Sir, - It is at once a relief and a source of deep sadness to read in Lorna Siggins' piece (April 3rd), on the current proposal and project for the restoration of Asgard I, that after almost two decades of effective abandonment to the elements in Kilmainham Jail the vessel is still in good structural condition, according to a spokesman for the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht.
A relief because that is the information the Asgard I Restoration Project Ltd is seeking, and a source of deep sadness because she must have been in first class condition when declared to be "unseaworthy" all those years ago. That, by the way, was the reason advanced in official sources for her being decommissioned in the first place. All those wasted years in the life of a classic yacht designed for deep water cruising by the greatest designer of yachts in the early 20th century, Colin Archer.
I have made a detailed study of Archer craft down the years since I circumnavigated on one of them in the 1960s, and there is no doubt about Asgard's place in the international scene as a classic yacht, one of a very few that still survive. The department spokesman is quoted by your esteemed correspondent as saying that her restoration would involve the replacement of original material rather than repair, which was against established practice." Anyone with knowledge of old wooden boats knows that in a lifespan of 93 years, as in Asgard I's case, a good deal of replacement must have already taken place to keep them alive for such a long time.
Asgard has already been substantially altered from her original. Her whole superstructure was rebuilt and she was gutted internally and rebuilt to provide comfort for the youth who learned to sail on her as Ireland's first official sailtraining vessel. So much for that argument.
Our information is that the hull requires refastening", i.e. replacement of all hull bolts, screws and nails, and not much else. This will have to be done in any event, even if officialdom decrees that she end her days as a piece of dry docked heritage. How much more honourable it would be to allow an experienced, caring, well intentioned group of traditional enthusiasts such as ours to try to restore her as a sailing vessel of which Ireland could be proud.
The Heritage Council greeted our proposals with enthusiasm, and they include some worthy people who know what they are talking about. Good folk, such as Dr John de Courcy Ireland, have enthusiastically endorsed our programme. - Yours, etc.,
Public relations officer,
Asgard I Restoration Project
Ltd,
Springhill Park.
Killiney,
Co Dublin.