The Tall Ship Glenlee’s masts and rigging are being removed for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Now a popular floating attraction docked beside Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, Glenlee is a steel-hulled, three-masted cargo ship built in 1896. The original masts were removed in the mid-20th Century, leaving the ship bare until it was restored to its former glory in 1999 while under the care of its current owners, The Tall Ship Glenlee Trust.
TS Rigging have been appointed to lead this next phase of the Tall Ship Glenlee’s restoration, marking an important step in the vessel’s conservation programme. The specialists were selected due to their extensive experience with historic vessels in the UK, including RRS Discovery, HMS Gannet and the Cutty Sark.
This week, TS Rigging are removing the main and mizzen masts and preparing them for transport to their facility in Essex. There, they will conduct detailed inspections and carry out a sympathetic refurbishment over the course of a few months.
The two masts will then return to the ship in Spring, at which time the same process will be repeated for the foremast, as well as refurbishments to the bowsprit and figurehead.
Glenlee will also have an entirely new set of running rigging installed and its standard rigging serviced, using rare traditional skills that have been added to the Heritage Crafts endangered list.
This is the second phase of the Tall Ship Glenlee’s restoration project, which is supported by a £1.8 million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. The first phase of work was completed in 2025, involving an extensive restoration of the ship’s interior frame and steelwork by Marine Projects Scotland.
Beckett Rankine is the appointed NEC Project Manager and Supervisor for Glenlee’s overall restoration, drawing on their historic vessel experience – which includes RRS Discovery and HMS Warrior – to provide expertise and support, including conducting surveys, producing specifications of works, contract management, and overseeing delivery.
John Monasta, Associate Director at Beckett Rankine, said,
“Rigging refurbishment is a normal part of a tall ship’s lifecycle, and after roughly 30 years, the Tall Ship Glenlee was due for it. We are pleased to have the experts at TS Rigging on board to carry out this next phase of work, as part of ensuring the ship’s long-term preservation.
Beckett Rankine is committed to preserving maritime heritage for future generations, and so this is an important step in Glenlee’s future, as a key and beloved Glasgow landmark.”
Chris Wood, a rigger with TS Rigging, said:
“Vessels such as Glenlee were once commonplace, but have now become a rarity largely consigned to history. To work on an original Victorian tall ship that has been saved for the nation is a privilege.
“The skills required to maintain these types of heritage vessels are as rare as the ships themselves. This unusual project gives a much-needed opportunity to keep these skills alive both for old hands and new trainees, having recently been added to the endangered crafts list.”
Fiona Greer, Development Director of The Tall Ship Glenlee, said:
“We are so pleased that this next stage of looking after our Tall Ship Glenlee is happening. Maintaining an historic vessel is an expensive but essential business: we want to ensure that Glenlee remains in best possible condition.
“Being able to upgrade her rigging with the funding received from National Heritage Memorial Fund is something we have been planning for a long time.”
More information from The Tall Ship Glenlee here.
All images above by Martin Shields.
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