Update: Medway Queen

[lenknight]

The AGM was held on the 15th July 2006 at Rochester, Kent, some 50 members plus committee, designated councillors, and the Chatham and Aylesford MP Jonathan Shaw were present.
 
The main points were progress in the restoration of the hull.
As follows:
To be cost effective the hull will be dismantled on site, owing to the existing fragile condition of the hull that is sunk at present. (GPS) General Port Services Marine Contractors Ltd will do this work; they are local marine contractors based at Chatham Docks. for £280,000. It will include removal of all usable components including the main engine and auxiliaries and also the timber deck planks.
The placing of these into a barge and container, the towing of them to a secure yard at Chatham Docks, the disposal of any ship parts that can not be used in accordance with environmental rules.
The onward transport and treatment of the components will be down to the society to organise. All this needs to be carried out as soon as possible; delay will only allow more deterioration of ship.

Three Shipyards have shown interest in the rebuild of the hull, these will now be invited to tender for the final rebuild.

It must be pointed out that albeit we have been granted £1.861 million, this still left a short fall.
 What may not have been made clear in the past, is that even after the HLF grant we are still £220,000 short of the amount needed to re-build the hull. Although we have taken the view that this should not jeopardise the start of the project.
We have the means to cover this short fall, hopefuly work will start on hull in August.
Looks like full steam ahead.
Len Knight  

[David Allinson]

Len.
 Great  news.
 Thanks for the  update.
 You guys are  certainly getting going quickly out of the blocks.
 Regards
 David
 

  -----Original Message-----
From: lenknight    [mailto:preserved@paddleducks.co.uk]
Sent: viernes, 28 de julio de    2006 12:45
To: preserved@paddleducks.co.uk
Subject:    Update: Medway Queen


   
The AGM was held on the 15th July 2006 at Rochester,    Kent, some 50 members plus committee, designated councillors, and the Chatham    and Aylesford MP Jonathan Shaw were present.

The main points were    progress in the restoration of the hull.
As follows:
To be cost    effective the hull will be dismantled on site, owing to the existing fragile    condition of the hull that is sunk at present. (GPS) General Port Services    Marine Contractors Ltd will do this work; they are local marine contractors    based at Chatham Docks. for £280,000. It will include removal of all usable    components including the main engine and auxiliaries and also the timber deck    planks.
The placing of these into a barge and container, the towing of    them to a secure yard at Chatham Docks, the disposal of any ship parts that    can not be used in accordance with environmental rules.
The onward    transport and treatment of the components will be down to the society to    organise. All this needs to be carried out as soon as possible; delay will    only allow more deterioration of ship.

Three Shipyards have shown    interest in the rebuild of the hull, these will now be invited to tender for    the final rebuild.

It must be pointed out that albeit we have been    granted £1.861 million, this still left a short fall.
What may not have    been made clear in the past, is that even after the HLF grant we are still    Â£220,000 short of the amount needed to re-build the hull. Although we have    taken the view that this should not jeopardise the start of the project.    
We have the means to cover this short fall, hopefuly work will start on    hull in August.
Looks like full steam ahead.
Len Knight



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[Eddy Matthews]

Fantastic news Len!

You guys certainly aren't hanging around.... I take it that the MQ will be getting a totally new hull from the way you phrased things in your message?

[lenknight]

Hello Eddy,
To all intents and purpose the hull will be rebuilt as new, those parts that are useable from old hull will be incorporated, this will be very little.
It is being done this way, as it is more cost effective, than transporting the ship by barge, only to scrap most of hull at shipyard.
All other parts useable will be stored until we can get stage 2 underway, complete restoration.
Len Knight

[Bob Golder]

Hello Len

Brilliant news on the hull construction   What are your future plans for the rebuilt MQ and what time scale to you envisage?

[Eddy Matthews]

Hello Eddy,
To all intents and purpose the hull will be rebuilt as new, those parts that are useable from old hull will be incorporated, this will be very little.
It is being done this way, as it is more cost effective, than transporting the ship by barge, only to scrap most of hull at shipyard.
All other parts useable will be stored until we can get stage 2 underway, complete restoration.
Len Knight

Thanks for the clarification Len - I personally have no problem with the hull being replaced, or with alterations being made to comply with current regulations. It's certainly better than losing the ship forever!

I know of a few steam locos that are classed as "restored" when all that remains of the original is one valve in the drivers cab! I know that's an extreme example, and a lot more than that will be in the restored MQ!

Have any plans been made for the eventual funding and restoration of the rest of the shop once the hull is sound?

[thewharfonline]

 It's certainly better than losing the ship forever!

I know of a few steam locos that are classed as "restored" when all that remains of the original is one valve in the drivers cab! I know that's an extreme example, and a lot more than that will be in the restored MQ!

Consider the Hero if you want a paddler example...there is nothing original left in her basically! But I suppose what makes her restored is the fact that her register will be renewed! As such in  way the boat is still around, I mean it still carries its name, a few planks perhaps and the ghosts of the old river but is a much better working boat!

Great news for the MQ though! A new hull will be a great advantage for the boat! And let's also consider this in the way of restoration! In the era would people have tried to 'restore' her hull if it was breaking apart etc, no they would have fixed her up good and proper to get her out on the water again! It's understandable that we'd like to see as much original boat as possible, but if its not possible we should accept that...not that I think anyone was arguing against that...oh I'm confused!

Yay for MQ!

[lenknight]

Stage Two leading to full restoration of the Medway Queen, this may have to be accomplished in stages also.
It will be difficult to set a time scale at this moment of time; the controlling possibility is finance.
Our coffer will be just about empty after the hull restoration.
We will need to start a fund raising campaign again, with more impetus on the fact we will have a new hull.
Our last bid to the Main Lottery that failed asked for £6 million towards the full restoration. This means that £8 million was the sum needed in real terms.
We should now have £2million for the hull, which must leave £6million to raise to complete the project. No mean task ahead, but no going back now,
Sorry I could not give you a final date, would be folly to do so. All I can say is, if we did have the finance, we could be up and running in one to two years at most.
Len Knight.