One
of the collection objects on display at HRNM is a 200-year-old anchor. Its modern-day journey began back in 1993 while USS Kittiwake (ASR 13), a submarine
rescue ship, was on a routine operation in the Elizabeth River. Kittiwake recovered
the anchor, which dates back to the early 1800s. For twelve years, it was under the care of the Department of Maritime History and
Underwater Research at East Carolina University. While the anchor’s journey
began back in the early 1800s, there are no markings or records to enlighten us
about the anchor’s past.
The
large iron loop at the top of the anchor goes through a smaller loop at the top
of the shank. The loop, along with the curvature of the anchor's arms, are two of the design elements that show experts that this
anchor is from the early 1800s. In addition, the band that wraps around one of
the arms of the anchor and is riveted to the bottom of the fluke was a
common repair method used in the early 1800s. Although anchors were made out of wrought
iron, many were damaged when lowered quickly and their flukes
broke as they hit the ocean floor. Anchors were constructed in the Royal Naval
Dockyards and created with pieces of iron welded together. The iron
was heated to a “white heat” and beaten into the appropriate
shape with sledgehammers. The process was not without problems. When the anchors were welded, the hammering
did not remove all of the air and bubbles, which created weaknesses in the
final product.
One
feature that was not common among the anchors of the early 1800s was a gravity
band. One of these bands is placed in the middle of our anchor’s shank. An
expert from ECU believes this to be an addition at a later date, perhaps when
the anchor was repaired. The anchor’s dimensions, approximately eleven feet
tall with six feet between its flukes, led the experts at ECU to believe it is
a bower anchor. The name implies its place is at the bow of a ship. Based on
the anchor’s weight of approximately 1200 pounds, it may have belonged to
a vessel that weighed between 150 and 200 tons.
Stay
tuned for more information about the preservation of this historic anchor!
(This blog post was written by HRNM Public Relations
Coordinator Susanne Greene.)
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