust was formed specifically to look after this ship, the Cutty Sark Trust, and I joined in as the first chief executive in 2001 to plan the project and to raise the funds. So for me it starts in 2001, physically here on site. I’m rather embarrassed to actually admit, but we actually started the project on November the 5th 2006, so there are lots of associations with fire, not least of course that Cutty Sark is named after a poem written by Burns.
Q: What has the journey been like in the restoration and what did it involve?
A: Well it’s been a rollercoaster ride, lots of ups and downs. It really has been very rewarding on many occasions, not least that marvellous moment after we lifted the ship. But I guess being able to see the Cutty Sark being broken down into its constituent parts, being properly conserved, being reassembled here on site has been an amazing journey and if I haven’t loved every minute I’m certainly enjoying it now.
Q: Was the journey tough?
A: It’s physically very, very gruelling. We had to do, for example, one of the works out of sequence and after the fire we decided we would remove the lower hull plates. Now we’d always intended to do that work when we’d lifted the ship up, so it was very cramped conditions that the team had to work in to be able to get right down low to remove what are very substantial planks. So yes there’s been some real physical hard work. But I suppose for me the biggest challenge was to raise the money, and it’s very exciting when you get a thumbs up and it’s very disappointing if you spend a lot of time chasing an organisation or an individual and at the end of the day they say sorry but this is something we can’t help with right now.
Q: When will the Cutty Sark be reopened to the public?
A: Well our first day literally open to the public will be the 26th of April. There will be a series of events happening throughout April, but we’ll open our doors to the public on the 26th of April.
Q. Approximately, how many people do you estimate will be attracted to the Cutty Sark over the Olympic period?
A. Well we think that actually not many people will be attracted over the course of the Olympics because it isn’t the main attraction. But there will be events before and after the Olympics which should boost the ship’s profile and bring in the guests.
Q. The ship was recently lifted so that a museum explaining the ship’s history could be added. Could you tell us more about this?
A. Well it was lifted and that was extremely interesting and with this glass area underneath it recreates what the Cutty Sark looked like while she was at sea or at the local port. We will be able to hold functions and meals of many people with great views. We also have a series of statuettes, which will provide a great spectacle, especially at night time when the deck is lit up.
Q. Have the restoration costs remained within your original budget throughout the process?
A. No. We originally budgeted at £25 million. However, we soon noticed that there were large amounts of rotting wood that could be destroyed by the touch. A lot of the ship has been reconstructed and the cost is closer to £50 million now.
Q. How excited are you as we approach the end of this epic restoration process?
A. Oh it’s been incredible. As I’ve said it’s been a real roller coaster ride, but I’m so proud of myself and everyone here as we reach the end. I’ve been living and breathing this ship for many years now and it’s been brilliant watching her grow piece by piece. If I was to give a message to the public, it’s that if you think you’ve seen the Cutty Sark, you haven’t. You need to come here and see her in her new self, in her home.
Q. With her great history, will you continue to spend large sums of money on the ship’s maintenance?
A. We are going to have to, but I think that the developments which we have made should last her for the next 50 years and at that point a few more alterations may have to take place
