On the South Bank of the Brisbane river, as it passes through Brisbane city, sits the Queensland Maritime Museum. It was this month visited by the replica sailing ship Duyfken.

The original Duyfken was a 15th century Dutch vessel, it having first sailed the waters of Australia's north western shores many years before Captain Cook and the Endeavour sailed up the eastern coast.

The replica Duyfken was built in Australia to commemorate that event, the first visit by Europeans to Australian waters and shores. Built entirely of timber, as all ships of that era were, the replica Duyfken was built enirely of timber with no modern ship building materials being utlised.

During May the Duyfken spent a week tied up at the Museum’s wharf while on voyage from Melbourne to Cairns. It was opened to public viewing on several occasions.

The primary reason for the Brisbane visit was to take on stores and attend to ship maintenance. During the latter, those responsible for maintenance became concerned at possible early signs of timber rot in a dark, dank, confined area immediately below the deck, specifically where the deck was attached to the hull. It was almost completely inaccessible, running the length of each side of the ship.

Mabon’s Timber Protection was called in to inspect, comment and offer advice. On assessing the situation no timber rot – or fungal decay being the correct term - because no timber rot was found. Equally no “all clear” could be given due to the inaccessibility of the site. There appeared to be some confusion as to the timber types used in this area of construction and what if any timber protection had been applied at time of construction.

The full outcome saw a quantity of Mabon’s ProtecTimber being applied. Key factors in that decision were that the product is water based, the active is elemental boron, the site was internal and relatively dry and water free, and not least in this unusual situation ProtecTimber could simply be sprayed into the inaccessible dark, dank, void so providing a prophylactic protection against fungal decay. A simple and cost effective prophylactic to what was clearly playing on the minds of those responsible for the Duyfken’s long-term maintenance and seaworthiness, particularly so in this critical design sector of the ship where the deck was in effect bonded to the hull through a complex geometry of timber design.

The Duyfken set sail from Brisbane on schedule. As it is to spend much of it’s time in Australian waters Mabon’s will take the opportunity to follow this matter up in one to two years time and report again in Boron News.

Further information on the Duyfken at: www.duyfken.com

Bon voyage to the Duyfken!