Part of an anchor found

[JCB]

I have found a fluke and part of a stem of a very large old anchor. I have a 1600's spanish anchor and this appears to be much the same,only larger and broken. Was it possible for ships of this time period to snap an anchor. I would think that their rope would break first. This leads me to believe that it must have been intentionaly cut. The fluke is about 2.5 feet wide and 3 to 3.5 feet long. The stem comes off the back of it and sticks out about 2 feet where it ends, at what appears to be where it would attach to the stem. I have not brought it up yet to look at the cut/break point. I'm sure I will be able to tell once I have pulled it up, but I just thought I would ask the question and try and get some feedback before I get back out there with the float bags.

 

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[Darren in NC]

Welcome to the forum, JCB. Make sure you note what direction the anchor is pointing before you move it. It could be a great clue to where the rest of the wreck may lie.

 

[ScubaDude]

It most likely broke, think of the quality of the iron back them. If an anchor were to be dragging along at a good clip and suddenly snag sure it could break. You also have to ask yourself why someone would cut an anchor.

Did the anchor in the other post come from the same location?

 

[JCB]

The two locations are about 1.5 miles apart. Lots of shallow water and reef in between. I do not think that they could possibly be from the same ship.

 

[ScubaDude]

It's very possible, look at the Atocha and the Maravilla. They've covered miles following debris trying to locate the main treasure. Were both anchors pointed in the same or similar directions by chance. What is in between the two, have you been able to mag any of that area?

 

[JCB]

The broken anchor is laying flat side of the fluke down and is pointing south. The other full anchor was pointed south west.

 

[ScubaDude]

Dumb question but was the whole anchor south of the busted one? And have you had the chance to look further south or SW? It would be interesting to measure the broken piece and see how close matches the whole one.

 

[JCB]

Brad,

The broken part is almost due east of where the whole anchor was. I am convinced it is not from the same wreck, but who knows. I have also dove/spearfished the area in between the two all my life and I have not seen anything in that area. Although, I have dove/spearfished over the area where i found the broken part hundreds of times as well, but I never rocognized it. It is covered in tons of coral growth and very dificult to recognize, so who knows what might lie between the two sites.

 

[rgecy]

The broken anchor could not be used to determine a heading since it was not set. Take some pictures of them underwater in place if you can and collect all the data possible. If you are going to recover these anchors be prepaired to have a large storage to tank to preserve them in for a year or year and half while they undergo desalinization and electrolysis. Otherwise they will just continue to rust and start to break up from the salts inside expanding and destroying the iron.

It would be easy enough to bring up the small fluke and preserve it, but a whole anchor is a chore.

Get us some pictures or drawings if you can. Are the flukes heart shaped or triangular? Anything left of the stock?

Robert in SC

 

[Chagy]

the rest of the wreck could well be under the reef and thats why you cant detect it with the mag its a weak target a hand held mag might come in handy but $$$$$

Did you find it here in Florida? If so check out my last post "1641 New Spain fleet"

All the best,

Chagy.....

P.S. Welcome to the forum!!!!!!