Ghostwreck fieldtrip 2008 results

The so called Ghostwreck found off shore of Gotland in Sweden reveals more and more of its secrets. In 2007, the wreck was - for the first time surveyed using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) by Deep Sea Productions – the discoverers of the site. It was at that time identified as a 17th century - possibly Dutch - ship.
In November 2008 a second fieldtrip was planned to make new detailed ROV recordings. The objectives of the fieldtrip were to collect more data from the wreck and the seabed surroundings, to make better footages and also to take some wood samples in order to determine – through dendrochronology - whether the preliminary identification of the wreck as being a Dutch vessel from the 17th century was correct.

In order not to be intrusive, a loose plank had been recovered from the wreck for tree-ring data (dendrochronology).. The result reveals that the wood (pine) was from Gotland and suggest a date just after 1631 for the cutting of the tree. It remains up until now uncertain whether the plank originally belongs to the ship structure or maybe one of the chests of which it was laying next to. Therefore more samples have to be taken, especially from certain construction parts, to give us a better lead to the origin of the ship. The building techniques that have been used to make the ship and also the carving still suggest a Dutch origin.

Stills from the Swedish SVT station and Deep Sea Productions

Built with a pear shaped hull, a round stern, an extreme narrow deck and a length wide (ratio of 4:1) it has the features of a flute ship, although according to historical sources it is with its length of approximately 25 metres very small. The flute has been developed by Dutch shipbuilders from (just before) ca. 1600 onward and has been used especially for trade to the Baltic. The narrow deck yet a spacious hull being a way to pay low taxes in the Sont (the Sound toll). All ships coming from the North Sea entered the Baltic region through the Sound which was in control by Denmark and had to pay toll there partly based on the width of the deck.

More information:

• website of Deep Sea productions
  
  
• Fieldwork on the ghost wreck (MACHU newsarchive)
  
  
• Documentary on the Ghostwreck on Swedish television.
  
  
• MACHU Wreck ID Ghostwreck
  
  
• MACHU Shiptypes: flute ship.