Principal Naval Architect John Monasta presented Beckett Rankine’s latest paper at the International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM) 2024, which investigates the relationship between historic vessels and their docks.
Co-authored by John, Engineer Oli Millar, and Naval Architect Mark Thomas, the paper explores the best practices for conserving maritime heritage assets.
Titled ‘Historic ships and docks: a marriage of convenience or the perfect union?’, the paper highlights the impacts of numerous case studies from the UK and beyond, with a focus on dry docking. It references iconic ships including HMS Victory, SS Great Britain and the Cutty Sark, investigating the interdependencies between historic vessels and their docks.
The paper also emphasises the need for careful and thorough consideration before irreversible decisions are made, particularly as the challenges of dry docking historic ships are unique to the particular vessel and location.
John Monasta said, “It was a delight to attend and present at ICMM Congress 2024, which provided a wealth of valuable knowledge exchange. At Beckett Rankine, we are proud of our unique capability to provide holistic naval architecture and maritime engineering expertise that supports the maritime museum industry. This paper is our latest contribution to the industry’s knowledge bank to support the preservation of vessels and docks for generations to come.”
The ICMM supports an international network of maritime museums and people, providing professional help and conservation support. The ICMM Congress 2024 took place 15th to 21st September in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Image: Attendees of the ICMM Congress 2024. Credit: Mirjam Lems for ICMM
