Le Dragon Wreck 2018 Project

Port Side Amidships

Normally the wreck is totally buried under a number of meters of sand with only the top of the ballast showing. When we arrived on Le Dragon as previously stated the storm had uncovered a lot. The timbers floors and futtocks on the port side amidships section from the main mast step forward for say 20 ft were uncovered. The ends of the frames were covered with algae. We noted that the sandbags from the 2000 survey were partly in place but the ones covering the frames had been moved by the storm. We found the tags for frames 19 & 25 which were good to see, and that the markers had remained on the plastic tags for 18 years underwater.

The storm and worms have slightly affected the ends of the floors and futtocks which is to be expected. All the visible floors were re tagged from 19 to 37 on the port side. They were measured and drawn and then re-covered with interlocking sandbags.

Featured

Bryan getting his gear together prior to the dive

Trenton using the DX200 gradiometer seaward of the port side

Plan view showing the ballast on part of the port side

The port side floors and futtock ends level with the forward mast step

The port amidship floors and futtocks as they were found

The ballast section approaching where the main mast might have been. The floors and futtocks are missing at this point.

Some of the sand bags which were placed at the end of the 2000 survey are still in situ, but the ones infilling and covering the edge up to the ballast were removed by the storm together will large amounts of sand

View towards the missing main mast and rear section

Sand bags from the 2000 survey and the exposed section of the ceiling planking level with the forward mast step

The ceiling planking can be seen on top of the floors and futtocks with the ballast stones on top

Some of the port side floors and futtocks after they have been tagged

The wider floors and narrow futtocks can be clearly seen