UnderMiner
Silver Member
- Jul 27, 2014
- 3,818
- 9,726
- 🥇 Banner finds
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- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Excalibur II, Ace 250
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Got a tip from an old man that there was once an old wooden yacht sunk in the area. Found the rough location on the map and went out at low tide to investigate.
Found two seven-inch brass portholes still aligned with where the vessel must have been resting on its side. Then found a third porthole, a smaller five incher in the same alignment, likely closer to where the bow would have been.
All the portholes were facing glass-side up giving credence to the theory the vessel had been resting on its side as it slowly disintegrated over the years.
Almost all of the exposed wood was disintegrated with nothing holding the seven-inch portholes in place but clay and gravity.
The five-inch porthole had been in contact with a larg mass of concreted iron (maybe the anchor chain). The iron acted as an anode and preserved the brass of the five-incher better than the seven-inchers (that's chemistry for ya).
If my theory is correct these are the starboard side portholes and the port side portholes should still be buried nearby, maybe the yacht fell to pieces and the port side drifted somewhere else.
As for what was in and on this old wooden vessel only a new expedition will reveal. This is the first time I have salvaged portholes with the glass still fully intact. If i can find more of this vessel it could prove to contain another brass helm wheel for my collection or maybe even random 19th century artifacts. The vessel looks to have been sunk for well over 100 years.
The portholes are still fully functional, though their rubber gaskets have disintegrated, hinges and wing nuts all working.
That's all for now.
Found two seven-inch brass portholes still aligned with where the vessel must have been resting on its side. Then found a third porthole, a smaller five incher in the same alignment, likely closer to where the bow would have been.
All the portholes were facing glass-side up giving credence to the theory the vessel had been resting on its side as it slowly disintegrated over the years.
Almost all of the exposed wood was disintegrated with nothing holding the seven-inch portholes in place but clay and gravity.
The five-inch porthole had been in contact with a larg mass of concreted iron (maybe the anchor chain). The iron acted as an anode and preserved the brass of the five-incher better than the seven-inchers (that's chemistry for ya).
If my theory is correct these are the starboard side portholes and the port side portholes should still be buried nearby, maybe the yacht fell to pieces and the port side drifted somewhere else.
As for what was in and on this old wooden vessel only a new expedition will reveal. This is the first time I have salvaged portholes with the glass still fully intact. If i can find more of this vessel it could prove to contain another brass helm wheel for my collection or maybe even random 19th century artifacts. The vessel looks to have been sunk for well over 100 years.
The portholes are still fully functional, though their rubber gaskets have disintegrated, hinges and wing nuts all working.
That's all for now.
