NAS

Ron Howse and Ed Cumming went out with NAS and their multibeam swath bathymetry sonar device mounted on ‘Divetime’ with a fixing built and funded by Ron. Images of HMS Hood and the Countess of Erne were very impressive, the scan of the Hood even revealed the never before seen supports for the railway that spanned the entrance at one time. In due course NAS will be making those images available. During the set-up day it was also possible to go over Project Nor and the Abbey sites. A look at the sweep (left) across the Project Nor wreck site was initially disappointing as we had hoped for some sharp right-angles and flat surfaces but it did show some interesting detail where exploratory hand dug holes at the stern either side of the keel and along the gunwale around the iron fixing probably supporting the shrouds and suggested areas of interest forward of the cargo (nb. our datum lines/notes were added after)

The run (above) over the ‘Abergavenny’ revealed an impressive depression 150 metres east of the site which may have been made from anchor chains from America’s Iraqi invasion fleet, rather in-considerately anchored over our site by Portland Port. If this was the case and we can demonstrate to PP the potential damage that could be done to this valuable site they may be more considerate when approached by foreign powers seeking safe anchorage in the future.

On Saturday 4 December a drive to Gatwick and the non-stop link to Victoria beat the Weymouth train by 50 minutes to insure I arrived on time along with a mere 24 others from a membership of 618, more disappointing was only 5 members of the 15 person committee turned up and one of those left before the end. I am pleased to report Dave Johnston (WreckMap Portland participant) was elected on the new committee after he declared that he stood as “a representative of the ordinary amateur diver /archaeologists” (email: daj@nhm.ac.uk). George Lambrick ex-Director of Oxford Archaeology and Council of British Archaeologist, is to join NAS, be co-opted onto the Committee and take over the Chair, unfortunately he was also not at the meeting. A copy of NAS and JNAPC’s submission to DCMS has been promised; we appear solvent with audited accounts even if those for the period to 31 March had not been finished in time to be distributed to the membership or committee before the meeting; President Toby Parker resigned over a point of principle; the much delayed handbook now taken over by Amanda in the NAS Office; a Monograph Series is to be started; a request was made from the floor for more “In-reach” rather than “Out-reach”; structure of NAS changing with a CEO but funding of post not yet identified; more emphasis on regions and branches; comments requested on Ethical Standards and the past Chair would be pleased to hear our ideas, hopes and wishes.

DJC

Adopt-a-Wreck Conference- Jottings Issue 2005/4

An original idea by Ian Carruthers followed up by other members of the LUNAR Society resulted in the first Adopt-a-Wreck Workshop held by NAS at the Breakwater Hotel, Fortuneswell on 12^th March. Each group gave a progress up-date on their site which included ‘Earl of Abergavenny’, ‘Halsewell’ and the ‘Portland Stone Barge Wreck’ adopted by LUNAR Society members as well as the ‘Salsette’, ‘Black Hawk’, ‘Binnendijk’, U772 and the Unknown Coaster in Portland Harbour (‘Gragside’?). Other speakers were Danuta Kochanowska from DERC on how to record the marine life of Dorset’s wrecks and Sophia Exelby, Receiver of Wreck, once again showed her approachability to all. However the most interesting of the talks was given by NAS’s Mark Beattie-Edwards on possible sources of obtaining funds for Adopt-a-Wreck projects. Notes and references for these sources were handed out on a CD-ROM a copy of which can be borrowed from David Carter.

Portland Breakwater Railway- Jottings Issue 2005/4

The possibility that there remained some evidence of the Victorian railway used to construct the Breakwater, first revealed in the last years NAS multibeam sonar survey, came a step closer last month. After gaining permission from Portland Port six NAS divers with a video camera and a metal detector visited the site on 29^th March.

As NAS have no funding at present for this project transport to the site was given free by Ron Howse in ‘Snapper’ on a very un-spring like day with a brisk easterly wind trying to clear the mist and dump ‘Snapper’ onto the Breakwater making entry and exit from the water quite challenging. With murky 9^oC water stirred up by a week of rough weather the divers had barely 2 metres of visability and were fortunate to find two lines of dressed Portland stones running parallel to the Hood. Their next discovery was a line of wooden posts rising about 80cms above the stone that appeared to be packing for the posts. NAS diver, Joe Bailey, was very excited as he had swum over that area on a number of occasions and had always thought this hump in front of the Hood just a small reef system. An attempt to use a metal detector to look for the “Mitchell Screws” that are thought to be at the base of the posts was abandoned due to the large quantity of steel wire in the area however some interesting video footage was obtained.

NAS are now certain that a more systematic survey is justified on another occasion when the weather and visibility are better and will be approaching Portland Port with this in mind.

WreckMap Portland 2005 - Jottings Issue 2005/4

19^th to the 24^th September are the confirmed dates for WreckMap Portland 2005. The Saturday will be an open day with talks and possibly a guided walk on Portland to sites of Maritime interest. This week for amateur maritime archaeologists is being co-organised this year as a joint venture by NAS and the Weymouth LUNAR Society and will include diving on the “Boulder Site” of the ‘Earl of Abergavenny’ & assisting with the 2005 survey of the Stone Barge.