HMS Victory Restoration – Beams & Structures

Beam repair and replacement on HMS Victory

Over many decades W L West & Sons Ltd have supplied timber for the ongoing restoration of HMS Victory. We were approached in 2016 to undertake a beam survey on the Orlop deck of HMS Victory. The Orlop deck is the lowest deck and the one where Horatio Nelson was taken after being shot prior to dying.

The beams run Port to Starboard (left to right for the landlubbers amongst us) and tie the sides of the ship together and hold up the deck above. Over the years the beams have deteriorated and this necessitated repairs. Some beams had to be re-attached to the sides of the ship, and to do this we had 166 high quality Stainless Steel coach bolts manufactured by Technifast Ltd. These coach bolts ranged from 250mm long to 750mm long. They were designed and installed by our craftsmen.

Some of the beams required the ends replacing. This entailed cutting the decayed part out, having supported the part of the beam being retained, and scarfing a new piece of Oak beam into the ship.

The project was very successful and we are pleased to have been part of the ongoing restoration of Lord Horatio Nelson's flagship and the oldest commissioned warship in the world.