Local topic.

[Inspector Knacker]

Came across an article in a trade publication this morning about the Wingfield Castle stating it's looking like dismantling it is the only option as it's now effectively land locked. The decking is leaking and water entering the vessel.
What I don't understand is why after her dry docking in 2006-07, a couple of people weren't employed to maintain the fabric of the vessel against the weather, but no and this is where we are now. I cannot see her ever getting back into the dry dock again and the irony of a Hartlepool vessel moored yards from her slipway of construction will drift over the heads of the paper shufflers. Bit sad really.

[crisstw]

I agree, it's very sad but, look around town, everything is left to wreck and ruin, nothing is maintained. The council get grants to replace or improve, but never maintain.

Church Street was a waste. Stockton Street was a waste, especially if they don't use the same paving and design for barriers through the town centre/marina area.

Paving needs weeding and railings, council buildings, council "art" on roundabouts need cleaning/painting.

The Marina looks a state and Pools needs a good clean, two of the attractions in the town that visitors see.

The place is a dump

[akarjl2]

The decking is leaking and water entering the vessel.

Interesting as the vessel is still floating water entering the vessel must be being pumped out. The question is where too?

The bilges of ships, especially old mechanically driven ships, always contain oil resulting in oil sheen.

If sent ashore to a slop reception company cost will be high. Has anyone ever seen water being pumped from the vessel to a truck?

The alternative would be to pump back into marina= oil sheen= when lock gates opened to flush marina if oil flows to seaward exceeding 15 parts per million. (Marpol regs)= criminal offence.

I have asked museum staff many times when something is to be done about the vessel and why there is money for the renovation of some small ship nobody has heard of but not W Castle. I was told small ships money comes from Museum of Royal Navy but W Castle if not part of Museum of Royal Navy.

In my mind there are two options:

1 Lift it out of water (560 t) and set on pedestal at side of dock= huge tourist attraction allowing people to walk under vessel?
2 Build a cofferdam around the hull and fill with waterproof compound locking vessel in and away from water.

[Inspector Knacker]

The decking is leaking and water entering the vessel.

Interesting as the vessel is still floating water entering the vessel must be being pumped out. The question is where too?

The bilges of ships, especially old mechanically driven ships, always contain oil resulting in oil sheen.

If sent ashore to a slop reception company cost will be high. Has anyone ever seen water being pumped from the vessel to a truck?

The alternative would be to pump back into marina= oil sheen= when lock gates opened to flush marina if oil flows to seaward exceeding 15 parts per million. (Marpol regs)= criminal offence.

I have asked museum staff many times when something is to be done about the vessel and why there is money for the renovation of some small ship nobody has heard of but not W Castle. I was told small ships money comes from Museum of Royal Navy but W Castle if not part of Museum of Royal Navy.

In my mind there are two options:

1 Lift it out of water (560 t) and set on pedestal at side of dock= huge tourist attraction allowing people to walk under vessel?
2 Build a cofferdam around the hull and fill with waterproof compound locking vessel in and away from water.

The deck is leaking, so I assume the hull is sound still, but it doesn't look too healthy.
Mounting the vessel out of the water would certainly alleviate the problem but is there the will? The previous regime were always quick to bask in the light of publicity, but the basic nuts and bolts behind the scenes of running a town appear to have been another world.

[fred c]

Lifting the vessel onto the dockside would be a problem, the council don't own the land of the south side of the dock, the alternative would be to drop it on the Jacksons Landing area and try to make an attraction of some kind with it.

If that option was used the first problem would be in actually lifting the vessel, a crane with a heavy lift capacity high enough to do the job wouldn't come cheap.

One thing is for sure, something needs to be done and fairly quickly, I have visions of walking past one day and its resting on the bottom of the dock.

[Inspector Knacker]

If the previous tenants of the Civic were still in office, they'd then market it as a dive wreck and fish refuge without blushing. I blame Brexit.

[Land Phil]

Able got rid of the Tuxedo Princess or was it Royale (at a large cost to Boro council).

I am sure they could sell that as jobs for the area.