Found this close to a wreck site

[Joe Lee]

at times the hull breaches leaking ballast stone from the bottom of her hull * but the vessel does not always go down right away -- she might stuggle on a for bit --thats known as a debris feild leakage pattern -- think of a car with a hole in its oil pan and how the engine does not always quit right away but instead leaks oil leaving a trail --now once all the oil leaks out the engine quits -- or in this case, once the ballast stone is lost the ship becomes "top heavy" rolls over and the ship sinks .

I am afraid that I have to work on a very big debris field cause the fisherman I know made some very interesting finds in that area. Unfortunately they are about 2 - 3 miles apart. I still hope it's two wrecks!

 

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[Joe Lee]

Go to the spot and start looking around, and checking it with your detector. It might be a good one! Those ships spikes are worth hanging onto.

He says there are loads of those spikes. So why should a ship carry hundreds of them? Isn't it possible that it's just ship's nails? But than again - ship's nails made from brass or bronze?

 

[stevemc]

They are all made from bronze, the small nails hold the lead or copper sheathing onto the hull, and the spikes like you found hold the hull planks onto the ribs. There are larger spikes that hold the ribs to the keel. There will be many of them all. Hopefully you will find many other artifacts. Look for odd indentations in the reef, or straight shapes. Or big piles. Detect all over, and everywhere. When you find a real nice spike, look it over for any markings. British ships used a broadhead-Arrowhead mark and everything metal got a mark. But even if there are no marks, it often can be figured out what the Nationality of the ship is. Post some pics of your finds. Good Luck!

 

[ivan salis]

old wooden sailing vessels used lots of brass spikes and nails -- remember iron would rust away quickly --brass / bronze wouldn't --that why it was used in naval items --

 

[Au_Dreamers]

Ships carried them in supply because the ship's carpenter(s) would do repairs underway and when they ported or careened a ship.

I believe it was Kane Fisher who found some Escudos in a keg conglomerate of ships nails on the Rio Mar wreck.

There may also be "treasure treasure" as ships paid port fees, pilots fees and crew. They were also trading and transporting goods.

Start putting things down on graph paper or google earth so you get get a visual on things. As pointed out earlier, ships wreck in a certain pattern.

Nice find- best of luck !!

 

[Joe Lee]

Thank you very much for all the info. All that is really helpful!
I can't wait to go diving there again. Unfortunately it is to stormy at the moment but as soon as I have been there I will post the newest finds!

 

[billfishbelize]

That item is called a Drift,used to secure timber to timber on a ship,they were typicly bronze.

 

[wreckvalle]

What you found is a brass or bronze spike. The head is broken off and spike has been rounded due to sand blasting effect of mother nature.

Nice find

http://www.shipwreckexpo.com/


Capt. Dan