Shipwreck: F53.18 West A

Site description

The F53.18 West A wreck represents the remains of a side of a sailing ship with carvel planking (edge to edge), 22 meters long with 12.5 meters visible on the surface of the sandy seabed, and 3.5 meters wide. The vessel was built from pine wood, most likely at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The wreck’s structure is aligned N-E, S-W. The following elements were identified: 41 frames (elements of a transverse reinforcement), staves of inside planking and staves of planking laid edge to edge. All structural elements were made from pine wood and fastened with treenails and metal pins with rectangular heads.

Circumstances of the discovery

The wreck was discovered in 2010 by the staff of the Maritime Measurement Department of the Maritime Office in Gdynia. Sonar images were processed by Jacek Koszałka, a category A hydrographer.

Location

The object is located at a depth of 5 metres within a small distance from the shore, in the Westerplatte area.

Course of research

Identification research works were conducted on the object by the NMM archaeologists in 2010 and 2011. In 2017, the NMM research team performed a detailed cataloguing of the site.

Chronology

The vessel was built from pine wood, most likely at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The object’s chronology was determined based on the radiocarbon (C14) analysis of wood samples collected from the wreck.

Artefacts from the shipwreck

A total number of 17 artefacts were recovered from the wreck and registered under 11 catalogue numbers. The artefacts include ceramic tubes of various shapes and sizes, a green glass bottle, a brass bowl, fragments of ceramic ware and an oyster shell. Proximity to the shore and high dynamics of the seabed in this area cause an uncertainty about the original affiliation of some artefacts to the wreck as they could be of foreign origin.