Why is it necessary?
The refit has been necessary for a number of reasons. For Sail Training activities, the safety of those who sail aboard is paramount. Comfort is also desirable, although some would say a little hardship is character-building!
With any historic ship, the wear and tear of years at see take their toll and often timbers rot and other signs of distress are found. The motors, gears, pumps and the running gear all suffer under salt-water conditions and need regular maintenance and repair.
What needs doing?
TS Britta has reached an age where there is a lot to repair and replace to bring her back to her full glory. Here are some of the major items involved in the refit:
- The woodwork in the hull needs replacement in various areas due to rot
- The deck needs re-caulking to make the cabin below watertight
- One of the cabins at the rear of the ship needs a complete refit as do the berths along one side
- The masts and rigging need a complete overhaul
- The controls for the engine need refurbishment as do myriad items of equipment such as bilge pumps, compasses, chartplotter, etc.
- The generator that provides auxiliary power needs an overhaul. This also charges batteries and in future we hope to supplement this with solar panels. These can also power the watermaker required to provide drinking water on long voyages away from land.
How can you help?
We have two primary needs. One is willing volunteers and the other is funds to pay for materials and professional shipwrights.
Volunteers will be supervised and given any additional training required. We have a Video Diary of the refit so far, and you can follow us on Facebook and YouTube for updates on progress. Please contact us to find out more about volunteering.
The additional funding is required because the condition of the hull has only been fully revealed recently, once the refit was underway. Shipwrights are needed to carry out the specialist work. We need approximately £360,000, some of which (8%) will go towards reducing our carbon footprint such as solar panels to charge the batteries. Please see our GoFundMe page for ways in which you can donate.
