Removing the sheathing
The five brackets for the stanchion and jack system have been installed on the port side and two on the starboard side. The shipwrights and marine engineers are considering the addition of two more brackets, one on each side, of a slightly different design toward the stern. No decision has been made. This is a good example of some of the challenges that face the shipwrights. As the work progresses and in spite of well thought out engineering solutions, new facts emerge and alterations to plan must be made or considered.
The sheathing is almost off of the port side. Removal has proven to be an onerous and dirty task. Not only does the copper sheathing and wood need to be removed, the tar between the sheathing and the planking has to be scraped, allowed to dry and scraped again. All staff and volunteers will work on the starboard side next week and, hopefully, this phase will be finished. The good news is that the fine lines of the hull planking and hull shape are now revealed and a more thorough inspection of the planking can be undertaken.
Several of the newly exposed planks show signs of obvious rot while others seem quite solid. This is the tricky part. The shipwrights know that much of the ceiling and framing is rotten but until the planking is opened from the inside and each plank sounded, we won’t know the full extent of the project ahead.
The shipwrights are seeking a design for an irrigation system to keep the hull wet. In the next few weeks lawn sprinkler and greenhouse watering system providers will be visiting the Museum to offer their expertise to help keep our 168-year-old artifact wet while she is out of the water and in danger of drying out. In the interim, shipwrights are spraying the interior by means of a backpack sprayer using a brine solution.
This brings up an interesting fact. As built and until the 1950s, the space between the framing, planking and ceiling was filled with salt. Shelves were placed in these spaces to prevent the salt from settling into the bilge. The salt helped absorb fresh water which leaked into the hull cavities. In turn, the resulting solution seeped into the wood and helped preserve it.
The shrink wrap cover will be installed in about three weeks, once the weather allows.