The aft section of the Aimable Grenot was in a poor state of preservation, as it came to rest directly on rock and was little protected by sediment. As the excavation progressed, however, the first third of the ship was found to be in much better condition. Its starboard side was preserved from the keel all the way to the beginning of the second bridge, i.e. more than ten meters in height. The bottom was better covered by sediment; and was also protected by a thick layer of ballast-stones that gave way, towards the prow, to a thick archaeological layer packed with rigging, objects from daily life and cooking implements, all protected by a dense, anaerobic layer of silt.
Although hidden beneath a thick layer of iron slugs that served as ballast, the central section of the ship – where the main mast and the frame of the pump-well were located – was accurately situated. However, it could not be studied, as it was impossible to shift the huge concreted mass of the iron ballast. The aft portion of the ship, which was almost completely unprotected and exposed to the current, received only a quick study of the hull. The organisation of the frames and the fittings of the two decks were observed, in particular the presence of three between-deck ports, designed to provide light and air for the officers' quarters of the lower deck.