A previously unknown wreck has been found at a depth of 85 meters in the waters at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland. The vessel is believed to be a cargo vessel at the time of the seabed survey, possibly dating back to 17th century.
Based on its location, the Finnish diving group Badewanne assumed, when examining the wreck first, that he found the remains of a ship of the First or Second World War.
“With this assumption in mind, we are trying to verify what it was. Soon, however, we realized that it was neither of these things, but something completely different,” says Jouni Polkko, A member of the Badewanne team.
It turned out that the ship sunk between the Hanko Peninsula in Finland and Hiiumaa in Estonia was indeed considerably older than suspected.
“During the dive, it quickly became clear that it was an old wreck and a fluyt-type merchant ship. The fluids were designed in the Netherlands and used as merchant ships in the 18th century. The ship is designed so that it can be sailed with a small crew and so much cargo could be carried,” explains Polkko.
The flutes were three-masted, sailing vessels with large bolts that, unlike most European cargo ships of the period, were not designed to be positioned.
85 meters down
Once they had identified the wreck as an antique vessel, the diving team contacted us Niklas Erikson, An assistant professor of marine archeology at Stockholm University, who confirmed that it may be an early representative of a type of ship dating back to the 16th century. According to Erikson, the wreck has many properties typical of fluids, but it also has individual features such as stern structure
The story continues after the photo
“The wreck thus offers a unique opportunity to study the evolution of the type of ship that has sailed around the world and became a tool that laid the foundation for early modern globalization,” Erikson said in a Badewanne publication on Friday.
According to Polko, it could be a Dutch merchant or a local copy of one that sailed only in the Baltic Sea.
Two dives were made on site. With the wreck at a depth of about 85 meters, the operation had its own challenges.
The wreckage and video of the wreck were taken during the dives. Polkko believes that more dives are needed for the data already collected.
“What makes this discovery great is that its body is completely intact. Admittedly, it was hit by a trawler that damaged it a bit, which swept away masts and some deck structures, for example, ”says Polkko.
Possible tips from the Danish archives
It is possible that some of the answers about the ship and its history can be found in Denmark. If the ship was passing through Denmark on its way to the Baltic Sea, there may be a record in the country’s old customs archives.
“At that time, ships passing through the Danish Strait had to pay customs duties. However, finding more detailed information would require that there be something interesting in the ship’s cargo, otherwise it will not differ from other income, ”says Polkko.
Taxation of transit through the Danish Strait was based on the area of the deck. This vessel was designed with a very narrow deck and a spacious hull. This proved useful in the face of such a tax, and it has been speculated that the reduction in deck space was intentional.
While the cause of the ship’s sinking is uncertain, at least for now, something can be deduced from its condition.
“Because the hull is intact, the ship is likely to have crashed into a storm. It was hardly driven to the rocks. Or it may have been caused by a sudden leak in the middle of the journey, ”Polkko sums up.
Source: The Nordic Page