He worked with Corréard, Savigny and another of the survivors, the carpenter Lavillette, to construct an accurately detailed scale model of the raft, which was reproduced on the finished canvas, even showing the gaps between some of the planks.
Traballou con Corréard, Savigny e outro dos sobreviventes, o carpinteiro Lavillette, para construír un modelo detallado a escala da balsa, que reproduciu no cadro finalizado, chegando a amosar os espazos existentes entre algunhas das táboas da mesma.