After the hull of the Mary Rose was raised the wood of the hull was soft, as marine bacteria ate away at a substance called cellulose in the wood’s cells, weakening their structure. While on the seabed these holes were filled with sea water, meaning that as the water left during drying, the wood would shrink and deform. For many years the hull was sprayed with fresh water, to remove salt and dirt as well as keeping the wood strong. Then the water was slowly mixed with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), a wax-like substance which replaced the water over time, giving strength to the weakened cells. Once the hull was treated it was slowly and carefully dried.
On the seabed the hull lay on its starboard side, after it was raised the hull was rotated to a close to upright position, it now had to support its own weight, and the weight of around 100 tonnes of water it had absorbed while resting on the seabed for over 500 years. Supports such as metal props and stanchions were put in place to help support the beams of the ship.
Conservators decided to monitor the movement of timbers and cracks to see which areas needed reinforcement or localised treatment with PEG. This monitoring was crucial during the drying process to see if the PEG had soaked into the wood and was slowing the rate of movement and cracking.
