On Wednesday, March 31, 2004 we reported that...

SCIENTISTS have been called in to help save one of the most famous ships in Dumbarton, the Cutty Sark.

The 135-year-old clipper, built at the old Denny Shipyard, is rotting away at its Greenwich berth in London.

The vessel’s iron frame is rusting badly and teak timbers are decaying through an accumulation of sea salt from decades of ploughing the seven seas.

Corrosion problems have been made worse by rainwater leaking through the main deck and reacting with chloride ions from the sea salt.

Now a team of scientists have been brought in and believe that the erosion problem can be halted and have been working on a possible solution over several weeks.

This involves flooding a small area in the aft section of the ship to nine feet before chemicals are added to kill off bacteria rotting the wood and using electrolysis to kill off the corrosive chloride.

Marie-Helene Bowden, business and development director of the Cutty Sark Maritime Trust, said: “The preliminary results are very encouraging.

“Everything seems to be working according to plan, however, the trials are continuing and it will be some weeks before we get the results.”

Read more: Archive Hour: Denny traditions live on in Dumbarton

She said that electrolysis was only one possible solution to conserving the Cutty Sark and no methods have been rejected.

The trust has also embarked on a campaign to raise £12 million to preserve the 280 ft long vessel for at least the next 50 years and is making a bid to the National Heritage Lottery Fund in June.

Viewing platforms will be erected to enable visitors to observe the preservation work.

The Cutty Sark, whose name was taken from Robert Burns’ poem Tam O’Shanter, was completed by Denny’s which took over her construction after another shipbuilding Burgh firm, Scott & Linton at Sandpoint, went bust.

Creditors arranged with William Denny & Son to complete the ship, which sailed from the Clyde in January 1870.