SEAHORSE CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Maritime Archaeological Research, Consulting & Diving Services
RYANS ISLAND WRECK SITE (BcCw-6)
The Ryans Island Wreck, (1813) was located in Ryans Gut, Lower Prospect, close to the location of historic fishing stages that were once present on Ryans Island. The site was located during a reconnaissance dive to explore the archaeological potential of the area which was determined to be high based on historical research on the islands maritime cultural land use. Subsequently, a Nova Scotia Research Permit, (HRP) was taken out on the wreck site during 2007 as the remaining wreck features appeared to have eighteenth-century characteristics.
Seahorse Cultural Resource Management Services director Jonathan Kyte was awarded the Nova Scotia Museum Marine History Research Grant, to conduct a partial archaeological excavation of the Ryans Island Wreck undertaken during 2008 to aid in determining the vessels appropriate historical context within the maritime history of the area. The primary focus of the project included archaeological analysis of the vessel and associated artifacts recovered during excavation, ship construction, ship-ownership, merchant shipping, shipbuilding, vessel design, and the wrecking event.
The Ryans Island wrecks hull was constructed using a double framing technique employing disarticulated first futtocks partly sitting on the keel, with second futtocks butted to the ends of the floors. The framing layout includes several regularly spaced mould frames and intermediate filler frames. This double framing method of hull construction is known as room and space framing which developed during the eighteenth-century. The wreck is caravel built having primarily treenail fashioning with minimal use of iron fashioning. It was concluded that the Ryans Island Wreck was a 48ft coastal schooner of 46 tons, typical of the Marblehead schooner type.
Historical research and maritime archaeological investigation has revealed the Ryans Island Wreck is very likely the Yarmouth schooner, Deborah, built in 1791 and wrecked during the great gale of 1813.The Deborah was owned by Horace Baker and his brothers, second generation New England planters from Marblehead Mass., who settled in Chebouge Harbour, Yarmouth Nova Scotia. Horace Baker’s younger brother Nathan Baker was the Master of the Deborah at the time of her wrecking.
