Lord Nelson probably didn’t envision the future of his flagship when he first uttered that now famous phrase. But that appears to be the case today.
Much of the UK media has recently reported that the Royal Navy is contemplating selling one of the worlds most storied ships and a certified maritime treasure in order to save money. Every year it costs more than $2 million to maintain her and that’s before taking into consideration any major restoration work. But how can you place a value on an iconic vessel that helped define the strong maritime heritage of this island nation.
One has to wonder if this is just a plea by the Ministry of Defence to find a sugar daddy like the Cutty Sark recently did. For a country with such a wonderful maritime heritage, this seems a little cheesy. Next thing you know, we’ll find her on Craiglist, if not for sale, maybe looking to rent some cabin space?
320 square inches, waterview, furnished (hammock), 799 roommates; will accept any reasonable offers – email to estateagent@royal-navy.mod.uk
Finally, to quote one of our American maritime heros, Oliver Hazzard Perry:
Don’t give up the ship!
Note to Royal Navy: Desperate affairs require avoiding taking stupid measures.
The French and Spanish failed to destroy it – but will funding costs finally sink Nelson’s Victory? Daily Mail (Sept. 12, 2008)
Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory could be put in hands of private company – Telegraph (Sept. 12, 2008)
Navy may hand over Nelson’s flagship to a charity – Times (Sept. 13, 2008)
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Sea-Fever blog 