HMS Victory Conservation

The long-running timber-stabilization and structural program on HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar (21 October 1805), preserved in dry dock at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard since 1922. The current project, run by the National Museum of the Royal Navy, replaces a rigid support system with adjustable props to let the hull settle naturally, repairs decayed oak, and controls moisture and beetle. Victory is the world’s oldest naval ship still in commission. This is a dry-dock heritage-ship project, distinct from the PEG treatment used on excavated waterlogged hulls like the Vasa.