Following the launch of trove.scot in February 2025 we are now planning the retiral of some of our webservices. Canmore will be switched off on 24th June 2025. Information about the closure can be found on the HES website: Retiral of HES web services | Historic Environment Scotland
Diver Inspection
Date 5 August 2017 - 13 August 2017
Event ID 1151349
Category Recording
Type Diver Inspection
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1151349
Each dive was undertaken by two free swimming divers. Excellent underwater visibility of not less than five meters was experienced throughout.
After identifying the location of the site through an initial swim over of the area, divers attached a marker buoy on the first cannon they encountered. Following the marking of the site divers used the existing 1990 site plans produced by Steve Liscoe (Liscoe, 1990) to try and find the remaining cannons and have a clearer understanding of the extent of the archaeological potential of the site. The cannons were found using the 1990 plan in combination with pendulum searches with a tape measure. Once sufficient canons were found, the cannons on the outer edges of the site were marked with small marker buoys and a DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) position was taken using a Hemisphere GPS A100 DGPS. Although the DGPS provides an accuracy of 0.2 mm, a total inaccuracy of up to 3 m was expected due to the difficulty in providing a precise position of the marker buoy above the cannon due to the effects of tide and current.
Since the wreck site is quite dispersed the depth varied between 14 m and 25 m. A current was encountered running north to south across the site at varying strengths dependent on the state of the tide. The site geology consists of bedrock outcropping and gullies dispersed with a veneer of sand and gravel. During the dive survey, the site was entirely covered in kelp. Although this made the site survey more challenging it provided a good indicator on the stability of the site. As the site is protected through the large outcrops of rocks, mostly located in between gullies and covered in kelp, waves and currents appear to have a limited effect on the site. Therefore, there will not be much longshore drift (movement of sediment along the coast parallel to the shoreline) and the site would appear to be stable.
A central point with the coordinates 1°7'58.813"W 60°8'48.156"N has been established. A total of three cannons were given GPS coordinates and a cluster of cannons were marked by one GPS coordinate.
The detailed site plan has been overlaid with the initial site plan drawn by Joffre. Although there is a slight discrepancy between the two plans, the overall site area of the 1981 plans corresponds quite closely with the area recorded by the archaeological divers in 2017. The detailed site plan has also been overlaid with the 1990 Steve Liscoe site plan showing the newly recorded positions of the three cannons marked with DGPS positions.
A total of 12 of the previously reported 13 cannons were relocated. Additionally, one cannon that was not relocated was reported by a local Shetland diver to be around 20m north east of WA_Cannon 01, and south east of the cluster of cannons.
During the expedition, contact was made with a local Shetland diver, Mr Donald Jefferies. On receiving an invite to the house of Mr Jefferies, a total of 15 ingots were examined. These ingots were raised in 2015 and reported to the Receiver of Wreck. The ingots include both rectangular shaped and lozenge shaped ingots with a combined weight of 1150 kg. Mr Jefferies reported that these ingots were raised from the same location as the currently visible ingot on the seabed. Additionally, Mr Jefferies reported to WA that there are two areas that he noted to contain a high concentration of finds (Mr D. Jefferies, pers. comm).
Only one ingot remains visible on the site and detailed shots were taken as a record. The lead ingot has a roughly rectangular shape and measures 70 cm in length 16 cm width and a total height of 6 cm.
A total of three small pieces of what is suspected to be wooden ceiling planking were observed by the team. These pieces are partially buried in sediment and covered by rocks. At least two of the pieces appear to be partly joined lengthwise although it is unclear by what method. The wooden planking remains are located close to the lead ingot on the seabed and are clear evidence of remains of hull structure below the sediment and possible small-scale excavation of the site by third parties. It is unclear whether the structure is dislocated or part of a more substantial structure buried in the sediment.
One timber was recovered by a local diver, Mr D. Jefferies in 2015, although it was unclear where exactly the timber was located within the site
Information from Isco Vico Sommer (Wessex Archaeology) 19 February 2018: OASIS ID: waherita1-298315
