Blackbeard's anchor recovered off N.C. coast

[DC Amp]

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) — Archaeologists recovered the first anchor from what's believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's flagship off the North Carolina coast Friday, a move that might change plans about how to save the rest of the almost 300-year-old artifacts from the central part of the ship.

Divers had planned to recover the second-largest artifact on what's believed to be the Queen Anne's Revenge but discovered it was too well-attached to other items in the ballast pile, said project Mark Wilde-Ramsing. Instead they pulled up another anchor that is the third-largest artifact and likely was the typical anchor for the ship.

Apparently, pirates had everyday anchors and special anchors just as the rest of us have everyday dishes and good china.

"That's a big ship to be putting that out to stop it," Wilde-Ramsing said admiringly as a pulley system of straps and men holding ropes moved the anchor from a boat to the back of truck. It's the first large anchor that divers have retrieved; they earlier brought up a small, grapnel anchor.

The anchor is 11 feet, 4 inches long with arms that are 7 feet, 7 inches across. It was covered with concretion — a mixture of shells, sand and other debris attracted by the leaching wrought iron — and a few sea squirts. Its weight was estimated at 2,500 to 3,000 pounds.

The anchor's size is typical for a ship the size of the Queen Anne's Revenge, while the two other anchors probably were used in emergencies, such as storms, Wilde-Ramsing said.

The rest of the article at http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2011-05-27-blackbeard-pirate-north-carolina_n.htm

[Kevin Greene]

Arrrrrrrr!

[teeray]

[jasonluckydog]

[GritsRgreat]

[Jackofalltrades]

Pretty awesome.

[LiQuiD]

Blackbeard > Neckbeard

[Wither]

"Nope... no treasure, but we got the anchor!!"

[Hawk]

morehead...my kind of town

[thefuzz]

I am a little shocked they they could free something like that from the bottom, and haul it up.

[teeray]

morehead...my kind of town

I think you would like Seymour Johnson AFB more.

[Davidson Deac II]

morehead...my kind of town

There is nothing better than going from Morehead city to Climax NC.

[Hawk]

typically a pretty short trip for me