The Viola Trust is to step up its fund-raising efforts buoyed by a positive survey into the condition of the Viola.
Paul Escreet, chair of the trustees, said: “The results of the survey which has been carried out into the condition of the Viola were very encouraging and they demonstrated to us that the project is still possible.
“But they also indicated that the salvage operation has to be done within a relatively short time scale. We can’t leave this for another five years because by then things will have gone too far. It is essential that we act now.
“We are appealing to businesses and to individuals – particularly to anyone with a maritime connection, a link to Hull’s remarkable heritage and an interest in supporting engineering and education – to support our campaign. We will be organising a wide range of opportunities to raise funds and will publicise our progress through the Trust’s website.”
Solis Marine Consultants have now completed their survey of the vessel, having spent two days inspecting the Viola in Grytviken Harbour, South Georgia.
John Simpson, a partner in Solis Marine, worked on the project with his colleague, Rosalind Spink. He said: “One of the things we had to try and establish was the curvature and shape of the hull because we’ll need to bring in a cradle to lift her. Parts of the hull lie in the beach and parts in the seabed. We were able to use plumb lines and a tape measure to calculate the curvature around the stern.
“We could then prepare a computer model which will greatly assist when it comes to looking at salvage methods and transport. We now know a lot more about the ship and are much more confident. Ros was able to get much of the information she needed about the structural condition to make an assessment and give the salvage companies the information they need.”
The Viola Trust is grateful for the support of the Royal Navy and in particular the company and crew of HMS Clyde, the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the British Antarctic Survey team based at King Edward Point.
