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| The Dead Sea Works |
| Conservation of the boat: Har Nevo |
| Orderer | The Dead Sea Works |
| Duration | July 2006 |
| Implemented by: |
Arch. Vardit Shotten-Hallel
Avner Hillman
Eyal Kacho
Prof. Nili Lipshitz
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After the southern basin of the Dead Sea dried up the boat remained in the middle of a salt marsh, several meters away from the water line, resting directly on its keel (in the past it was fitted with temporary supports). The parts of the boat were in an excellent state of preservation, including a rear rudder and various metal elements. The remains of the original wooden pier that was used for loading the boats are today located along the water line, adjacent to the site where the boat is situated.
This work is a joint enterprise carried out by General Shlomo Arbel (Res.), the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies and Mr. Tzvika Galron of the Dead Sea Works. The aim of the work was to move the boat in its entirety to the courtyard of the Dead Sea Works, to conserve its wooden elements and restore the parts that were either lost or damaged over the years. The boat will be relocated for display along the visitor’s track in the works.
The boat, which is called the Har Nevo, is one of a pair of vessels that was built in 1946 in the ship works of the Land of Israel Potash Company in the northern Dead Sea, by Shlomo Arbel. The boats were used for towing barges of potash that was mined in Sodom, and they sailed from Sodom to Kaliya, from whence the potash was transferred to the port of Jaffa where it was exported. The Arab Legion captured the potash works immediately after the declaration of independence on May 14, 1948 and the invasion of the Arab armies into Israeli territory. The Har Nevo participated in the evacuation of the facility’s workers to Sodom. The boat was used by the Dead Sea Works for approximately two years, between 1946 and 1948. The Har Nevo is actually the only one to have survived of the fleet of tugs, boats and freight barges, traces of which have all disappeared.
The Har Nevo was built entirely of wood, whereby the frame, consisting of the keel and ribs, was built first after which it was covered with the outer sheathing. The ribs and the gunnels of the boat were made of especially hard wood that has been tentatively identified as mulberry [1]. The outer sheathing on the hull was made of pine. There is an engine room in the boat and a diesel engine made by Caterpillar that is located at the bottom of the ribs. The wheel house, galley, head and a small cabin for sleeping are all located on the upper deck.
The frame of the boat, including all of its ribs, was excellently preserved. Most of the damage had occurred to the keel and to a small part of the outer sheathing that was located near the bow of the vessel. Most of the steel nails that were manufactured specifically for the building of the boat were preserved in situ. The various structures on the upper deck were preserved basically unscathed, except for the glass in the windows that did not survive.
Conservation Activity
All of the conservation work, including the washing of the boat, was done at its new site.
(1) In the first phase the outer sheathing that had deteriorated (c. 10% of all the planks) was dismantled. Parts that were likely to be damaged as a result of the washing were also dismantled. At this point some of the steel nails that were used to fasten the wooden sheathing to the keel fell out.
(2) The boat was washed with a stream of high pressure water in order to neutralize the salt. At the time of the washing brown stains were observed in the vicinity of the deck and there was some concern regarding the presence of bacterial damage.
(3) An organic, anti-bacterial agent that is not harmful to humans was applied to the boat. This is a one-time treatment.
(4) After being washed and dried in the open air the vessel’s outer sheathing was returned from whence it had been removed; the doors, windows and engine cover were rehabilitated; and the boat’s mast was restored. The glass ceiling and the upper gunnels were rehabilitated.
(5) The boat was painted (the same color it was originally) in order to protect it from damage caused by sunlight. The strips that were originally on the boat were not restored because of the absence of information and lack of documentation regarding their color.
Recommendations Regarding Further Treatment and Maintenance
(1) The boat should be set in place atop a permanent stand in order to complete the final treatment to the keel and prepare it for display.
(2) Routine inspections should be conducted for the purpose of identifying bacterial stains on the paint.
(3) The vessel should be repainted when required.
(4) We recommend reconstructing a section of the pier alongside the boat or relocating a section of the original wooden pier for the purpose of presentation and illustration.
[1] The identification of the wood that was used in the construction of the original boat was performed by Professor Nili Lipshitz of Tel Aviv University.
To view the figures, click on the figure caption
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