7/23/25 Report - 16th Century Shipwreck Found and Analyzed: Good Read. Shipwreck Wood, Toredo Worms. Copper and Lead Sheathing.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Shipwreck Wood Riddled by Teredo Worms Found on Treasure Coast Beach

... when a small group of American adventurers was walking on remote desert terrain along a seldom-visited part of Baja California’s coastline. In a place where there should only have been seashells and driftwood, they came across broken bits of porcelain and stoneware that couldn’t have floated to the coast and weren’t supposed to be there.

It didn’t take them long to realize that they had stumbled upon a shipwreck, but they knew nothing about her age or origins. It was exciting enough for them to begin making occasional visits to that godforsaken corner of the peninsula, far from any signs of civilization. For years this hearty little band of adventuring treasure-seekers camped on the strand at nights, and early next morning combed over the sands searching for anything they could find that would pique their interests. Although they had sworn each other to secrecy about the location, word got out...

But there was something intriguing about this particular wreck on Mexico’s coastline, because she didn’t fit the typical shipwreck pattern that went down at sea. Why was it on land? Over time, Von der Porten’s small group of dedicated diggers and sifters began coaxing her to give up her centuries-old secrets. They realized that her contents were not in a single small area, but scattered along miles of the beach. The artifacts were clearly broken in one cataclysmic event, but what was that event? And how did the ship come so far, only to rest onto this lonely beach?...

With her masts still at full sail, the shore waves occasionally rocked her in the sands and took her sliding southward along the beach at full sail.

Then a storm hit the Teredo-riddled hull, smashed into her side, and drove the wreckage over the low beach front until it hit a dune line. Damaged hull fragments gave way and spread out for half a mile or more. The storm then backed around and drove the light porcelains and stoneware down the strand for miles. When the storm subsided, the receding waters left the wreckage strewn along the beach, where the Pacific winds soon covered it in the dunes...

Here is the link for the rest of the article, which is one of the better ones that I've read even though I'm skeptical of some of the reasoning. Still, it is a very good read.

Solving the mystery of a lost Spanish galleon on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula - MexConnect

Glass, porcelain or other shards are often the first or among the first clues to be seen.

The photo at the top of this post shows a piece of shipwreck wood that was found on a Treasure Coast beach.  It has enough remaining iron on it, that it could have been detected by a metal detector if it wasn't laying in clear view on a Treasure Coast beach.

Occasionally shipwreck wood will wash up onto a Treasure Coast beach after especially big seas and tides.  

This piece shows a lot of Teredo worm damage.

Sometimes known as the “termites of the sea," shipworms create entrance punctures that are hard to notice from the outside. They then essentially rot wood from the inside out, capable of ravaging the bottom planks of boats so thoroughly that they could crumble from mild impact

On his fourth and final voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus got a firsthand taste of the chaos shipworms could wreak. After reaching present-day Panama in 1503, he tried to sail back to Spain, only to find that his vessels had been honeycombed by shipworms...

Here is the link for more about that.

How the Lowly Shipworm Changed History

We occasionally find iron or copper sheathing on Treasure Coast beaches, which in some cases have been associated with specific wrecks.

Below are examples of iron and copper finds.

Iron sheathing occasionally shows the imprint of cloth over which the sheathing was nailed.

Folded and Crumpled Piece of Iron Sheet.

Various countries, including Great Britain, Spain and France used lead sheathing in the 18th century.

Lead sheathing was a common but an imperfect solution in the early 18th century. It was gradually replaced by copper sheathing, which became widespread by the late 18th century (especially in Britain after 1761, with the HMS Alarm being a notable early example of copper use).

In the 18th century, Great Britain was the primary country to use copper sheathing on its ships. The British Royal Navy began experimenting with copper sheathing in the 1760s to protect wooden hulls from marine growth and shipworms, which caused significant damage. The practice became more widespread after successful trials, notably on HMS Alarm in 1761. By the late 18th century, copper sheathing was standard on many British naval vessels due to its effectiveness in improving speed and durability.

In the past I've shown several pieces of both iron and copper sheathing found on Treasure Coast beaches by readers of the blog.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

Deja vu all over again. Looks like something could develop in the north Gulf.

Fort Pierce Inlet Area Surf Forecast from Surfguru.com.

More small surf.

Nice mid-day low tide.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net