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Keeping History Afloat - Update

16 February 2012

Keeping History Afloat trainees attend replication masterclass

Three trainees on the Heritage Lottery funded project ‘Keeping History Afloat' (KHA), managed in partnership by the Waterways Trust and National Historic Ships UK, took part in a specially organised four-day masterclass in historic vessel replication last week.  This was designed to explain the different types of replica craft, following the principles set down in the National Historic Ships UK publication Conserving Historic Vessels.

The class started with a visit to Bristol and a lecture on conservation planning given by Matthew Tanner, Director of the ss Great Britain Trust.  After a visit to the ship, National Historic Ships UK Director, Martyn Heighton, guided the trainees through the definitions of a replica vessel, covering true replicas, hull replicas, operational replicas, hypothesis and representation.  The class was held on board explorer John Cabot's ship, the Matthew - an operational hypothesis - followed by a tour of Underfall Yard, which has seen a number of replica pilot cutters built in recent years.

The Boatbuilding Academy Lyme Regis then hosted the remainder of the masterclass, with traditional wooden boatbuilder Gail McGarva giving an expert case study on the lerret - a true replica of a working boat produced using the last seaworthy vessel of its kind as a basis for the build.  The trainees were also given the opportunity to get hands-on, being asked to get involved in the build of a replica Cornish cutter and particularly enjoying the finer nature of the project which included preparing and fitting the long elm planking.

This masterclass formed part of a series of visits and placements which make up the 18-month study programme for the trainees.  This week, they are back at their base - the Heritage Boatyard at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port.  However, in addition to their daily work on the collection of historic inland waterways craft based there, they will be receiving specialist tuition from maritime conservator Ian Clark, who has been called in to provide an assessment of the Mersey flat Mossdale, built in 1860.

For more information about the trainees' forthcoming programme or the objectives of the KHA project, please visit: http://www.shipshapenetwork.org.uk/regions.php/3/mersey/projects/8/keeping-history-afloat

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