Removing ' Victory ' s ' bowsprit at Portsmouth , May have seen battle of Trafalgar . H M S Victory , Nelson ' s famous flagship , is undergoing repairs at Portsmouth Dockyard . The bowspirit is rotten and is being removed . To do this it is necessary to take off the figure head . The last time anything was done to the bowspirit was in 1859 when it was refitted . There is no record of the age of the bowspirit , but it is believed either to have been fitted in 1805 , the year of Trafalgar . The ship was built in 1765 . Photo shows , removing the Victory ' s bowspirit at Portsmouth Dockyard . The top gallion mast is off and the topmast has been lowered . 5 May 1936 *** Local Caption ***