We’d like to thank all our wonderful supporters and trustees for all the help, advice, support and generous donations you have provided over the past year or so.

We’d especially like to thank Mr Bill Payne for steering us through the challenge of Covid and everything that brought with it. Bill has now resigned as Chairperson and he will be sorely missed. 

We do have a new Trustee; Rob Skuse who is as accustomed to the quirks of the Balmoral as Bill. 

One of Bill’s aims was to ensure that Balmoral became water-tight again. With the help of specialist help and enthusiastic volunteers we are now renewing sections of the deck where the most water is seeping in. You may well have seen Rob Skuse’s updates over the past few weeks and months on our social media. 

We’ll be publishing another post soon where you can see all the steps involved in renewing the deck timbers. We would also like to show you a few photographs of what our volunteers and Tony the Chief engineer have been getting on with over the past few weeks.

Now that we have mains power and water, we have been able to give Little Nellie (our generator) back, and would like to thank Nick Sutton who loaned her to us, and to the M-Shed for letting us use their crane. The Balmoral can now begin to dry out and we can now work in the warm.

Here’s what was being achieved on the 21st of January with 14 volunteers on board.

• The starboard generator problems were being investigated by Dave & Andy with Steve
• The lower saloon bilge is nice & dry.
• Chris & Les ,(following Rob’s request) carrying out preparatory work – mast rigging bottle screws freed up / greased. – Tim prepping a heat gun for deck repairs. The mast is rotten and will be removed soon.
• We were really pleased to see the ‘A team’ Andy Dave & John together on board inspecting electrical systems. John intends visiting Bal next Tuesday to work with Phil PAT testing.
• Painting is an essential job on such a large ship, here’s Neil.
• Starboard generator is coming apart ready for renovation and repair
• And dead varnish being removed from wheelhouse doors.
• On going deck repairs were also taking place.

All are essential jobs that our team of volunteers help us with.