FIRING a canon, making ropes and climbing a ships mast are among the activities on offer by a new "Corporate Experience".

The unusual team-building activities are on offer at HMS Trincomalee at Hartlepool Marina. The oldest vessel afloat in the UK, and the last of the commissioned frigates of the Nelson era, it is also the second oldest warship afloat in the world.

David McKnight, general manager, said: “Our new Corporate Experiences promise to be of interest to anyone who would like to combine team building exercises and challenges with good old fashioned fun.

“Activities such as the mast climbing are not for the faint-hearted but they are very safe, as people are harnessed up, so it’s more like abseiling in practice. It will give people a taste of how life was aboard the ship when it was operational.”

The mast climbing is with qualified riggers and gun drill and nautical themed digital photography is also on offer.

The Corporate Experience is for up to 12 people at a time and runs for a morning or afternoon and either starts or finishes with a traditional nineteenth century luncheon in the Captain’s cabin.