HMS Victory’s Masts Set for Overnight Removal in Major Repair

Overview

• A 750-tonne crane will lift the mizzen, foremast and bowsprit overnight in the next phase of The Big Repair.
• Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will stay open during the operation.
• Once the masts are off, a new scaffolding shell will enclose the ship and add visitor platforms that reveal the hull’s inner structure.
• The removed masts will be stored and conserved for an eventual return in 2033 under the £42 million plan.
• Victory will stand without any masts for the first time since the early 1890s after the main mast came down in 2021.