Image Details
Courtesy Israel Dept. of Antiquities and Museums/Photo: Danny Friedman
Protected by a polyurethane cocoon, the Galilee Boat floats again, for the first time in 2,000 years. The 550-yard voyage to the Yigal Allon Museum required extensive preparation. Conservator Orna Cohen of Hebrew University planned and supervised the construction of fiberglass and polyester resin frames, fitted inside and outside the boat’s hull. The boat was then wrapped in thin plastic sheeting and sprayed with polyurethane liquid, which hardened into a protective shell. Completely encased, the boat was ready to float.
After a steam shovel, right, cut a channel through the dam that had been built to protect the excavation site from rising water, the Galilee boat sets out on its last voyage.