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Orkney shipwreck rescued from beach
A wood shipwreck that washed ashore on the Orkneys island of Sanday has been safely removed to a specialized tank for conservation. The large section of hull from a ship appeared on Sand o’Erraby beach in February of this year, dislodged from the seabed by winter storms. The midships section was upside down, exposing what was left of the keel and the large wooden pegs used to fasten the frames and planking. These thick pegs, known as tree nails, stopped being used around 1820, so the wreck is hundreds of years old. Preliminary examination indicate it is a 17th century design, perhaps of Dutch origin.
Historic Environment Scotland commissioned Wessex Archaeology and archaeological wood experts Dendrochronicle to assess, record and take samples from the wreck. Wessex Archaeology also received funding to provide maritime archaeology training and workshops for local community members who were the first to alert authorities to the appearance of the wreck and who have been monitoring it carefully for months.
Newly exposed to the elements, the hull was in danger of rapid deterioration, and the constant action of waves was beginning to drag the wreck back out to sea. Orkney Islands Council reached out to the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which provides emergency grants for heritage at risk. The NHMF came through with a grant of £79,658 to fund the rescue operation and construction of a freshwater conservation tank.
Wessex Archaeology returned to the site the last week in September to transfer the timbers to the tank. The delicate operation took two days to complete.
Now the wreck’s timbers – once preserved by the sands it lay hidden in for centuries – are safely installed in a custom 8 metre long tank, alongside the island’s Heritage Centre.
There, on advice from archaeologists and conservators, the timbers will remain suspended in fresh water – protecting them from deterioration for two to three years while further research is carried out into the ship’s identity and significance.
The custom-designed tank, fabricated by Aberdeen-based Waterfront Stainless Steel at their Orkney workshop, features a roll-top lid to enable access for researchers and interested visitors by appointment.
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