Simon is gallivanting around Europe on a car rally at the
moment, so nothing to report from him – except for the latest sinking of the
good ship Ena (Photo 1121).
Yes there is a ship down there – or what’s left of
a ship. I would not be at all surprised if this time it’s terminal. I think the
attempts to dry dock her have been abandoned and she will eventually be sold to
the scrappers. This was what Cormorant was heading for two years ago, before
Simon found her.
Ena, is/was an
interesting sailing barge – she was built in 1906 and was originally a small
boomie before being converted to a sprittie – and
she’s also a registered Dunkirk little ship. In 2002
the TV program Salvage Squad did an extensive restoration and actually had her
sailing. In 2011 she was up for sale (on
eBay!!) starting at £85,000, I don’t know whether she sold, but she has been
going downhill/ underwater ever since. What a waste! I am glad Simon saved
Cormorant from such a fate, in spite of the huge amount of work and investment
involved.
In tracing
Cormorant’s evolution, I am faced with a big gap between 1908 and 1943. Her
early years are reasonably clear – she lost her foremast around the end of the
century (the 18th century!) and had her hoistable lantern replaced
by a fixed one by 1908. Up to this point in time she did not have a deckhouse,
although similar vessels (Guillemot, Gull, Petrel and Seagull) had deckhouses
of various sizes ranging from about 1/5 to 1/3 of the ship’s length. From 1908
to 1943 I have absolutely nothing – no photos, sketches or documentation – so I
have no idea what state she was in when the Belfast Harbour Commissioners
bought her from the Commissioners for Irish Lights. Tony Lane thinks she had a
10m deckhouse at some stage (the current living room), which was moved and
supplemented by a similar sized addition (the current kitchen), probably in the
1943 reconstruction. Since then small alterations have been made by the various
owners, but the basic size and shape has remained the same. As Tony has said,
Simon is lucky to have such a large deckhouse to make use of.
Tony also reckons
that the basic structure of the ship follows quite closely the 17-page
specification, drawn up for the Commissioners for Irish Lights in 1880 by
Joshua Cole, Com. R.N., Alex. F. Boxer and W. Douglass. (Photo 1122).
From his visit to
the ship in 2000, Tony has also come up with a photo of the bulwarks (Photo
1123) on the port side as they were then (where did it all go?).
The rail seems
in reasonable order, but appearances can be so deceptive, especially where
woods (and old cars!) are concerned. Tony also sent me a very good photo of the
ship in Belfast Lough as Lady Dixon (Photo 1124).
Where would we be without such stalwarts?
David
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