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8 months ago
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WHEN a shipwreck unexpectedly washed up on the shore of a small seaside community, the quest to uncover its mysterious origin began.
The puzzling wooden ship has captured the attention of locals in Newfoundland, Canada – with desperate efforts to preserve the boat underway.
Corey Purchase
GoFundMe
Corey Purchase
The sudden appearance of the ship’s remains on the sand of Cape Ray – a community of 350 people – has left the residents excited and baffled.
Thirsty for knowledge, a team of enthusiasts set on a journey to discover the history of the 100-foot vessel.
A team of archaeologists will use the wooden remains to measure the ship’s original size and determine the age of the trees used to build it.
The experts will then compare samples with trees in Canada and Europe in order to find where the ship fits in history.
But the time isn’t on their side – with the ship at risk of being buried under the waves if it remains in the water.
The small community has even set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to salvage the boat before it disappears forever.
“We believe this shipwreck drifted into Cape Ray for a reason, and we want to help tell its story,” organisers write.
Their curiosity has fuelled various theories behind the ship’s history – from it crashing in storm to its possible European roots.
STORM FIONA
Some believe that powerful hurricane Fiona, which hit the region in September 2022, lifted the shipwreck off the ocean floor.
A large ocean swell could have then picked up the boat and pushed it towards the shore.
Neil Burgess, president of the Shipwreck Preservation Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, believes it could have been a combination of coastal erosion and the force of storm Fiona.
He told Canadian Press: “This is perfect. This is a great, great event.”
EUROPEAN ORIGIN
The shipwreck appears to be a 19th century vessel with possibly European origin.
James Delgado, the former director of maritime heritage for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said it is likely the vessel has been buried for over a century and a half.
Thousands of similar ships were built in the 19th century, connecting a trade way between Europe and Canada.
The community also has a long history of ship traffic, having seen dozens of shipwrecks since 1800s.
Cape Ray looks over a rough part of the Atlantic surrounded by large, shallow rocks.
The community itself is located on an island nicknamed “The Rock” which is the resting place of at least eight ships that were destroyed by the hostile weather.
Jamie Brake, Newfoundland’s provincial archaeologist, said: “We live on an island that has a major seafaring history.
“Cape Ray is an exposed, treacherous shoreline, with fog and reefs.”
Carissa Brown, a bio-geographer, theorised that the ship was built in Europe and came back and worth to Atlantic Canada when the global trade began flourishing.
At one point the boat might have been damaged and used pieces of wood from Canada for repair.
About 90 per cent of the community are descendants of people from the British Isles who settled in the region between the early 17th and 19th centuries.
Wanda Blackmore, a resident with Scottish, Irish and English roots, said many locals can trace their ancestry back to the 18th century.
REMAINS OF PHYLLIS
The unexplained discovery has fascinated people around the world, with some theories emerging online.
One person has posted a Reddit conspiracy, linking the shipwreck to the remains of Phyllis – a British vessel carrying soldiers and their families.
The Phyllis wrecked off near Cape Ray in 1795 – just six weeks after leaving England.
Many of its passengers and crew members sadly drowned, but some managed to escape death and get to the uninhibited land safely.
The survivors then spent two weeks ashore, building huts from wood of the wrecked ship before they were rescued by Newfoundland schooner.
English (US)