Archaeological conservation

In the new gallery at the Nautical Museum that we are building, we'll be telling the story of George Quayle, his life and times, as well as that of Peggy and her conservation.

We hope to show some of the weird and wonderful stuff that was excavated from George's dock earlier this year. We can't hope to show all of it, and a lot is very fragile.

One of the most interesting finds was a small cast iron box inside which was a real muddle of things - the kind of stuff you might find in your dad's shed - some large washers, musket balls, a small canon ball, a hook, nuts and bolts, the mechanism of a flintlock pistol, scraps of lead, a key, a door knob, etc.. Most of these objects, as well as the box itself, are made of iron.

If we were to dry these things out and put them on display, it wouldn't be long before the sea salt inside them began to rust them to bits. That's why they have been stored in tanks of sea water since they were found. Now we have to try to draw out the salt, which should make looking after them much easier.

To 'de-salinate' the objects I am soaking them in a warm bath of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulphite. This process will take a couple of months, after which I can slowly dry them ready for display.

Flintlock pistol mechanism

Assorted washers

Final preparations for lift-off

We are making the final preparations for lifting Peggy from her 200 year-old resting place. In this photograph of Geoff's work-bench you can see laid out the drawings and components for the mechanism we'll now be using to roll her out. We've had to alter our plans pretty radically since the discovery of the dock outside Peggy's cellar, but it doesn't pay to be too precious about the details .....

White nylon rollers, axles and threaded rod, alongside assorted tools and drawings, this morning 

A new beginning for the Nautical Museum in Castletown

We are currently on hold with Peggy pending completion on her new home. Meanwhile we have not been idle!
The Nautical Museum without Peggy, for the duration of conservation works, is beginning to take shape. Today we began the process of clearing one of the galleries, installed in 1967, in which we plan to present a display centred on George Quayle, Peggy, her conservation and our plans for the future of George's boat house and stables.
The first object to come out is this 19th century ship's tender, which is quite a rarity in its own right, albeit overshadowed by it's larger neighbour.

Builder Stan Rsyack makes a large hole in the museum wall....




The tender is up-ended in a wooden support frame...



... and is then loaded into a waiting van.

The little tender is due to be conserved alongside Peggy in the new conservation facility.