Last weekend Simon had a visit from Tony Lane (“Guiding
Lights”), who visited the ship in 2000, long before Simon acquired it. He had a good look around over two days and
measured almost everything! He also
produced a large file with some very interesting photos in it. One showed the
riding lantern which I featured back in January 2014, (Photo 1111).
However, his
photo, taken by him in 2000 has it in its rightful place at the top of the
mizzen mast (Photo 1112).
In fact there were two there at the time and I wonder
where the other one went when the mizzen was ‘felled’! They obviously were not hoisted up and down
and they were electric. Riding lanterns
were not present in any photo up to 1908 and there is then a big gap in my
photographic record up to the conversion in the Liffey Dockyard in 1943. They
do appear on the blueprints for that conversion (Photo 1113) and subsequent
photos, so I assume they date from then.
Tony also produced a photo of two doors in the
superstructure (Photo 1114). Through the glass you can make out the walkway, so
this must be the port side and as there is a triangular fillet visible (wall to
roof), this must be the living room – there are no fillets in the kitchen (no
pun intended!).
However, there is only
one door in that area; it is very different (Photo 1115) from the two in Tony’s
photo; and there is no trace of a second door.
I suppose the answer should have been
obvious. They are not doors, they are
rather elaborate windows! Not at all
suitable for a storm tossed ship unable to seek shelter from a force 9 gale!
The windows (there are 4 in the port wall) are now plain rectangular double-glazed
units, with no sign of those fancy shutters, which is a pity.
David
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