I heard a really cool anectdote about the Morgan’s restoration from a freind this morning, and found more info on the blog above. Apparently, many futtocks and other timbers being used in the restoration of the ship are almost as old as the ship itself. That may seem ill-advised, but these timbers came from a 100+ year-old timber basin, also called a “pickling pond.” 

These were shallow ponds in shipyards where fresh-cut wood was left to soak in heavily salted water. This cured the wood so that it would resist rot, while also allowing it to “take up” to the moisture content which would be inevitable once  the ship was in the water. This particular timber basin was covered over many years ago, and was uncovered by contractors building a parking garage recently near Charleston Naval Shipyard north of Boston. 

You can read more on the blog above, and see pictures at the bottom of the page.