Diver Inspection

Date 8 June 2014 - 15 June 2014

Event ID 1030783

Category Recording

Type Diver Inspection

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1030783

In June 2014 a Cotswold Archaeology dive team undertook a survey of the wreck of the Kennemerland off the Out Skerries, Shetland. The work was conducted as part of the Heritage Assessment in Relation to Marine Designation: Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Territorial Waters contract. It was undertaken to a brief supplied by Historic Scotland.

The Kennemerland was a ship of the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (the Dutch East India Company or VOC). It was wrecked in December 1664 while en route to Batavia. Britain and the United Provinces of the Free Netherlands were on the verge of war at this time and VOC ships were taking the longer route north around Scotland to avoid the risk of interception in the English Channel. The Kennemerland was lost when, running ahead of a southerly gale, she struck Stoura Stack at the entrance to the South Mouth, Out Skerries and broke in half. The wreck's forepart foundered in the deep water adjacent to Stoura Stack and the remaining stern portion was swept into the harbour and washed up on Bruray Island before being swept back out to sea on the following tide. The wreck was discovered in 1971 by members of the Aston University Sub Aqua Club and was subsequently subject to several seasons of excavation during the 1970s and 1980s.

Diving operations took place between 8th and 15th June 2014. The primary objective was to locate surviving elements of the wreck, position-fix them and thus achieve an up-to-date plan of seabed remains for comparison against the previous archaeological plans. These objectives were achieved for most of the features shown on the previous plans that were not lifted during the 1970s and 1980s.

Cotswold Archaeology, December 2014