'Don't Rock the Boat' is a Lloyd's Register Foundation-funded project by National Historic Ships UK in partnership with Beckett Rankine to create a suite of specialist guidance material on stability that is accessible and usable by custodians of static floating historic vessels, as well as contractors and service providers to the industry.
A large number of vessels listed on the National Registers of Historic Vessels have been given a second life as static floating assets, often undergoing significant transformations into museums, restaurants, office spaces, hotels and other publicly accessibly spaces. Yet at the start of this project, there were no policies, procedures or guidance available for vessels which cease being operational and become a static floating asset.
In partnership with Beckett Rankine, this project considered regulatory requirements and set standards of best practice to enable owners to assess, manage and improve the safety of their assets. Research into both UK and international practice was undertaken to gather case studies demonstrating successful transformations of historic craft, as well as those who had experienced stability issues as a result of alterations made. With new guidance in place, the project looked to reduce risk, safeguard significance and prevent avoidable accidents or future vessel losses.
A Stability Guidance publication has now been published and can be accessed through our website here.
