Cutty Sark Will Rise Again
I managed to get down and visit the Cutty Sark yesterday. Any one who saw the television pictures of the smouldering ship will fear the worst. Thankfully, although things are bad, they are not that bad. The ship was undergoing a major restoration (apparently it was so corroded it was about 18 months away from total collapse). That meant that the masts, rigging and all of the interior had been stripped out. The fire means a delay, of up to a year; the cost of clearing up; the loss of income from a delayed re-opening; and re-design caused by some of the fire damage. It will cost around £5-6 million (with insurance picking up the rest). While daunting, it is do-able. And the silver lining, if there was one, was to remind us all how much the ship is loved not just here but around the world.