Description

The conical container is located in the bow of the wreck and sits in a pool of concretion at approximately half its depth.

The vessel measures approximately 330mm in height, c.350mm external diameter at the base (including concretion) and tapering to c.150mmØ at the top. The lower 210mm of the staves, but not the head, is covered in concretion suggesting that was shod in iron.  The remaining 120mm is exposed and had at least four sets of wooden barrel hooping binding it along its length.  The internal diameter of the base was c.300mm.  Rough calculation using these measurements puts the volume at c.13.6litres.

The top of the barrel was almost completely sealed by concretion containing a round wooden object perpendicular to the staves but it was not possible to clarify if the two objects or the concretion were related.

The wide base and narrow neck would provide a low centre of gravity making a more stable open container on the deck in rough seas.  The iron sheathing around the bottom of the staves would also add weight and lower the centre of gravity. The most likely candidate for this vessel is a match tub, used for holding the slow match for the guns, its position on the wreck in between SCW25 and SCW26 adds to this interpretation. The bottom of a match tub was lined with sheet-iron and filled with sand; which could explain the large amounts of concretion covering the lower half of the container.