Ship Hector getting upgrades leading up to tall ships visit
The Ship Hector is getting as shipshape as money will allow.
Brian Kellock, a volunteer with the Hector Quay Society, said work is taking place on the captain’s cabin of the ship with new framing, planks and painting.
“There are lots of repairs,” said Kellock, adding that the volunteer society has been doing what it can to keep up with the maintenance, but more work needs to be done. “It has been neglected for so long. We took it over seven years ago and we are trying to do what we can.”
He said the society would like to have repairs on the cabin done by the end of the month so it will be ready for the arrival of tall ships in the harbour from June 30 to July 2.
“We would like to take it out to greet the tall ships when they arrive,” Kellock said.
The Hector was launched in 2000, originally owned by the Town of Pictou. The Hector Quay Society took it over in 2010 when the town announced it would not be reopening the site due to financial reasons.
The society is made of up volunteers who work with students hired during the summer months. Lunenburg shipwrights in the past have done some repairs on the ship, but light maintenance
is done by volunteers.
Kellock said some of the masts taken down in the past for repair are ready to be returned to the ship, but the ship’s floor won’t support them.
“One of the mast’s has been repaired enough to go back, but
we can’t put it back because it would be too much strain on the ship and rip it to pieces,” he said.
Some repairs have been done below the waterline as well which is in better condition because it is sitting in salt water.
Kellock said the society is
hoping that government grants come through to do some of the repairs, but in the meantime the site is open for business.
Admission to the site will take care of the day-to-day operations, but it would cost $1.4 million for society to fulfill
its dream to see the Hector sail, he said.
“One-point-four would put engines in it and then we could start taking people out on tours,” he said. “People come to see the ship but they would pay to go out on it.”