STAVANGER
weather gear and don the yellow oilskins and black wellies that their forebears might have worn. No doubt there are valuable lessons to be learned by having sea water trickling down the back of your neck. Soon, we are joined by Stavanger’s 21st-century incarnation: the 2003 state-of-the-art ‘cruising lifeboat’ Harald V. To see the two craft side by side is to witness 100 years of evolution in boat design, and it’s fascinating how much has changed. Both boats sport the NSSR’s distinctive livery of a white hull and red rubbing strake, but they could hardly be more different. Stavanger’s wood, iron and steel have been replaced by aluminium, and her 110m2
Above: Working on deck Below: Stavanger ashore, prior to being placed under cover
bit smaller and therefore easier to handle. And if you imagine the intuitive knowledge built up over a lifetime of manoeuvring under sail, then it’s not too hard to see that the almost endless possibilities afforded by the combination of four sails would be far more versatile than the linear trajectory of a single propeller.
BACK TO THE OILSKINS In Sør-Gjæslingan, the promised westerly gale has set in and it becomes clear that Stavanger won’t be heading for Titran any time soon. Instead, the crew decide to go out and film the boat’s performance in foul weather. As an additional touch of authenticity, they forego modern foul
of canvas has been replaced by 4,000hp of engine, with a corresponding increase in speed from 7 to 25 knots. Watching Stavanger bounding across the waves from the comfort of Harald V’s wheelhouse, as we film the historic manoeuvres, it becomes apparent that the fruit of 100 years of evolution is not just comfort, efficiency and speed, but also a deep respect for the sailors of the past. In the face of all this wind and sea, the little sailing ship with its yellow-clad crew looks incredibly fragile – unlikely to survive the day, let alone a hundred years.
Our time is up and, as we storm off back to Rørvik
aboard Harald V at 24 knots, Stavanger is reduced to a smaller and smaller speck on a vast ocean. Then, all too soon, she is gone. The next time I’ll see her will be on dry land, a long way away from this sea she has inhabited for the past century. It suddenly seems an immense, albeit necessary, sacrifice.
Preserving Stavanger: ‘standard conservation precautions’
Ship preservation is still a relatively new field, and conservationists are still coming to grips with the best methods for maintaining these complex structures out of the water. The main issues are preserving the shape of the hull, protecting the structure from degradation and providing appropriate access for the public. Roger Knight, former Deputy Director of the National Maritime Museum in London, has said that whereas a restored building will last for about 60 years, a restored ship will last for just 12 years. That is the scale of the problem. Placing the vessel under cover and providing the hull with sympathetic support, using wooden rather than steel shores, can help, preserving it from the sort of deterioration that had, for example, afflicted the Cutty Sark over the past half-century. The Norwegian National Maritime Museum has 40 years’
experience preserving a variety of wooden craft up to 70ft (21.3m) long. Stavanger will be placed under cover in the Boat Hall where, communications manager Eyvind Bagle told us “standard conservation precautions” to ensure that drying out does not occur will include treating the hull with linseed oil, wetting the deck, and caulking the seams when necessary. There is no strict temperature or humidity
38 CLASSIC BOAT MAY 2012
control in the museum, he said, although the hall is heated in winter and care is taken to avoid sudden fluctuations of temperature which lead to condensation.
VIEWING HOLE As for the controversial decision to cut a 30ft x 1ft 8in (10 x 0.5m) ‘viewing
hole’ in the bottom of Stavanger’s hull, Eyvind says the decision was being “carefully considered”. “The grounds for doing it are mainly two. Firstly, to allow for exterior oversight and inspire our visitors to board the boat. Secondly, to improve ventilation of the boat. The exact measurements of the cut out are not finally decided upon. The decision rests with the project group comprising members from the museum and from the NSSR, after having consulted with the National Directorate for Cultural Heritage.”
www.norsk-sjofartsmuseum.no
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100