Ghostly 80ft Shipwreck Just Washed Ashore in Cape Ray Centuries after it Sank

While no one knows where this ship came from, how old it is, or who was on it, the community of Cape Ray is working hard to find out. 

And because of its rocky coastline and rough waters, many of the ships headed west succumbed to the elements and crashed along the shores. Today, Cape Ray, just one tiny point within the area, is home to 8 (and now 9) known shipwrecks. 

That means that experts can easily access and study the wreck to try to find out where it came from and when it sank.

He explained that the ship’s position was loosened during the storm, and then finally moved to the Cape Ray shoreline thanks to the large swell they experienced last week. 

Neil Burgess said in his statement, “This is perfect. This is a great, great event.” And another resident, Elizabeth Gover, said, “It is a part of our history that has just been awakened.”

And while everyone was certainly thrilled to know they had a piece of history on the shore, the most prominent discussion among locals was how to ensure the shipwreck didn’t drift away with the tides.

Residents Trevor and Shawn were the first to dive the wreck. They donned their scuba gear and ensured that the ship wouldn’t be moving until the professionals could arrive to study it. 

They reported that the wooden dowels and copper pegs found were typically used in the 1800s, and that the ship is a whopping 24 meters long, meaning it’s much larger than a schooner. 

And just a few days ago, resident Anne Osmond announced that: “Officials from the Provincial Archaeology team are scheduled… to be on site early Saturday. They are also being supported by both Memorial University & College of the North Atlantic in terms of resources and equipment.”

Cape Ray resident Wayne Osmond explained, “Everyone seems to forget that some years we experience sea ice here. If that happens, within a few hours it can cause more damage to the wreck, crushing it than a century or more of it submerged in deeper water.”

And they are hoping that the expert team on its way to their shores will be able to cross reference the wreckage with historical information regarding sunken ships and tell them the name, who was on it, and when it sailed. 

Glover said in a statement, “Some descendants will still want to know the names and the places where their ancestors were lost in the icy waters off our shores. It would be good for all of us if we could offer some history we know and a place for remembrance. At least a marker. This is our history. Let’s find out.”

Jamie Brake, a provincial archaeologist, was part of the team that took to the sea to collect samples and try to discover what they could about the ship. Just because a shipwreck is old doesn’t mean it automatically interests archaeologists, especially if what is left has deteriorated a lot.

They will need to wait for results to confirm for sure, but the team does think based on the evidence so far that it is a 19th-century vessel. The provincial government is stepping back and letting the investigation team handle things.

“The remains of the wreck are right in the middle of the surf zone there, so it is being hit with waves and so on,” he said. (via CBC) Brake would go on to point out that the possibility of difficult weather conditions could change how to project could go.

This is one of the reasons that archaeologists aren’t hopeful the project will be fruitful because they already have had the opportunity to extensively study similar vessels before.

“We can’t preserve every shipwreck. We can’t preserve every aircraft or every vehicle.… In many cases what’s possible is documenting what’s there before it’s gone.”

Another possibility is to wait for local enthusiasts to pull it out of the water for their own purposes. Brake told reporters that some locals had already volunteered to be stewards of any pieces they acquired.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Croft said. “Seeing those massive timbers up close was also fairly exciting. Those wooden dowels, just the sheer size of some of those planks on the vessel was astounding.” (via CBC)

Whatever happens to Cape Ray shores in the future, archaeologists hope that the locals will continue to treat these historical artifacts with respect.