RRS Discovery
September 2026
This month has seen us nearing completion of the Sail Locker.  This was the area which was used unsurprisingly as a storage area for the sails and repairs.  It was worked on over both phases of the project and has seen a total transformation.  When we started the room was viewable through a door opening and required a lot of work as we can see from the photos.  

• We removed the paint to allow the wood to breathe and begin the process of removing moisture content.

• Dehumidifiers were introduced to slowly remove the moisture to reduce rapid drying which creates shakes.

• We installed a new sternpost after further investigation to test the wood for soundness.

• New horn timbers were installed and as we can see from the photos the longitudinals were partially missing and have now been fully installed and rotted sections removed and replaced.

• New ceiling boards were installed to replace water damaged with some left open in places to better the circulation.

• Underdeck beams which were rotted were removed and replaced with new.

• A new Portside and Stern deck shelf were installed.  Repairs of the floor were also carried out.

[Pre work commencing in Sail Locker]

Other works happening in September:

Aft Portside hull boards have been removed for inspection and allow to begin repair works.

Replacement of 14 rotted oak stanchions and replacement of frames. 

What's been involved with repair works on RRS Discovery?

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Watch a little insight into conserving a ship:

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7VkZV3IDN8

Phase 2
We are currently 8 months into Phase 2 of the works.  Our initial jobs include:

• Rebuilding the stern hull.

• Removal and replacement of bulwarks Portside, fore to aft.

• Removing 7 strakes of the hull board Portside, 2 thicknesses for investigation and access to complete repair works.

• Structural frame repairs Portside and replacement of water damaged ones.

• Replacement of water damaged stanchions.

• Reinstallation of the port hull after completion of works.

• Complete recaulking and repainting of the entire hull.

Phase 1
We completed this stage in January 2026.  The work included:
 

• Stabilisation works - we were tasked with the job of installing a temporary support cradle to allow new structural members to be installed.
   

• Removed the rotted stern hull planking.
   

• Replaced sequentially curved oak horn timber using our bespoke steam bending system, engineered specifically for this purpose which has been a huge success.

• Replaced the main structural longitudinal beams in the stern area.

• Manufactured a new stern post.

• Removed the rudder and displayed on the dockside.

• Recaulked all the decks and completed graving repairs using traditional Oakham and hot pitch.  Parts of the deck were replaced using matching species.

• Underdeck beam replacement.

• Removed the ballast to assist the drying out process of the internal hull of the ship which was holding water.

• New false keels fitted along the entire length of the ship.  The old oak and softwood keelblocks were removed and replaced with new galvanised steel versions, capped with Greenheart and Iroko wood.

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Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine
The job:
We were delighted to be approached by the Scottish Maritime Museum to investigate the storm damaged Great Doors and the Lesser doors with a view to replicating or restoring.  After investigation the Greater Doors were deemed to have had excessive weather corrosion and were required to be fully replicated.  The Lesser Doors were in a much better condition and we were able to identify areas in which we could complete graving repairs and a full paint spec applied.  New glass is also being installed on both sets of doors.

September seen the collection of the 9m x 8m Great Doors from Highland Heritage Woodworking in Aberdeen where they have been manufactured using wood from the local Dunecht Estate.  These have been installed and are currently having the new glass panels fitted.  First coat of marine spec paint has been applied and another 2 to go on once the glass has been installed.  This will give them the best chance against the west coast weather!  

The lesser doors have been stripped of all glass and the rotted sections replaced.  They are in the process of being sanded and prepped for painting similar to the Great Doors and then glass replaced.  Another great opportunity for out HES intern and our woodworking specialists.















 

Citizens Theatre, Gorbals, Glasgow

The job:
We are delving into the world of theatre!  The Citizens Theatre has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment and we were asked conduct a feasibility study on 2 fantastic original canvas stretch frames.  These are giant frames 9m x 7m, connected to a wire rope counterbalance pulley system connected to 2 manually operated winches.  A canvas is stretched over the picture frame in order to be painted for scenery backdrops and the artist paints from the wooden platform.  Instead of working from ladders on such large canvases the canvas is winched up or down as required and slides down to the floor below.  A very clever system!  The system needs an overhaul to bring it up to modern standards and we are delighted to have been awarded to project.  Work is mainly behind the scenes at the moment with new brackets and spars being manufactured.  Our intern from Historic Environment Scotland has been involved with this one and is learning invaluable skills in the restoration world.