The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) has announced the provisional programme for the 2023 Historic Ships Conference, to be held in November at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. The theme for 2023 is "Historic Vessels - Sustainable Futures".
In partnership with Royal Museums Greenwich and National Historic Ships UK (NHS-UK), and supported by the Museum Ships Committee of the International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM), the successful Historic Ships conference returns for the eighth instalment.
This conference will not only focus on the conservation of historic vessels but also the research and investigation into the engineering and proficiency of historic designs through modern naval architecture techniques. With this event, you will help to record the skills and techniques used to construct and operate our historic ships for current and future generations.
There will be presentations on subjects as wide-ranging as Naval architect Robert Seppings, the Steam Tug Master, the RMG Ship Plans Collection, managing historic ship projects, Neolithic boats, HMS Hood, rebuilding a sail training ship, the structural design of wooden boats, the Dover Bronze Age boat, building a dock for Pommern, rescuing a 1911 Bombay Naval Cutter, SS Great Britain's journey to carbon neutral, preserving historic warships, traditional Maltese boats, gas ships on the Tyne, the Edwin Fox, and more.
Speakers include:
- Royal Museums Greenwich - Paddy Rodgers, Chief Executive (Welcome Address)
- SS Great Britain Trust - Dr Matthew Tanner MBE, Chief Executive (Keynote)
- SS Great Britain Trust - Nicola Grahamslaw, Ship's Conservation Engineer
- Royal Museums Greenwich - Alex Grover, Assistant Curator, Historic Photographs & Ships Plans
- Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust - Nicholas Ball, Collections, Galleries and Interpretation Manager
- Sea-Change Sailing Trust - Richard Titchener, Executive Officer and Skipper of Blue Mermaid
- Beckett Rankine Ltd - John Monasta, Principal Naval Architect
The conference will be held on 28-29 November 2023, followed by a visit to Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent on 30 November 2023.
Zone South East