The End

[adelaidem]

By restoring Gipsy Moth IV and attempting to sailing her around the world again is a big risk, experienced skippers lose yachts and ships never to be seen again, I believe there is some luck involved and by taking this challenge is putting the boat at this risk. Most famous yachts in Australia are maintained my marine tine museums which they maintain and preserve these pieces of history in floating docks or undercover on the hard. This is my opinion and all welcome to comment. My opinion would be to spend the money restoring her and then maintain her to high standards in a museum where she will be safe and not lost to the cruel oceans forever. I enjoyed visiting Gipsy Moth IV while visiting UK while on holidays from Australia some 20 yrs ago those imageries are still planted in my head. these images should be aloud for others to experience so if she was lost we would only have photos and books to remember this marvelous piece of history.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

But, but, but a boat should be used. Otherwise it is just a lot of wood glued and screwed together don't you think?

Your suggestion is so far away from the spirit of adventure that allowed her to be built in the first place. There are enough museum pieces around, I think it is great she is sailing again. I only hope as I have written before, that if I want to see her she is not hidden in a private SE marina.

Next lets get the Cutty Sark and Warrior sailing again......

 

[capricorn]

I remember visiting GMIV about 20 years ago too, it was certainly a formative experience for me, if I hadn't done so I'd have a lot more money in the bank than I do now !

I live a couple of miles away from where she was dry docked in Greenwich. Her condition in recent years hasn't been what it was when we visitied her 20 years ago. She hasn't been open to the public for years and her condition was very poor and deteriorating. It was becoming an embarrasment and it was a saddening rather than uplifting sight everytime I saw her.

Yes there's an element of risk involved in what they're doing but I'd much rather see her used as planned than watch her slowly rot away eveythime I walked past her on the way to the Trafalgar Tavern !

 

[adelaidem]

What are the odds that she will makes it round and not end up on the bottom? There is a lot more submerged shipping containers bobbin round in the ocean these days. Would people be happy to know that she’s rotting away in the oceans graveyard to only be seen by the occasional diver?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Loosen up, Southface - GMIV is just a boat, and not a very nice one if Chichester is to be believed. She's not particularly old, and brought up to spec she'll be very robust, more so than most modern ocean racers.

I guess if she's sailed there's always a chance she'll damage a drifting container, or give a whale a headache, but then museums burn down.

At least, sailing around the world lots of people who wouldn't take a trip to some obscure maritime museum will get the chance to see her.

 

[capricorn]

I'd say the odds of a well found 50ft yacht with a crew of the calibre of Tom Cunliffe et al making a successful circumnavigation are very, very high.

 

[snowleopard]

The same argument applies to historic aircraft - should we ground the few remaining airworthy spitfires or just wait for them to crash as they occasionally do, until there are none left?

If you just want something to look at in a museum, follow the paleontologists - their dinosaur skeletons are mostly plaster copies.

 

[adelaidem]

well i just thought it would be good to get peoples opinons anyways.

 

[snowleopard]

I wonder if the same questions wil be asked about B&Q/Castorama in 40 years time?

 

[capricorn]

I wasn't around when Chichester completed his circumnavigation with GMIV but my take on Ellen's record is that people are far more fired up over what Ellen did than the equipment she used. Persoanlly I don't think people will be too excited over B&Q in 40 years time.

What was it like 40 years ago, was the press singing the praises of the man or his boat ?

 

[adelaidem]

I recently seen a totally restored DC3 land and take off at a local air show, The thought of this hunk of flying steel crashing crossed my mind just like the thoughts I have expressed here.

 

[adelaidem]

I’m sure it was the man him self as the boat was really not well designed and the fact that he survived is what made the story so interesting.?

 

[paulskent]

I was at the Woodford Airshow Manchester about 10 years ago when exactly that occurred. A spitfire rolled and then dived from about 5000 feet and never came out of the dive. Killed the pilot and took a bit of explaining to my (then) 5 year old... They are still fantastic to watch though. We had the Battle of Britian flight over the Conway Estuary last weekend..

 

[Tamarisk1]

Interesting post Southace and it raises a few questions in my mind. I mostly think that boats should be out on the water as seeing them in a dry dock or museum can be likened to clipping a birds wings. However would we want to risk setting the sails of Victory again?

 

[adelaidem]

Australia 2 is sitting in a museum in Perth collecting dust. I’m sure she will be much safer there than racing round the cans and maintenance would be far cheaper. I would think she will still be around as long as humans walk on this earth, But Gipsy Moth IV I have some worry in this matter after reading the plans on what they intend doing with her.

 

[Evadne]

Its an interesting point, but when the story of Gypsy Moth IV's sorry state was publicised I couldn't help but compare her to Suhaili, which is of a similar vintage, and wooden, but has been kept afloat and looks so much the better for it. If she had been left ashore, she would eventually have been unsalvageable. If she is lost, then like Jester, there is nothing to stop someone building a replica and carrying on. Being wooden, the older she gets the fewer of the original timbers you will be looking at anyway.
Museums were invented before the advent of film and video tape, so that people could go and see what something looked like. The documentary (I'm sure there'll be one) of her first voyage after rebuilding will be far more of a lasting monument than sending her back to dry dock to rot again.

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder if the same questions wil be asked about B&Q/Castorama in 40 years time?

[/ QUOTE ]
I shall be using B&Q for as long as possible. Can't wait to get my pensioner discount (some time yet)

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
I mostly think that boats should be out on the water as seeing them in a dry dock or museum can be likened to clipping a birds wings.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some museums have the best of both worlds

Exhibits on the Water

 

[Tamarisk1]

Ideal.
Not sure you'd get a tall mast under there!!

 

[Peppermint]

Re: She\'s kind of going in a museum.

She just hast sail around the world first. The risk is quite small really. She'll be in good knick with a full crew.

GM IV will be one of the exhibits in the new maritime museum at East Cowes. It's all part of the East Cowes redevelopment. She'll still go sailing though.