All the timbers had to be drawn and many of them were photographed before being replaced in the hull. While the timbers were being replaced the conservation team were busy installing a new spray system and making sure the ship was kept in perfect condition. The last timber to be replaced before active conservation started was fixed into place in 1993.
In 1994 we switched over to active conservation, spraying the ship with a solution of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG). This wax gradually replaced the water content of the timbers.
Starting in 2004, the Conservation Team at the Mary Rose fitted a new spray system so that a more concentrated form of PEG) could be sprayed on the hull. This was a thicker, hotter mix than before and coated the outer layers of the timbers to seal them. This has been completed and the sprays turned off so the ship is revealed in her full glory. The hull has since been drying out in environmentally controlled conditions. .
The construction of a new museum for the ship is now underway and should be completed in 2012. This will allow the ship and the artefacts to be displayed together for the first time and should at last provide a fitting home for the Mary Rose.
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