Finding a shipwreck
If you know the location but not the name
You know where the wreck is, but not the name of the ship or
when it was wrecked. This section tells you where you can start to
look for this information. Wrecks around the UK For wrecks around UK, an invaluable source is
the Shipwreck Index of the British Isles by Richard
and Bridget Larn published from 1995 to 2003. In seven volumes,
each covering a geographical area, it takes each area of coast and
lists every known wreck from about 1100 AD. It is limited by the
availability of published data, so that for a number of wrecks no
name is known and for many the exact location may be uncertain.
Note that volume 6 covers the entire coast of Ireland. Volume 7
also covers treasure wrecks. The compilers of the Shipwreck Index of the British
Isles have a computerised wreck index which will eventually
detail every known wreck around the British Isles from AD 1300 to
the present day. Contact Shipwreck and Marine [address]. There is also a variety of books which list wrecks in given
areas, often compiled by divers. The best starting point may
therefore be a local library, which will often have copies of local
publications. Details of any wrecks found around the UK must be reported to
the Receiver of Wrecks [
address], who is responsible for processing reports of wreck
and determining ownership. Details of all known wrecks around the UK are held in a
computerised database maintained by the UK Hydrographic Office [address]. Wrecks elsewhere The UK Hydrographic Office (part of the Ministry of Defence)
have an information service which keeps details of wrecks since
1913. It concentrates on wrecks in shallow water, and does not
cover those in United States or Australian coastal waters. To use the service, you will need to give the exact latitude and
longitude of the wreck on an Admiralty chart, or have the name of
the ship, or specify an area of interest. A fee may be charged,
which will be notified when you make an initial request. Contact
Wreck Section, Hydrographic Department [address]. Many other countries with extensive coastlines have hydrographic
offices, which may be able to give details of wrecks in coastal
waters. A list of the hydrographic offices is maintained by the
International Hydrographic Organization [
address]
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