The Cape Ray shipwreck is now completely out of the water. Preserving it is the next challenging feat

Crews completely removed the Cape Ray shipwreck from the water Sunday evening, around two months after it suddenly appeared along Newfoundland's southwestern tip.

It was a daunting task that some doubted would ever be completed, said Shawn Bath, the founder of Clean Harbours Initiative, which has been helping to secure and remove the vessel from the water alongside other volunteers.

The next part of the plan is to bring the wreck up to the museum at the Cape Ray lighthouse and build a structure around it as an extension of the museum but efforts to preserve it will depend on how much money is raised.

Although Newfoundland and Labrador'sprovincial archaeologist previously said the wreck may not be a particularly "unique thing," Bath says it still has the potential to be historically significant. After all of the work already put into salvaging the vessel, he says, it's time for the government to step in and help.

"It's a relief to me, 'cause it was very time-consuming and it was a lot of hard work," he said.

"Deep down inside, I knew we'd eventually get it out of the water, and we did."

Preserving the wreck

Two excavators provided by construction company Marine Contractors brought the wreck out of the water in three sections, said Bath. He says the massive vessel had to be cut into specific pieces for the museum and to make it easier to remove.

He says the pieces are now in a parking lot, near the beach where the shipwreck appeared in late January.

There haven't been any updates from the provincial government regarding the samples that were collected by the provincial archaeologist in early February, said Anne Osmond, chair of the local service district in Cape Ray.

Bath says crews haven't found any writing engraved in the ship, such as a date, but they are hoping to learn more information about the ship's story through the samples.

Osmond says the town is raising money through fundraisers and will be looking for government funding and support to build the structure that they hope will surround the ship.

Cape Ray's tourism season will be crucial for the ship's preservation, says Osmond. All organizations in the small town are run by volunteers, and the money raised through donations will help keep up the museum.

Port aux Basques will receive a part of the ship, she says, and a piece will also be left at the J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park, where the wreckage emerged.

It'll be a while until the vessel is prepped and ready for viewing in a museum, says Osmond, but removing it from the surf is a significant starting point.

"It was a wonderful feeling when it came out of the water," she said.

Download ourfree CBC News appto sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.Click here to visit our landing page.