Cutty-sark renewal turns fire
ravaged ship into unique display

We reported five years ago on this site that an accidental fire had all but destroyed the Cutty Sark, a work famous tea clipper in London awaiting restoration.

Today, that restoration is complete and was recently re-dedicated by the Queen to a new service role.

The ship's unique display method has her hoisted in the sire to rest on a network of bulwarks to allow visitors to stand beneath her keel as part of the ship's tour. It would definitely make for a unique diorama.

Her keel was laid down over 150 years ago and she served as one of the world's fastest clipper ships hauling cargoes of wood,tea, coal and lumber.

She has a length of 280 feet, a beam of 36 feet and under full sail she had 32,000 square feet of sail unfurled to generate the equal of 3,000 horsepower. She clocked 17 knots per hour.

As a means of comparison, the HMS Titanic was 832 feet in length, 92 feet across the beam and it took 29 boilers feeding two reciprocating steam engines for the wing propellers and a low-pressure turbine for the center propeller to crank out about 46,000 horsepower. Maximum speed, 28 knots per hour.

Both ships are great diorama material, but side by side, they would look kind of strange.

But in her present display the Cutty Sark would make an interesting display. This is how the BBC captured the re-dedication.

Here, take a look

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