The Cutty Sark Fire

by Rob Kothe on 22 May 2007 Britain’s famous maritime treasure, the Clipper Cutty Sark, which famously plied the Australian-Britain Wool trade run suffered substantial damage yesterday after a fire engulfed the vessel and destroyed much of its deck and planking.

London firefighters arrived just before 5 a.m. as 10 metre flames and thick black smoke poured from the vessel.

Richard Doughty, Chief Executive of the Cutty Sark Trust detailed the fire which damaged the Cutty Sark.

‘A fire broke out this morning at 4.45am this morning at the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, which was put out by the London Fire Brigade by 06.28am.

‘The ship was undergoing a major conservation project and everyone involved in the project is devastated.

‘It was a quarter of the way through and so much work has already been carried out. However, fifty percent of the ship had been removed for conservation reasons, including the masts, the coach house and significant amount of planking, so it could have been a lot worse.

’We know that there is major damage to the tween decking and some of the ship’s iron work has buckled but we have yet to assess the full extent of the damage.'

London’s Metropolitan Police Inspector Middlemiss told the BBC 'At the moment we are treating the fire as suspicious, as we would do any fire of this scale and importance. Surveillance cameras showed several people in the area at the time the fire started, but there was no indication that any had been involved in igniting the fire.

'There is no evidence or intelligence to lead us to think this was an arson,' Middlemiss said.

Richard Doughty say the restoration project will continue. ’When the original fabric of the ship is lost, the touch of the craftsman is lost, history is lost. To lose the timbers and iron frame of the ship is to lose not just maritime heritage but part of our national heritage. We must save as much as we can and hopefully the fire has left us much to still conserve.

’This is a significant blow for us, and a major set back to the people working on the project. It will take us a significant amount of effort and funding to get the work back on track.£25m pounds was needed to preserve the ship; we had £18m pounds raised already and now we are appealing for help close the funding gap and to get us through the crisis and return the ship to its former glory.

’One thing is certain - we will now redouble our efforts to save the world’s most famous clipper ship. It has been rescued twice before, in 1922 and 1953 – this will be third time lucky. Now more than ever the Cutty Sark needs support from all her friends across the world.

The Clipper Cutty Sark was built in Dumbarton, Scotland by Scott & Linton for ship-owner Captain John 'Jock' Willis and launched at Scott & Linton's Woodyard in 1869. Captain Willis chose the name Cutty Sark after a character in one of Robert Burns' most famous poems, Tam O' Shanter.

Initially destined for the tea trade, she was transferred to the Australian wool run in 1883.

The following is an extract from the Shipping News notes on the Cutty Sark.

'From 1883 to 1895 she excelled on this trade like no other vessel, recording astonishing records.

Famously she overhauled the P&O steamship the Britannia. The steamer was powering along at 14 to 15 knots when the, by now aged, sailing ship flew past her at 17 knots, to the utter amazement of the steamship crew!

However as steamers got faster and faster, she proved less attractive for Jock Willis and she was sold to J.Ferreira & Co, Portugal in 1895 for £2100.

She was deployed on various trades under her new ownership and carried the new name of Ferreira until 1922 when she was bought by another Portuguese firm and renamed Maria do Amparo. During this time, after losing much of her masts and rigging in a storm she was converted to a barquentine.

A retired skipper, Wilfred Dowman saw her when she came into Falmouth in 1922 and bought her for £3750. He restored her original name and once more the ship was in British hands.

He also restored her, as far as possible, to her original appearance of a tea clipper and had her open to the public as an historic attraction at Falmouth. She also served as a cadet training ship and boys would graduate from her to enter the Royal or Merchant Navy.

After Captain Dowman died in 1936 his widow, unable to afford the cost of keeping her, sold the ship to Incorporated Thames Nautical Training College, Greenhithe and the ship put to sea, leaving Falmouth in 1938.

During her time in Kent she continued as a training vessel for cadets, through the war and until 1950 when a newer training vessel was purchased and another home for the much loved clipper was sought.

She was moved to the Thames as part of the Festival of Britain's attractions in 1951 and then returned to Greenhithe. Fearful that the venerable old lady would end up being scrapped a society was formed to save and preserve her.
The Cutty Sark Society was set up by Frank Carr the Director of the National Maritime Museum, with His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh as patron. Shortly before the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Prince took possession of the ship on behalf of the society at a ceremony.

She is one of only three surviving composite vessels, that is, ships built with an iron framework on which her timbers are attached. In 1998 a survey showed her to be in a condition so bad that if work was not done to remedy her, she would become an unsafe structure. Subsequently a programme of restoration was begun with completion scheduled for 2008.