The wooden boats of the 20^th century are the last tangible evidence of a centuries-old shipbuilding tradition in the Eastern Mediterranean. The recording of their structural, functional and social characteristics is imperative in order to preserve and study their shipbuilding technology and the historical context in which they were created and used. Through the documentation of a boat’s architecture, its equipment and gear, but also the personal belongings of its crew, we reconstruct the biography of a nautical monument.

Agios Spyridon, a 24-meter-long vessel, was one of the last wooden fishing trawlers of Cyprus. It was built in Crete in 1950 and belonged to the karavοskaro type, with an elliptical stern. It was registered in Cyprus in 1954 and was used as a trawler along the coasts of the island and the eastern Mediterranean until 2004, when it was decommissioned according to EU Fishing Policy. The boat was placed on dry land, close to the Latchi marina, Polis Chrysochous, to function as a monument of the local maritime heritage.

Recording AGIOS SPYRIDON (2018 – 2019)

Despite the initial plans, the boat was left without any protection for 15 years, which resulted in its gradual deterioration. In 2017, its poor condition and the high maintenance cost led the Council of the Polis Chrysochous Municipality to the decision that it should be destroyed for safety and aesthetic reasons, despite all efforts by the MARELab to the contrary.

In February 2018, the MARELab in collaboration with the Cyprus Institute, took the initiative to organize an initial documentation project, with the use of conventional and digital survey methods: 3D recording, with Laser Scanning and drone-led Photogrammetry. The initiative was supported by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research and the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous. An ethnographic study was also initiated, to delve into the historical context of the vessel and explore its ties to the history of fishing in the region.

Unable to convince the local authorities and any potential sponsors to save AGIOS SPYRIDON, the controlled destruction and full recording of the vessel seemed the only way to mitigate the consequences of its loss. To this end, the MARELab-led project AGIOS SPYRIDON: Comprehensive Documentation, Recording and Digital Preservation commenced in 2019, funded by the Honor Frost Foundation, with contributions from the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous and the Cypriot Department of Fisheries and Marine Research. Dr Kostas Damianidis (architect, specialist in vernacular shipbuilding) and his associates undertook the documentation of the ship’s construction, whereas the Cyprus Institute completed the 3D recording of the vessel.

The main objectives of the project were: (i) to preserve the structural, morphological and technological characteristics of the wooden vessel, through digital documentation before and during its controlled dismantling, (ii) to raise awareness about the preservation of nautical heritage, (iii) to preserve as much of its memory as possible, by inviting artists and craftspeople to give a second life to pieces of the hull cut during the controlled destruction, and (iv) to preserve and further study, parts of the wooden structure of the boat and its equipment.