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National Historic Ships UK acknowledges the financial support of its sponsors
Help make Pyronaut ship shape and Bristol fashion again!
Bristol Museums Development Trust has launched a crowdfunding campaign to complete the restoration of their historic fire boat Pyronaut.
One of the few remaining heritage Fire Boats nationwide, Pyronaut needs your help so we can continue to share her history and show off her amazing water displays on sunny days! If you have ever had the joy of being caught in her aim on a warm city day, you know she is a Bristol gem that the harbour would be poorer without.
We are in the process of conserving Pyronaut, but now we need your help with the last part! To fully protect her from future water damage we need to apply specialist paint to protect her hull from the changing water of the City Docks.
And good news – for every £1 donated the Friends of Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives will match it (up to our £5000 target). This would provide us with an incredible £10,000 to give Pyronaut the care she needs to continue serving the city.
Every little helps, and whatever we raise will go towards caring for Pyronaut and the working exhibits.
Pyronaut was originally built in 1934 for the Bristol Fire Brigade. She served for almost 40 years in the City Docks, before being chosen as a diver’s boat for the Port of Bristol, and later beginning transformation into a pleasure boat. She was purchased by the Museum in 1989 and the subsequent five years were spent reconstructing her original appearance.
Since 1994, she has been an occasional trip boat and a regular performer at docks events, including the Bristol Harbour Festival, where her water displays have become a firm favourite. She is lovingly cared for a skippered by a loyal team of M Shed volunteers. At the helm is Clive Brain, who also skippered her during her working years and his time with the Fire Brigade. His father was also the boat's coxswain during the second world war, so Pyronaut means a huge amount to him.
Our team of volunteers is waiting to give Pyronaut a coat of paint, which will protect her from the harbour water. The ph level of the water has increased in recent years making it more acidic, which corrodes the boat's hull faster. With an extra protective layer, Pyronaut should be fit for service once again.
Zone
South West
