Thelma Newbury

The Spanish and French Basque fisheries (taking whales and cod) started in the New World in the 16^th century.  In 1565 a violent storm sank the San Juan near Saddle Island in Red Bay, Labrador.  In this area four trans-oceanic ships of the Basque era have been found as well as a number of smaller vessels (known as chalupas).  Although these ships are not completely intact, the skeletons have been somewhat preserved by the cold water for more than four centuries.

In 1979 Parks Canada brought the San Juan to the surface and planned to house it in a museum.  But it immediately started to disintegrate.  So they put it back down in the Bay and covered it with cement, hoping that someday there would be the technology to preserve it.  They did build a climate controlled building for the skiff.

On a trip to Red Bay in 2012 I found this process fascinating.