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Preserving the Remains of the Evelina M. GoulartAn Argument for "Chain Saw Archeology"
by Erik A.R. Ronnberg, Jr.
Presented at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, May 27, 2010
For the past twenty of its thirty-four years of operation,
the Essex Shipbuilding Museum has had custody of the fishing
schooner/dragger Evelina M. Goulart with its long-term pre-
servation in mind. "Preservation" of this vessel has to date
been equated to what has been done to preserve historic
craft by other museums - that is, rebuilding the hull to
restore it to the appearance of a finished vessel, usually
as fitted for work. The financial realities of this course
of action have prevented its happening, leaving the Museum
with a partially dismantled, poorly sheltered hulk in an ad-
vanced state of deterioration with no hope in sight of
fulfilling that objective.
There is an alterna tive -- one that would be in keeping
with the Museum's mission, following procedures and stan-
dards of marine archeology while meeting key objectives in
research, exhibition, and interpreta tion all at lower
cost and offering a greater variety of future uses.
Before outlining this alternati ve, it is necessary
indeed high time -- to remind the Museum's members and staff
of its mission as defined by its name, if not by any by-laws
2.
process of building ships is implicit. The logical focus ofits exhibits and educational programs should be on thetools, materials, and methods of putting ships together,rounding out the story with aspects of civic history andnatural history which made this area conducive to buildingships.
Museums concerned with processes rather than finishedproducts are rare and all the more important for the voidsthey fill in preserving our knowledge of the dynamic aspectsof historic technologies. For this museum, the processes ofmaking the components of a ship's hull, and the methods ofassembling them, should be the most important exhibitsnot just a finished vessel, ready to launch, whoseconstruction is mostly hidden by planking.
The problem with the Goulart restored to a finished,ready-to-Iaunch hull is that the building process has notonly been completed, but that the rebuilding processinvolves a sequence of disassembly and reassembly thatdiffers in many ways from building a hull from scratch.Those differences can be very misleading to a visitor whoactually has a chance to view the process , either ongoingor on a video medium. Rebuilding is also more consuming oftime, labor, and money than building a vessel from scratch.
3.
Enter Chain Saw Archeology.- The alternative torebuilding (or waiting to rebuild) the Goulart is todismantle the hull in its "as-is" state, saving parts andsections which show important examples of joinerwork, typesand uses of fastenings, types of wood and other materialsused. Of particular importance to save are pieces showingworkmanship, including saw cuts, axe- and adze work, boring,and joining techniques. These are the aspects of construc-tion which defined Essex shipbuilding as practiced in Essexby Essex shipwrights. There is enough of the Goulart'soriginal construction to make a definitive exhibition ofthese aspects and an irreplaceable reference for restorationof other Essex-built vessels in other museums. Indeed, ifthis is not done, the opportunity will be lost forever, asall other surviving Essex-built schooners have been soextensively rebuilt that there is little or nothing leftof their original materials, while much of the replacementdiffers markedly from the original, usually for reasonsbeyond their custodians' control.
If this course of action is taken, what parts from theGoulart should be preserved? A few of the more obviousexamples are to follow, but it is important that in thedismantling process, a sharp lookout is kept for unexpectedor unusual variations. It would also be prudent to inviteinterested museums to send their specialists to observe and
4.
advise on the selection and stabilization of parts to be
preserved.
Stern components.- Everyone looks first at a ship's bow,
but it is the stern which has the greatest complexities and
offers the greatest problems in reconstructing. This is
particularly true where the stern post and rudder intersect
the counter. This juncture should be salvaged to include the
upper parts of the stern post, propeller aperture and
adjacent deadwood, the intersecting ends of the counter
timbers, and the rudder post. It is also important to
include the rudder trunk with its slanted hollow which
permits shipping the rudder so the upper pintle can bypass
its gudgeon. The heel of the rudder post and a small part of
the keel to which it is tenoned should be saved as a
separate piece.
Of course, everyone likes the idea of saving a whole
midship section, but the vessel's present condition makes
this doubtful. Most important sections are at the bottom and
where the deck is joined to the bulwarks The bottom section
should include the main mast step, sump openings for the
bilge pumps, and any traces of ballast concrete. The upper
section (one side only) should include the quarter deck
break with the end of the grub beam and portions of the
waterways and planking. A separate midship section at the
centerline could include the main mast pad and partners.
5.
Moving forward, a portion of the hull bottom at the fore-
foot is important, particularly if it includes the fore mast
step along with joinerwork where the forefoot blends with
the keel. This can be a longitudinal, rather than transverse
section. Fore deck construction poses a problem, as this
area has been sign ifican t ly altered, including removal of
the windlass and its adjoining woodwork. The stem post has
also been replaced, but the apron timbers, hawse timbers
and any breast hooks should be saved, A portion of the pad
which originally ran from the stem aft to the fore mast is
desirable, if it survives, to answer quest ions about deck
and pad plank dimensions.
Returning to the stern, the overhanging part including
the transom is in a far advanced state of decay and will
require the greatest care in removal and examination for
salvageable portions. While the framing of the transom and
its joining to the counter timbers is of greatest importance,
on-site examination, measuring, and photography will be
urgent prerequisites to subsequent disassembly.
'Dismantling the hull in its initial stages will be heavy
work, fully warranting the term "chain saw archeology," and
it should be carefully planned and carried out by a hard
hat crew which fully appreciates its importance and can do
it with care. The hull .:has many areas of extensive rot,
6.
which will cause objects for salvage to deform and break
up if not adequately supported. The construction of pallets,
support frames, and cradles should be anticipated at all
stages of disassembly. This work could -- and should -- be
carried on with the assistance of other museums whtch have
fishing schooner artifacts, and can utilize what this museum
doesn •t need.
Having gone this far, the Museum will find itself
relieved of an unmanageable burden and a large and manage-
able collection of artifacts which will be the core of its
exhibits, an important reference for both visitors and other
insti tutions, and a reminder of the craftsman and their
craftsmanship which gave this community its importance.
The way these materials are used can be the subject of a
future symposium if the Museum decides in favor of this
course of action.
For anyone in doubt about this procedure, it would be
wise to consider these possibilities:
1. If the Goulart is to be rebuilt using the standard
procedures, it will soon be apparent that decay has gone
so far that the entire hull would be replaced, leaving the
original materials in a useless pile of wood that was torn
off piecemeal. This leaves the Museum with a completely
replaced hull and little if any original parts worth saving.
7.
2. If important parts of the Goulart are saved now, the
Museum will have important reference material at hand if
and when it has the funding and desire to build a replica
hull. In the meantime; the artifacts will be valuable.
reference material for building models to serve as visual
aids in the exhibits.
This is a critical point in the time line for any plan
to save the Goulart. She won't last much longer in her
present state, and the Museum's financial condition boils
down to saving selected parts of the hull or losing it all.
One alternative guarantees a future for the most important
aspects of the Goulart's construction; the other guarantees
the irrevocable loss of artifacts of Essex shipbuilding
which speak of the shipbuilders, their knowledge and skill,
as nothing else can.