Deck Painting

Preventing water ingress to the lower decks is a permanent battle. In 2022 the wooden deck was covered with metal plating. Whilst this in not in keeping with the original build it has made a major contribution to restricting water ingress to the lower deck. However, some water still gets through. An ongoing piece of work is to lift each plate and apply a sealant around the edges, between each plate, and around each screw hole. In addition to being a current project, this is anticipated to be an annual exercise.

Constant expansion and contraction of the metal plates and the timbers underneath them mean this is a never ending task, which can only really be conducted during spring and summer. We have tried several types of sealant but not found one that copes with the sun, rain and movement of the plates on the deck. The search continues. The plates will receive a finishing coat of red Oxide paint. We would like to acknowledge the generosity Of Brewers Decorators Centers towards this project.

We have sealed around half the deck working from the aft forward. To make the ship look its best for the centenary celebrations the entire deck has been painted. We will return to complete replacing the seals between platers after the centenary celebrations.
​
This project is fully funded.

MAST

The Medway Queen originally had a mast mounted forward. This had navigation lights mounted near the top of the mast. We no longer have the original mast, but we have been fortunate in having one donated by Chatham Historic Dockyard. Work has started in renovating this mast.
There is a lot of work required before the mast is ready to go on board. For the installation we will need to hire a specialist company. The requirements, plans and estimates are being prepared.
Port Paddle Wheel Cover
Work has started on repairing the Post Paddle Wheel Cover. A local firm has kindle supplied and erected some scaffolding over the Port Paddle Wheel cover to allow the workshop crew access. The cover is in better condition than we expected. It can be repaired and preserved in situ. 
There are two pieces that require replacement; the capping boards shown in the middle photo, and the crest shown in the last photo - luckily we have a spare crest left over from the work on the Starboard Paddle Wheel Cover. We will cut and bend new capping boards. The rest of the cover requires a bit of treatment for minor damage and then reapinting it all.
Follow these links to see:-