A partnership between the Maritime Museum in Falmouth and Le Port-Musée in Douarnenez, Britanny, has seen cutting edge technology used to preserve Cornish and Breton maritime heritage.

The two museums have been using laser scanners to create 3D models of key boats in both their collections. The LASCANMAR project has been made possible through European funding. The INTERREG Program promotes cross border projects and helps regions of Europe share knowledge.

Andy Wyke, boat collection manager at the Falmouth museum, said: “The LASCANMAR, or Laser Scanning Maritime project, was conceived out of a need to satisfy a lack of 3D digital recording and documentation for maritime heritage preservation, specifically boats for which there were either no plans or a lack of recorded information.

“Working in partnership with Le Port-Musée has been a hugely rewarding experience and we look forward to continuing this professional relationship for many years to come.”

In two special presentations at both museums, the project team shared their knowledge and some of their findings with representatives from museums, universities and maritime industries. The National Maritime Museum Cornwall will display some of the results of the project later this year.