Medieval cog floating in air!

The last posting of our blog recorded our anticipation just before the big moment of moving the wreck of the cog-ship we’ve been conserving for a long time now from the Estonian Maritime Museum’s Lennusadam premises to the final exhibition location in the Fat Margaretha building’s yard in Tallinn’s old town.

The cog outside Tallinn old town city walls, just about to be hoisted to her final position. Photo: Eero Ehanti, FOG

The place where the cog is about to land in a few moments time. On the right Heikki Häyhä of FOG. Photo: Eero Ehanti, FOG

This posting records our feeling after that exciting day. How did it go? What’s that we’re feeling right now? Well.. it’s joy! Very much joy, as everything went well, it was a smooth operation from dismantling the temporary tent, travelling on a lorry through the nightly Tallinn, where traffic signs had to be cut down to make room for the very special transport, to the empty lot just outside old town walls, from where she was hoisted over the wall to her place, where she will be presented to the public.

Just moments before hoisting starts… Photos: Eero Ehanti, FOG

Floating in air over the old town city walls. Photo: Eero Ehanti, FOG

Now that she rests on her podium, in bright sunlight, something she’ll never experience again, as plastic cover and then permanent roof will soon exclude sun and other environmental risks that can damage this delicate age-old artefact, one can really admire the craftmanship of those shipbuilders of past times. Hanseatic carpenters truly knew how to put a wooden ship together. When she floated high up in air, the extraordinarily beautiful shape of the hull could be admired from a viewpoint never to be repeated again.

So we were lucky to see floating in air. But not to worry, the exhibition is designed so that visitors to this museum, which will no doubt grow to be one of highlights of any visit to Tallinn, will get to walk around the ship and see it from underneath and from high up. Both angles are important, the former creates a impression of awe because of the mere sight of those huge planks constructed in such a beautiful and functional way, whereas the birds-eye view shows the insides of the hull so rich with details.

We’re also happy to report that the supporting structures described in the previous post really do not bother much, nor do the adjustable wires giving horizontal support. Proudly we must furthermore add, that the surfaces also look clean and beautiful! after all that cleaning we’ve described in earlier posts.

Internal supporting structures. Photo: Eero Ehanti, FOG

Transport and lifting of the Cog was well covered by national and local media. A documentary movie is on its way as well and will hopefully be ready before the opening of the exhibition at the end of this year. Restoration of Fat Margaret tower and reuse of the courtyard was a vision of Meremuuseum Director Urmas Dresen. It was great to witness this vision come true when the Cog found her place perfectly in the very tight space of the yard.

Director if the Estonian Maritime Museum, Urmas Dreesen (in the middle) and other staff of the maritime museum observing the exciting process. Photo: Eero Ehanti, FOG

Now she’s there, just about to be covered by temporary plastics in order to prevent too drastic environmental changes. What’ll happen next? Well the construction works of the museum premises go on and at some point there will be the roof, of course, after which the conditions can be controlled as closely as is required with this delicate object. Meanwhile we continue working, finishing cleaning, inserting new pegs and bolts where needed and so on, enjoying every moment, as we have always done, in this side-project of ours in the fascinating Tallinn. A once in a lifetime experience, if there ever was one!