Dave and Brian's Excellent Adventures

Black Sea 2007, Day 22

We’re here!

This is the first time an expedition has been back to Sinop D since 2003. The questions abound: What has happened in the last four years? Has the mystical mast fallen over? We’ll find out in the next week.

At Cherosenesis D the wood we found was very brittle. If you used a standard painter’s brush over the wood it would actually damage the wood. The most interesting part of Sinop D, is the wood is actually very hard. As an introduction for most of us, who weren’t there four years ago, Todd Gregory (one of the pilots), gave a slide show presentation of what they found last time.

There are several aspects of this wreck that make it exciting: There’s a 13 meter (40 foot) mast that is still standing straight up (which is UNHEARD of). The wood is so hard when they came last time they needed a core sample of the wood, they had Little Herc (which doesn’t have any manipulators). What they did was manufacture a small metal tube on the front of Little Herc, like a joust, and drove full speed into one of the pilings. Thinking this thing was going to buckle over, it actually took the full force of Little Herc’s punishing blow, and the vehicle took some damage. To remove Little Herc from the piling, they had to wiggle the whole ROV.

We’re here to uncover more of the wreck, and get a more definitive view of what the whole ship looked like.

posted by DaveandBrian @ 3:10 AM