While I prepare for the daunting task of planking the hull, here is a copy of a painting of the only known drawing of the Mary Rose made at the time she was afloat. We now have a far better idea of what she looked like since the the remains of the wreck were raised from the sea bed in the Solent in 1982. A a large section of the wreck had remained preserved under silt since she sank in 1545. She was engaged in a battle with the French, watched by Henry VIII, when, possibly overloaded with men and guns, she attempted a turn. It is possible that she healed and this allowed water to pour in through lower gun ports that had been left open. Of the 500 on board, only about 30 survived.
The remaining section of the wreck is on display at the Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth. For thirty years the remains were sprayed with a wax and water mix to impregnate the wood with wax, preventing it falling apart. Now it is drying out.
alansboat 