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Hi Lee, et al;
<P>Yes, a member of our club, BSBC, was in Portsmouth on business and he
went to visit
<BR>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.
<P>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.
<P>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.
<P>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.
<P>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.
<P>John
<P>FINNUS505@aol.com wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>From: FINNUS505@aol.com
<P>Hi John,
<BR>Where, how did you get teak from the Victory??? That is soooooo
<BR>coool. Talk about a conversation piece. Nelson himself
must have touched
<BR>it!!! :) Jack Aubrey must have touched it too!!
<BR>I saw her in 1986; I think that was just before they started the refit.
What
<BR>a ship. "A British tar is spirit who's, as free as a mountain
bird........"
<BR>So cool. really.
<BR>Lee
<BR>Stargazer #255
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