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HMS Victory Set for Mast Removal in Decade-Long £42 Million Renovation Project
A 750-tonne crane will lift the mizzen mast, foremast and bowsprit from HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The operation marks a milestone in The Big Repair, leaving the 260-year-old ship without masts for the first time since the early 1890s. New scaffolding and visitor access features will follow the removal.
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A 750-tonne crane will be deployed at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to lift the mizzen mast, foremast and bowsprit from HMS Victory as part of its ongoing multi-million renovation project. The procedure will leave the 260-year-old ship without any masts for the first time since the early 1890s.
GB News reported that the crane will remain on site for approximately one week to complete the mast removal.
The main mast of HMS Victory was taken down in 2021. After the latest removals, a substantial scaffolding structure will be erected around the vessel. This structure will remain in position until the project concludes in 2033.
The renovation project, known as The Big Repair, is decade-long and costs £42 million. ' Baines added: 'Our team has planned this step in meticulous detail, but we still have to work around factors like the weather.
' New viewing platforms will be installed at the stern of HMS Victory. Additional museum displays will be installed to help visitors comprehend HMS Victory's construction. Demonstrations of traditional shipbuilding techniques and caulking workshops will be available.
Baines said: 'This is a bold new stage of the project, and 2026 is set to be the most exciting year yet. ' He added: 'We're going to reveal parts of Victory that were last seen by the 18th century shipwrights who built her. ' Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will remain open throughout the renovation works.
Throughout 2025, the conservation team addressed significant decay within HMS Victory's timber framework on the starboard side. In August 2025, shipwrights fitted the 100th futtock on HMS Victory. Futtocks are the curved wooden components that form HMS Victory's structural ribs.
