The Site

The site is located in seven metres of water on the edge of Hook Sand (a large sandbank known historically as an area of shipping loss) in the Swash Channel in the approaches to Poole Harbour, Dorset on the south coast of the United Kingdom.  The articulated structure consists of almost the entire port side of the vessel from an area in the bow between the turn of the bilge to the top rail of the bowcastle, and in the stern from the top of the deadwood to the top rail of the sterncastle. This structure is split approximately 60% of the way along its length from the bow forming two distinct elements that lie on slightly different orientations.

The evidence gathered from the site suggests a vessel capable of mounting at least 30 guns of two calibres which is consistent with VOC standards in 1630 where ships were required to carry “32 cannon: 24 heavy iron cannon, six bronze cannon, and two mignons of iron or copper” (van Duivenvoorde, 2010). This would fit the site’s general layout with the 24 heavy guns on the main deck, the bronze guns in the castles and the mignons in the stern.