Orkney shipwreck rescued from beach – History Blog

A wooden shipwreck that washed ashore on Sandy Island in Orkney has been safely moved to a specialized water tank for conservation. In February, most of a ship’s hull was washed away from the seafloor by a winter storm on Sand o’Erraby Beach. The midships section was turned upside down, exposing what was left of the keel and the large wooden pegs that held the frame and planks together. These thick wooden spikes, called tree spikes, stopped being used around 1820, so the wreck is hundreds of years old. Preliminary examination indicates that it is a 17th-century design, probably of Dutch origin.

Historic Environment Scotland commissioned Wessex Archeology and archaeological timber specialists Dendrochronicle to assess, document and collect samples of the wreck. Wessex Archeology has also secured funding to provide maritime archeology training and workshops to members of the local community, who were the first to notify authorities of the wreck’s appearance and have been carefully monitoring it for months.

The hull, newly exposed to the elements, was in danger of rapidly deteriorating, and the continued action of the waves began to drag the wreckage back out to sea. Orkney Islands Council contacted the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which provides emergency grants to properties at risk. NHMF was awarded a grant of £79,658 to fund rescue operations and the construction of freshwater reservoirs.

Wessex Archeology returned to the site in the last week of September to transfer the timber to the water tank. The delicate surgery took two days to complete.

Now, the shipwreck’s timbers – preserved by the sand that once hid them for centuries – are safely installed in a custom-built eight-metre tank next to the island’s heritage centre.

There, on the advice of archaeologists and conservators, the timbers will be suspended in fresh water, protecting them from deterioration for two to three years while further research into the ship’s identity and significance is conducted.

The custom-designed water tank, manufactured by Aberdeen-based Waterfront Stainless Steel at its Orkney factory, is fitted with a roll-top and is available by appointment for researchers and interested visitors.