20th century wooden wreck

In 2013, a wreck was reported in the estuary of the Ems river at the German island of Borkum. Tidal actions had washed parts of it free. With the aid of ships of the Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA: Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsamt) of Emden, the wreck could be recorded before it was damaged more due to tidal flows and work done in the area.

The wreck was covered almost entirely by sediment and only the eroded frames of the port side were visible. Test trenches were dug, which revealed more of the construction, with very heavy closely spaced frames, and thick 2 inch outer and inner planks.

It turned out to be the remains of a 20th century wooden vessel and due to certain building elements, the type of the vessel could be tentatively determind.

The very close spacing of the thick frames stood out, as did the unusually thick inner planking. These things point at a type of ship only built in Esbjerg in Denmark between about 1904 an 1925. This was a very effective kind of fishing cutter named a Haikutter, which was a gaff cutter suited for deep-sea fishing. This identification has to remain hypothetical though.

The wrecksite was surveyed within the framework of a rescue archaeology measure, as it was situated in an area subject to erosion and sea-cable installation.

The regional branch in Oldenburg of the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation (Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege) carried out this survey in August 2013 with the logistical support of the WSA.

• Fries, J. E. (2014).
  Bericht der archäologischen Denkmalpflege 2013.
  Oldenburger Jahrbuch 114.
  pp 219-232.