Preparations have started for the SS Richard Montgomery mast removal, with cranes and specialist vessels now arriving around the wreck in the Thames Estuary. The £9.5 million operation will cut down the ship’s three masts so they no longer protrude above sea level.
David Burton-Sampson said, “It is great to see that work is underway to prepare to remove the masts from the sunken wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery.” He added, “The masts must be removed safely to ensure the cargo of ordnance beneath remains undisturbed.”
David Burton-Sampson and Resolve Marine
The Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh also said, “I know there is a huge amount of interest in the final resting place of these historic landmarks from off our coast.” He said, “As we know, what has been described as the most dangerous wreck in Britain needs attention.” In May, the Department for Transport awarded Resolve Marine the £9.5 million contract for the mast removal programme.
Thames Estuary wreck
The SS Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames Estuary in 1944 while carrying around 1,400 tonnes of explosives. The wreck lies between Southend and Sheppey and has been under close monitoring for decades.
The Department for Transport has repeatedly stressed that the wreck remains stable and is subject to continuous monitoring. The mast removal is intended to reduce the risk posed by the wreck’s structures above the waterline, while an exclusion zone remains in force around it under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.
The work now moves from contract award to physical preparation on site, and the immediate task is the removal of the masts without disturbing the ordnance below. That leaves the question of when the programme will be completed.
