Shipwreckage or modern???

[theGOLD]

Hey guys need some help with this one. I found this a little ways away from an old ballast pile. I cant tell what it is or whether its modern or from the wreck. The pictures here are post clean up. I dont have any from before, but there was healthy crusting on it. It's copper. Have FUN, and Merry Christmas!

-GOLD

 

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[rgecy]

theGold,

Thats a very interesting piece. It looks to certainly be old and unless there are other modern wrecks nearby, I would say it probably came from your wreck.

A handle of some sorts or a pin that is used to hold or span two timbers at a joint.

Maybe some of the other guys have some insight.

Robert

 

[Salvor6]

The perfectly symetrical radius on the inside corners means it was made on a bending machine. Do you have a date for the ballast pile?

 

[diverlynn]

Looks like it's from a GIANT staple gun!
(sorry guys but I REALLY need some humor in my life right now)

DL

 

[wwwtimmcp]

looks like maybe a lightning arrester that was used to ground the mast to the keel. that way the lightning hitting the mast would dissipate in the water reducing damage.

 

[theGOLD]

Hmm, no I haven't dated the ballast pile because the pile itself is in a weeeeird spot. Just a spot up in very shall water with about 40 or 50 ballast stones but no trail. So she obviously bumped there and spilled some ballast and kept going. This piece is further in towards shore where she may have headed. I haven't had time to search for more ballast though in that area. Those definitely sound like good possibilities though. I wonder if we can date this in any way. Anyone have any examples of what this would be in other websites or anything? I'll post a pic of the ballast stone after I clean in up. Then we can see if there are any ballast experts here

-GOLD

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

You have problems mi Lyn?

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[JT]

I used to work at Charleston Naval Shipyard before it closed. Your "staple like" spike looks virtually identical to a steel "staple" used in drydocks to hold together the blocking used under ships and submarines. It was hammered into the top and bottom block to join them together.

Possibly a similar design was used when ships were beached for repair to block up a side. If you found it in shallow water leading up to a beach, it makes sense.

 

[Old Bookaroo]

I like wwwtimmcp's answer because if your object is, indeed, made of copper I would think it would be too soft to reliably hold planks together.

Perhaps one of the Dover Publications ship architecture books would show such an object. Or you could try one of large marine museums on the East Coast.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaneer

 

[rgecy]

Copper and Bronze were very common as fasteners and spikes. Early iron was not near as strong as it is today and Copper was easier to mine and work.

Bronze was considered much more reliable. Just as an example, there were many instances of iron cannon cracking or failing. Bronze cannon were preffered but were much more expensive.

Robert

 

[theGOLD]

Interesting answers guys. Thanks. Okay heres a pic of an example of the ballast type. This is the smallest piece there. Most are 4 or 5 times this size. Anybody have any know any good ballast experts? Ballast is tough though because it was moved, swapped, dumped, etc. In any case, here are two different examples from different unknown ballast piles in the area. The are not related, but its interesting to see the difference. Anyone have any guesses as to origins or dates on these two pieces? The lighter colored stone is from the wreck in question.

-GOLD

 

[ScubaDude]

It is difficult to tell from your picture of the top stone.

You will see two general types of ballast rock on wrecks. Nice pretty smooth river stone ballast, and not so smooth quarried stone ballast. The river stones are generally found on older sites, quarried ballast stones are irregular in size and shape and often have rough surfaces from when it was quarried. As for dating I've not seen a definitive time line placed on it but I believe quarried stone became more prevalent toward the end of the 1700's, early 1800's. If someone knows more on the subject, I would be interested to learn more.

 

[abacopirate]

Most wood workers refer to your staple as a dog. The outside of the legs are paralle the iner ones on an angle to pull the two peices fo wood together as it is driven in.

 

[theGOLD]

Thanks Abaco, any idea on a date for this type of thing? Are "dogs" used nowadays as well? You all hitting any wahoo up in Abaco lately?

-GOLD