PIcture of Vessel found with measurements

[EASTLONDONSA]

This is the picture of the vessel found in 120 +- feet it has a 64 foot keel with intact rudder it has a measured 23 foot beam on lowest point and 28 feet on widest, each rib is 1.25 feet wide and approximate 8 inches thick, The bow stands about six feet off the seabed. I am debating that this is a vessel of wealth and not a merchant vessel or inter-island trader. It is sheathed with copper that apppears like a peeled onion , hanging and lying on seabed each sheet is approximate 1x1 feet. The spikes are smaller than usual and have thread like appearance they are no longer than 1 inch on the sides and then the panking obviously has large spikes up to 6 inches long.
What does anyone think , any ideas or do I need more info. there is very little iron on the vessel mostly copper and wood the odd iron stock. I Have not touched the site yet as depth and relocating it took up time , its now fixed and going nowhere just not accessible due to currents tides and weather conditions, this excludes a thieving poacher or ten,..
ELSA

 

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[oldfart]

May be fairly modern, nails such as you describe have been used this century to fasten copper sheeting to wooden vessels.
They are I think called ring barbed nails, check the possibility

 

[EASTLONDONSA]

What appears to be the bowsprit is the Keel and forward to the leading edge of the bow, the bowsprit is not there, the line is centred and the nails copper, I agree on the consensus "OldFart"
about the rings on the nails , however I have seen the same on an old English vessel from 1807.
I will endeavour to work the debris trail tomorrow and then post the pic`.
THanks
ELSA

 

[oldfart]

Another factor which can be misleading is there are some yachtsmen who spend their lives preserving old vessels/yachts, for instance a friend of mine here in Caribbean lives on a 70ft 130yr old yacht and predictably spends all his time/money repairing it.
The result of course could make identifying difficult for some future diver if he was unfortunate enough to sink
Regarding the nails, the modern variety are bronze I think, the only way to be sure might be to bring one up and have it dated if perhaps a local museum might oblige.

 

[EASTLONDONSA]

The site is old and judging by growth over 100 at least , I am a commercial diver and salvage large amounts of vessels yearly Ive worked the entire coast of Natal and Cape Town and seen many many old wrecks, this is one. There is no wiring or evidence thereof , no engine and no modern material the only thing screwing up the deal is the screws/nails or tacks. They are small and I agree but get the horrible feeling either "one offs" or new/modern. It is possible that the person sheathing the vessel was ahead of his time and experimented with the nails, there is stamping such as an assayers on the sheet. It is hard to see exactly but I will try cleaning on up and post a pic of it.
ELSA

 

[treaser hunta]

I have been finding nails like you discribed on a turtle boat. The nails were from 1950.

Treasure Hunta