Progress...

Progress has evidently been made on the cabin's exterior. The last update featured images of the cabin stripped and isolated from the ship with the team working on its restoration. The images above show what work has been done since and the progress that has been made.

In addition, the video below also demonstrates the progress that has been made by giving a quick pan and establishing view of the Comet. It also reminds us of the severely damaged state that the ship is actually in. Furthermore, the video gives close up views of the new steam bent planks of wood that have replaced some of the original exterior.

Hopefully this video gives you some indication of not only the sheer size of the Comet, which I myself found surprising, but also the sheer size of the task at hand.

It has to be said that it is both an odd and interesting juxtaposition; the original exterior and structure united with the new exterior. The images below give a closer look at this coming together of old and new.

British Sign Language Translation

"X Marks the Spot..."

Work is now officially underway on the Comet Rebuilt project. The Comet has been stripped of its cabin...


...and a rough template for the new deck has been constructed in parts and put over the original damaged decking.


Furthermore, the exterior planks that need replaced entirely have been marked with a white X, as you can see in the picture below.


It is evident that the ship is extremely damaged due to its lengthy exposure to the elements while it was on display in Port Glasgow. Refurbishing the vessel to look pristine again is an extremely difficult task.

Nonetheless, the team is off to a great start and there is now a firm plan of action as to how they are going to tackle the difficult refurbishment.

British Sign Language Translation

Raising the Curtain...

Three weeks ago I visited The Comet replica in Ferguson’s Shipyard for the very first time. It was only then, when I climbed up the scaffolding and walked round the vessel, that I realised and understood the sheer scale of the task at hand.

My name is Niall Ptolomey and I am a trainee Cultural and Heritage support worker and a prospective History student. I am, as of now, responsible for tracking the status and progress of the Comet Rebuilt project and logging all updates in this blog. However, I feel that it is not myself that should be introduced when a proper introduction of The Comet has not yet been written.

As I am sure you already know, The Comet is a name of which Port Glasgow is immensely proud. This is obvious in the fact that the community organizes an annual festival just to celebrate its very being. It has been established earlier in this blog that we would take a look at some of the Comet’s history – both original and the 1960’s replica. An introduction to The Comet, taking the form of a post giving a brief history exploring the ship's life and death, is something that you can expect over the next few weeks. In addition, there will also be weekly updates featuring video footage and images of the reconstruction allowing you to not only read about the progress of the refurbishment, but to see it for yourself.

But why is The Comet so important? And to raise a question raised here before - why are we even bothering with the refurbishment at all?

The answers to these questions lie in the fact that The Comet is part of Port Glasgow’s cultural heritage; meaning that it’s something we have inherited from a past generation and it is our job to maintain and bestow it in the present for the benefit of future generations. That, generally, is the belief that the whole Comet Rebuilt Project is based on.

British Sign Language Translation