Deadeye and chains

Several objects have been recently (2019) exposed on the seabed close to the Colossus dive trail. One of these is a timber lower deadeye complete with iron chains (C10.1). The chains are the iron straps used to fasten the lower deadeye to the outside of the hull of the ship. This deadeye is very similar to another (F1355) found in 2015 some 7m to the east .The diameter of the deadeye (440mm) is such that this would have been one of the main or foremast deadeyes – the mizzen deadeyes were smaller. It was partly buried within the seabed and lies on its edge rather than flat on the seabed. Although it lies right next to the dive trail around the site, this deadeye remained unrecognised until recently. A series of photographs was taken in 2019 to allow a 3D model of the deadeye to be made (Structure from Motion – SfM).

The deadeye and chains C10.1. The gap between the top of the deadeye and the iron chains is where the wood of the deadeye has decayed. Two of the three ‘eyes’ still contain rope.

Scale = 0.5m (taken with a very wide-angle lens which is why the scale in the foreground looks disproportionally large – one of the problems of underwater scales) – the central part of the deadeye is 0.44m in diameter

3D model of the deadeye and chains