Plans to revamp Castletown museum to house historic vessel on show

The designs would allow for the Peggy to be display as if fully rigged

Designs for a revamp of a nautical museum to bring the world's oldest schooner back to its home town have been put on display for a second time.

The Peggy has been under conservation since being removed from a cellar at the Castletown museum in 2015.

The £6m project would see it returned to the museum in a specially built unit within the courtyard of the site as part of a broader refurbishment.

Manx National Heritage's plans are on show at the Castletown Civic Centre.

A previous display was cut short when the building was needed in the aftermath of a fatal crash in the Southern 100 races in July.

Members of the design team will be available to answer questions until 19:00 on Thursday and between 09:00 and 17:00 BST on Friday.

It follows a similar display of the designs at the House of Manannan in Peel on Monday.

Viewing platforms at carrying levels would be included to improve accessibility

Director of Manx National Heritage Connie Lovel said the plans would create a "landmark venue to be proud of" in the town, which would be a family-friendly visitor attraction "highlighting the wider story of the maritime history of the Isle of Man".

The 26.5 foot (8.8 metre) long yacht Peggy, which will form the feature piece of the revamped gallery, was discovered in a walled-up cellar after almost 120 years in 1935.

After being given to the Manx Museum in 1941, and the site was opened as a Nautical Museum a decade later, with the boat on display in the cellar it had been found in.

Under the plans, as well as becoming a new climate controlled permanent home for the historic boat, the museum would also tell the story of its owner George Quayle and the people in the town at the time.