Priit Lätti, a researcher at the Estonian Maritime Museum, said in the program "Terevisioon" that usually wrecks remain just a point on the map. However, in this case, it was possible to dive. Although 66 meters is too deep for recreational divers, Swedish technical divers assisted.
The first inspection revealed that the wreck is a well-preserved sailing ship. Its cargo was coal, which was common at the time. Further studies provided information about the ship's possible name and origin. Lätti said: "We now dare to say that the ship's name may be Worde of Devon. It was an English ship that sank near Saaremaa in 1860."
Although researchers are still cautious, the ship's cargo, construction, and details support the hypothesis. Lätti noted: "It is a typical merchant ship, but the images show some interesting features."
Studies showed that the ship was damaged in a storm but did not sink immediately. The ship remained afloat for a long time. Lätti said that the crew tried to keep the ship afloat. "Apparently, everyone reached the shore because the rescued crew arrived in Kuressaare," he said.
No typical debris field or rigging was found around the wreck. Lätti added: "This ship is empty. We think the crew took their belongings with them." The accident also occurred far from the ship's current location. Lätti believes that the ship drifted after becoming lighter and the hull breaking apart, eventually sinking further away.
Although the shipwreck is largely preserved, it has been damaged by later activities. Particularly, the stern is broken, which hinders the identification of the ship's name. In addition, the wreck has been damaged by modern trawling.
For researchers, the challenge is to distinguish between damage from the time of the wreck and later damage. Lätti said: "The big task is to understand what is wreck-time damage and what is trawling damage."
Although the wreck is not planned to be raised, its archaeological investigation continues. Scientists are considering taking wood samples and conducting other analyses. Lätti said: "The wreck is fine where it is. We want to investigate it a bit further."