Sir, - With regard to the future of the Asgard we have a clear choice, as with all national treasures. We can continue to use it for the purpose for which it was made and accept that this will unavoidably hasten its demise; or we can restrict our use, affording it special status within the protective environment of a museum, in order to extend its existence. If we accept the latter, we do so in the knowledge that restraint in personal gratification is necessary for the preservation of the artefact and its endurance for future generations.
What would be the need for carefully controlled museum environments, where temperature, humidity and light levels are constantly monitored, if we could return the vessel to what many regard the most testing and punishing conditions on the planet and reasonably expect her to survive? The truth is that we could not. Both the extensive replacement of original material necessary to pass current safety regulations and the inevitable effects on the marine environment can only result in a catastrophic loss of historic value.
The only hope for the Asgard to survive as an authentic artefact providing uncorrupted historic evidence is her conservation and preservation within a museum setting. Surely it is towards this goal that funds should be spent. For it is difficult to imagine that future generations could be inspired on being told that the very deck on which they now stand was built in the year 2001 and is similar to the one on which the stuff of history was played out. In order to make the Asgard seaworthy, so much will need to be replaced that it will no longer be the Asgard. - Yours, etc.,
Fergus Purdy, Chair, Irish Professional Conservators and Restorers Association, Whitehead, Co Antrim.