Port Glasgow’s iconic replica of the Steam Vessel Comet will set course for home on Sunday after completion of a year-long £180,000 renovation.
Comet Rebuilt saw 17 local people employed as part of an employment and training project run in partnership with Inverclyde Council, The Trust at 7 ½ John Wood Street and Fergusons Shipbuilders.
The restoration work at Fergusons was carried out on the site of the yard where John Wood’s original Comet was built in 1812. As part of the project local school children visited the yard and over 200 people saw the boat during ‘Doors Open Day’ last September.
The original paddle steamer was built by Henry Bell and began a passenger service in 1812 on the Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock, the first commercially successful steamboat service in Europe. The vessel was shipwrecked in strong currents near Oban on 13th December 1820.
This project has breathed new life into a historically significant boat which will be a draw for the Tall Ships crowds in July and may become the focal point for bicentennial celebrations of the original Comet in 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment