Timber Supply for the Conservation of HMS Victory

INTRODUCTION The next decade is a key period in the 260 year - long story of HMS Victory’s service and survival. Over the next 12 years the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) will deliver a programme of conservation work to ensure the long-term preservation of a World - Class Historic Vessel and an exemplar of a Royal Navy capital ship from the Age of Sail. In addition to being a unique historic asset, HMS Victory continues to be a significant visitor attraction within the setting of No. 2 Dock and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard whilst continuing to serve as a commissioned warship and the Flagship of the Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord. The aim of the HMS Victory Conservation Programme is to deliver a fully - conserved ship, able to survive in an open environment, and in a condition to survive for the next 50 years without major work beyond a programme of planned maintenance. This programme will commence in late 2021. The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) is leading the conservation programme and acts as Principle Designer and Principle Consultant under CDM 2015 regulations. The conservation work includes removal and replacement of all external and some internal planking in a staged programme; it is intended that the ship remains open to the public throughout the planned work, with visitor routes adapted as necessary. Core to the programme is the procurement of Timber, primarily Oak, to meet the planned Hull Conservation programme. OUTLINE REQUIREMENTS The NMRN will be seeking to work in ‘partnership’ with timber supplier(s) for the selection, felling, conversion, storage and transportation of oak of suitable quality to the NMRN to meet the specification and programme timescales for the conservation of HMS Victory. Oak is defined as ‘Quercus robur’ and ‘Quercus petraea’. The oak, and its Usage Class (UC) and Durability Class (DC) have been determined for the following areas of work in the ship: Hull: UC3 – DC1 & DC2 Ships Frames: UC2 – DC2 Where solid timber of sufficient size and quality is not available, the timber supplier(s) will be expected to work - in line with the NMRN’s ‘Principles of Planking’ - to supply suitable timber for lamination in NMRN’s workshops. In addition to planking, additional solid ‘curved’ timber will be needed to replace items such as knees and beams, and the timber supplier(s) will be expected to work with the NMRN to source and produce such items. Working with the NMRN HMS Victory Project Team, the timber supplier(s) will plan the production of planking and baulk/shaped timber (i.e. knees) to meet the authorised fitting plan to and optimise the individual planking specification (length, thickness, lamination and bending methodology where necessary) Working with the NMRN, the timber supplier(s) may also be required to assess the suitability of potential donations of oak to HMS Victory, and to manage the felling and transportation of timber to the sawmill for processing. The supply of timber will also include the need for timber supplier(s) to hold prepared stock until such time as called forward in line with the timescale of the conservation