In mid-2007, Dr. Philippe Max Rouja, Custodian of Historic Wrecks, inspected the remains of anPhoto: J.Hoyt, Dec 15th 2007 unidentified vessel located off of the Royal Navy Dockyard, Ireland Island, Bermuda (see Figures 1 and 2). The iron-hulled site, of approximate dimensions 65 by 20 feet (19.81 by 6.1m) sits in approximately 45 feet (13.72m) of water. The site is currently under threat from the development of extended piers associated with cruise ships entering the Dockyard, as well as potential damage from prop wash.

On August 10, 2007, while guests of the Bermuda Maritime Museum (BMM), Dr. Nathan Richards and Dr. Bradley Rodgers of the Program in Maritime Studies at East Carolina University (ECU) carried out a reconnaissance dive on the site. The results of the survey culminated in a small not-to-scale site sketch, confirming all of the information outlined by Dr. Rouja. The wreck is very much intact, although it is missing decking, engines and machinery.

In September, 2007, the Bermuda Maritime Museum received funding to carry out site recording of the vessel with the intention to provide recommendations as to the vessel's future. The project was carried out with the financial assistance and with further in-kind contributions from East Carolina University, the Bermuda Maritime Museum, agencies of the Government of Bermuda, and local Bermuda divers.

Click here to read the full fieldwork report submitted to the Government of Bermuda and the Bermuda Maritime Museum, by Nathan Richards and Joseph Hoyt, from East Carolina University.

Also, watch video footage by Dr. Philippe Rouja, Custodian of Historic Wrecks, taken before the full survey.

19th C Tug at Dockyard Outside North Arm Bermuda from Dr Philippe Max Rouja on Vimeo.

This is the tug we discovered while surveying for the new cruise-ship dock "Heritage Wharf" now completed.

This is an early film made soon after discovery and before full survey.

Subsequent to this we had to remove the steering quadrant that stuck up above the wreck and we also removed and relocated a number of corals to the cruise-ship grounding site.