A Thick Skin

This reconstruction shows how the Batavia’s stern was built, layer by layer, like armour against the sea.

The outer “skin” was made of pine sheeting, coated in a protective mix of resin, oil, sulphur, and lime to defend against shipworm. Beneath it lay two thick layers of oak planks, sealed with tar and animal hair. Between the seams, fibres were hammered in to keep the water out.

The heavy oak frame gave the hull its shape and strength, while a final thin layer of pine, known as the ceiling lined the inside. Built to last and withstand the deep, the Batavia’s hull was a masterpiece of early 17th-century shipbuilding.