Sites : The 'Boyne
Boat'
Wessex Archaeology, working in association with North East
Diving Services Ltd. (NEDS) on behalf of Drogheda Port Company, carried out
investigations in connection with the dredging of the navigable channel of the
River Boyne. A full non-intrusive survey was undertaken on the remains of a
submerged timber vessel located in the vicinity of Quinnsborough, on the
northern side of the River Boyne. A number of timber structures on the
foreshore adjacent to the vessel were also recorded. The surveys were undertaken
between 7th and 16th of March 2000.
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The wreck appears to represent the fragmentary, partially
buried remains of a small carvel built flat-bottomed barge. Most of the vessel’s
strength appears to derive from the heavy framing, thick hull planking and the
use of knees along the line of the turn of the bilge. The absence of a keelson,
stem or stern post makes any suggested dimensions highly conjectural, though the
following dimensions may be implied: width 4m; length 12m. If these dimensions
are a reasonable approximation of the original size of the vessel then the
extant remains represent between three and four fifths of the base of the hull. |
| At this stage it seems that the timber structures recorded on
the foreshore are associated with construction of the adjacent stone ‘training
wall’. The timber structures appear to have been constructed to form a terrace
upon which barges could take the ground on a more even keel while stone was
discharged. Although it seems likely that the ‘Boyne Boat’ was involved in
this activity, this cannot yet be confirmed. Equally, the 1785 date for the
vessel suggested by an earlier dendrochronological sample could not be confirmed
by the non-intrusive survey, though no features were observed that clearly
suggest another date. If the Boyne Boat was used to transport stone during
construction of the training walls it may have been close to the end of its
useful life, and sank (or was sunk) just beyond its last workplace. |
Click here
to see a larger picture. |
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The primary control network
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Site Surveyor was used to set up primary control for recording
the hull remains using planning frames. Using 101 measurements to position 21 control
points the RMS
of the residuals was 15mm.
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