The original ships were found at different depths in the lake and
therefore emerged at differing periods due to the manner in which the ships
were brought onto dry land. In fact the level of the lake was lowered through
an ambitious pumping programme which involved mounting a battery of large
pumps on a floating platform, re-activating an old Roman water conduit, and
building a long canal from Vallericcia down to the sea. The first ship to
emerge from the descending water level was thus named "prima nave"
and obviously, the "second ship" also emerged in due course
