Zebu Aground Holyhead

The 1914 Staatsrad Lehmkuhl is Norway's greatest sail training vessel, and a few years ago they decided to go hybrid, with a blank cheque book from the government and industry.
Fortunately, the longsighted classification surveyors of DNV insisted upon proper diesel engines as a vital seamanlike backup, to prevent the inevitable computer glitch, or a splash of seawater, from crippling her.
 
Funnily enough one of my ex crew was a Civil Servant who headed the administtration of lottery grant funding in the NW. Since he became a big-wig in the club heirachy he's studiously ignored me as if he was never a newbie with no idea. I wonder if he OK'd the grants for Zebu, no conflict of interests implied if course.
 
The "CIC" which owns here seems to be really a lottery-friendly legal structure which gives her previous owners complete control. A bit like the VIC32 which is nominally owned by a charity, the Puffer Preservation Trust, but is effectively still in the Walkers' hand. Not that there is anything wrong with that - it reflects the UK's bizarre funding systems.
 
dom said:
Trouble is a restoration will require deep pockets and the current owners are penniless. Moreover, there is unlikely to be more Lottery funding available, and the insurance company will almost certainly write it off.
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It's not unknown to have a payout in lieu of repairs and then rebuild over time if there's enough left to work with. May even get another grant due to historic value, enough people seem to work the system.
 
Graham376 said:
It's not unknown to have a payout in lieu of repairs and then rebuild over time if there's enough left to work with. May even get another grant due to historic value, enough people seem to work the system.
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You might be right.

"Call me Dave" has blotted his texting copybook, but perhaps he knows someone else?

"Hi Rish, Aight?
" Is Baby Daddy Dave"
"Got some beef from da hood
"Need deuce of Benjamins for Zebu,
"Cos Invoice Lex cold on digit buzz,
"Chill"
 
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There are some interesting comments appearing on the news articles online. A couple of examples...

"Surprised it lasted this long. I once had the misfortune of sailing on that tub; death trap doesn't come into it."

"Steering ropes snapped. Anchor rope snapped. Woodwork not strong enough to attach a tow rope to. Who passed her as seaworthy with rotting ropes and woodwork? Someone should be walking the plank."

Fears historic Albert Dock ship may be lost forever after sinking

Pictures show terrible fate for historic ship as experts race against time
 
The 'historic' bit is rather dubious; it's an old baltic barge that didn't arrive in the UK until the 1970s, it doesn't exactly have good cause to be regarded as such.
 
penfold said:
The 'historic' bit is rather dubious; it's an old baltic barge that didn't arrive in the UK until the 1970s, it doesn't exactly have good cause to be regarded as such.
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The criteria for being "historic" listed by National Historic Ships UK include being at least 50 years old.
 
Gary Fox said:
The 1914 Staatsrad Lehmkuhl is Norway's greatest sail training vessel, and a few years ago they decided to go hybrid, with a blank cheque book from the government and industry.
Fortunately, the longsighted classification surveyors of DNV insisted upon proper diesel engines as a vital seamanlike backup, to prevent the inevitable computer glitch, or a splash of seawater, from crippling her.
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Loads of DNV-classed ships are "hybrid" - in the sense of having electric propulsion and diesel generators - and controlled by computers. There are not pneumatic tubes and Morse cables running six decks down from the azipod handles on the bridge of a subsea construction vessel. It's not novel, it's perfectly conventional and has been for decades.

Pete
 
When I was had a mooring at Conwy on the river the Zebu was moored on the harbour wall at high tide. I wandered over to look at her from the quayside I could see that the boat appeared to need substantial maintenance from bow to stern, lots of very rusty fittings, an anchor chain that was well corroded, patches on the deck and a general air of decay and neglect. I made some (I thought) pleasant comment to the effect about it being nice to see old boats still sailing and the skipper (she said) replied with some very patronising and uneccessay snotty remark.
I was not impressed with her or the boat.
 
C08 said:
When I was had a mooring at Conwy on the river the Zebu was moored on the harbour wall at high tide. I wandered over to look at her from the quayside I could see that the boat appeared to need substantial maintenance from bow to stern, lots of very rusty fittings, an anchor chain that was well corroded, patches on the deck and a general air of decay and neglect. I made some (I thought) pleasant comment to the effect about it being nice to see old boats still sailing and the skipper (she said) replied with some very patronising and uneccessay snotty remark.
I was not impressed with her or the boat.
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I remember it moored at Conwy too. I also have a watercolour of her moored on the quay from about the same time.
 
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