[alberg30] teak from the Victory?????

[John Birch]

Hi Lee, et al;

Yes, a member of our club, BSBC, was in Portsmouth on business and he went to
visit
HMS Victory undergoing a major refit.   Beside Her were stacks and piles of old
rotten timbers that had been removed and so Ian Thomson, our member, asked the
Yard Forman if they where from Victory and what would be done with the scrap.

He replied that it is from Victory and it is going to be thrown out and so Ian
received permission to take some pieces.  A pity he didn't take more, he had a
flight to catch, but there it is.

The Yard Forman and the Project Director both confirmed the Teak is original and
that the Oak was repaired from battle damage from one of two engagements, either
in the 1790s or at Cape Trafalgar. I can't remember why they knew but it had
something to do with the manner of the repair, its location and the type of oak.
Victory was not repaired with teak and so oak indicates, in the planking, a
repair and the manner whether it was a whole plank rot replacement or a smaller
battle damage repair.  This was indeed a smaller repair and in the manner/style
typical of late 18th - early 19th Century work.

And so was born the BSBC's  VICTORY TROPHY, for the best corrected finish in our
annual club Regatta (itself a major event, $12 K budget, with a pig roast)  -
the Trophy remains at the club.

Beyond that I know nothing other than you're right, it is very cool and as a
student of history it is really quite magical to hold and think about.

John

FINNUS505 at aol.com wrote:

> From: FINNUS505 at aol.com
>
> Hi John,
> Where, how did you get teak from the Victory???  That is soooooo
> coool.  Talk about a conversation piece.  Nelson himself must have touched
> it!!!  :) Jack Aubrey must have touched it too!!
> I saw her in 1986; I think that was just before they started the refit.  What
> a ship.  "A British tar is spirit who's, as free as a mountain bird........"
> So cool. really.
> Lee
> Stargazer #255
>
> 
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