Those who worked on a unique project at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall to recreate a 4,000 year old boat will find out next week if she floats.
She will be launched on Wednesday lunchtime into Falmouth Harbour and volunteers and museum staff will be keeping their fingers crossed for good weather and a successful outcome.
It was a first for experimental archaeology and a first for the museum, creating a 50ft long, 5 tonne prehistoric boat using replica methods and tools.
The project was a collaboration with the University of Exeter and led by shipwright Brian ***by and took a year to craft out of two massive oak logs.
Project director Proffesor Robert Van deNoort from the University of Exeter said: "The launch really is the moment of truth for this project.
"The very nature of an experiment means that we can't know for sure what will happen. The boat has already given us a few surprises along the way, so the launch really is a leap into the unknown."
