£1,000,000 spent ...

[Slon]

Elena Maria Barbara has big problems with launching. There is not enough depth at the pier. Elena Maria Barbara needs a 1000-ton crane and it can't be put directly on the edge of the pier. It will just fall into the water with the ship. The crane should make two movements and throw the ship further away from the pier.

 

[Slon]

The scheme of launching Elena Maria Barbara

 

[Keith 66]

So she is next to the river, how deep is it? How do you think they used to do it when those ships were built originally? Lay over on her bilge on a simple cradle. Greased ways & a capstan to winch it out. Greased ways to the water. Ten strong men could do that by hand in a week.
Why do you need a crane?

 

[ridgy]

And how did it get there in the first place?

 

[38mess]

I remember when she came into the roath basin in 2005, I was working on board a coaster at the time, I went to check her out and it seemed she was a registered charity offering trips to sea in exchange for volunteering to work on maintaining the boat. The skipper was a Scot with a massive beard and who wore shorts and no shoes whatever the weather, nice guy and a skilled shipwright.
Next time I came to Cardiff about 6 weeks later she was tucked away in the corner of the roath basin looking rather worse for wear. I went aboard to see the skipper who was at that time living alone on the boat.
There were financial woes it seemed.

Next time we were in Cardiff around two years later she was in her present position about 100 yards from the water, under canvas with a load of shipwrights working on her. I can't believe she is still in the same position all these years later.
I don't know how they got here out and moved, crane and low loader I guess.

 

[Bajansailor]

Re Keith's video of the launch of the schooner Ardelle, the Carriacou sloops in the Caribbean are launched in a similar fashion using 'Norwegian steam' (aka manpower).

 

[38mess]

She's under the white tent underneath 'cafe bar' they could lift her to the left of the picture which is Cardiff bay, which has an average depth of 4 MTRS. Or or lift and truck to roath basin at the top of the picture.