The Nuevo Anchustegui is the oldest large coastal vessel preserved in Biscay. Built in the Arriola Shipyard in Ondarroa in 1958, it is a prototype of the inshore fishing boats that once filled our coastal ports. They would catch surface species, most of them migratory, that moved seasonally in large banks, such as anchovies, sardines and tuna.

The boat has been moored at the Itsasmuseum since it was donated by the family Antxustegi to the Maritime Museum of Bilbao for exhibition in 1997. It is part of a collection of boats whose historical and heritage importance makes them worthy of conservation and public exhibition. These include the Portu ganguil, the first ship built in the Euskalduna shipyards in 1902, the Auntz Mendi – built in these same shipyards in 1928 – and the iconic Gabarra Athletic.

Through ERAIN, the project to recover the craft of riverside carpentry in Biscay in the 20th century, Itsasmuseum started working on the scientific restoration of the Nuevo Anchústegui In 2017. The process involves a multidisciplinary team of restaurateurs, historians, ethnographers, volunteers and many others who have formed a strong community.

The entire process is carefully documented through detailed reports of each intervention. In addition, it is shared and discussed with other specialists in the field through meetings, meetings and publications.

The restoration of the new Anchustegui is supported by the Provincial Council of Biscay and the Basque Government and with the collaboration of the project for labour and social integration of the Otxarki Foundation and the Basque Timber Association of Euskadi, Baskegur. Furthermore, it is a cornerstone restoration project for Itsasmuseum because it gives continuity to the shipbuilding that has taken place on the site for more than 150 years.