Hms Invincible Wreck

Field Value
Wreck Category dangerous wreck
Status historic
Hms invincible Wreck Location
Marine Coordinates (DMM) 		50 44.368 N,1 2.304 W
Latitude, Longitude
Decimal Degrees
  • Latitude: 50.739467
  • Longitude: -1.038400
Wreck Depth 3.9 m
Water Depth 5 m
Water Level Effect always under water/submerged
Vertical Datum Approximate Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name HMS INVINCIBLE
Type sailing vessel
Flag GB
Length 52.4 m
Width 14.9 m
Shadow Height 0.7
Tonnage 1793
Tonnage Type builders' measurement
Conspic Visual not visually conspicuous
Conspic Radar not radar conspicuous
Date Sunk Feb 19, 1758
Scour Dimensions ,,000.7,
Original Detection Year 1980
Last Detection Year 2003
Original Source other
Markers YELLOW SPHERICAL BUOY CLOSE ESE
Surveying Details H1291/80 16.9.80 HISTORIC WK, BELIEVED BRITISH WARSHIP CIRCA 1750, LOCATED IN 504420N, 010214W [OGB] USING HSA. DESIGNATED UNDER PROTECTION OF WRECK ACT 1973 BY STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 1307/1980. LENGTH ABOUT 160FT, THOUGH BOTH BOWS & STERN COLLAPSED. LYING N/S WITH A SMALL SECTION TO E OF MAIN WK. (CDR BINGEMAN, TELECON 17.9.80). H1270/79 16.9.80 INS REST'D AREA, DIAMETER 100MTRS, CENTRED ON 504420N, 010214W [OGB] WITH LEGEND. - NM 2079/80. 27.10.80 THOUGHT MOST PROBABLY TO HAVE BEEN HMS INVINCIBLE. (J BINGEMAN, TELECON). H1291/80 18.11.80 ABOUT HALF VESSEL'S HULL REMAINS, LYING AT AN ANGLE OF 46DEGS, & IS IN GOOD CONDITION. (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 17.11.80). H1270/79 24.6.81 YELLOW BUOY, MARKING WK, LAID. (NAVY NEWS, MAY 1981). BUOY FIXED BY HSA IN 04421N, 010215W. (QHM PORTSMOUTH, TELECON 24.6.81). - NM 1538/81. 25.6.81 BUOY HAS LEGEND 'HMS INVINCIBLE - WRECK'. (CPO BRUFORD, TELECON 25.6.81). H1291/81 30.11.81 POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS HMS INVINCIBLE FROM RECOVERED SAIL TALLY. (1981 WK SITE REPORT). H2071/82 13.3.86 EXAM'D 28.10.85 IN 504420N, 010213W [OGB] USING TRISPONDER [3 LOP]. LEAST E/S DEPTH 4MTRS IN GEN DEPTH 4.5MTRS. SCOUR 1MTR DEEP. AREA OF WRECKAGE EXTENDING ABOUT 60MTRS SE FROM WK BUOY. APPARENTLY FURTHER WRECKAGE OF SIMILAR NATURE LIES 40MTRS TO NE OF MAIN WK. THE SCOUR IS AT SE END OF WK. (HMSML GLEANER, HI 142). NCA. H3847/86 5.1.90 EXAM'D 16.6.89 IN 504421N, 010215W [OGB] USING TRISPONDER [3 LOP]. LEAST E/S DEPTH 3.9 IN GEN DEPTH 4-6MTRS. SCOUR 0.7MTR DEEP. DCS3 HT 0.7MTR. LIES IN LARGE SCOUR. HAS BROKEN INTO SEVERAL SECTIONS. IT IS REPORTED THAT THE WK BEAMS MOVE, ESPECIALLY IN ROUGH WEATHER FROM S OR SE. (HMSML GLEANER, HI 366). HH232/600/02 21.10.91 BUOY MOVED TO 504419N, 010210W TO ALLOW EXCAVATION TO PROGRESS. (AQHM PORTSMOUTH, HN 6/91). - NM 3001/91. 18.1.07 REST'D AREA CENTRED ON 5044.333N, 0102.233 [OGB] OR 5044.368N, 0102.321W [WGD]. NOT CENTRED ON WK. AMEND POSN OF REST'D AREA. BR STD. 26.1.10 EXAM'D 9.2003. THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION IS BASED ON DIVING ASSESSMENTS OF THE WRECK INVINCIBLE. TWO AREAS WERE ASSESSED: THE NORTHERN SECTION OF THE WRECK (50�44.367'N, 001�02.312'W) AND A FEATURE SITUATED TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE MAIN WRECK SITE AT 50�44.340'N, 001�02.245'W. THE MAIN PART OF THE INVINCIBLE WRECK SITE COVERS AN AREA APPROXIMATELY 73M LONG AND (AT THE NORTHERN END) 30M WIDE. THE SECTION OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE MAIN SITE MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 20 BY 25 METRES. IN SPITE OF THE EXTENSIVE EXCAVATIONS, THE SEABED AROUND THE MAIN SITE IS STILL COVERED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF FEATURES AND ARTEFACTS. THE FIRST TIMBERS THAT WERE ENCOUNTERED WERE PART OF THE NORTHERNMOST END OF THE EXCAVATED AREA - I.E. THE BOW OF THE VESSEL. THE EXPOSED LENGTHS OF THE FOUR TIMBERS (FRAMES) ALL LIE FLUSH WITH THE SEABED, EACH WITH AN EXPOSED LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 0.5M AND A WIDTH OF APPROXIMATELY 0.3M. ALL THE TIMBERS HAVE (CEILING?) PLANKING RUNNING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE TOP OF THEM. ONE OF THE TIMBERS HAS A SEAM RUNNING DOWN IT THAT WAS PACKED WITH CAULKING. APPROXIMATELY FOUR METRES TO THE EAST OF THESE TIMBERS A SERIES OF CONCRETIONS WERE RECORDED. APPROXIMATELY FIVE METRES TO THE NORTHEAST OF THESE TIMBERS THERE WAS A CLUSTER OF CONCRETIONS OF VARYING SIZES AND A POSSIBLE IRON KNEE ATTACHED TO TIMBER AND WITH AN IRON BOLT PROTRUDING AT A 90-DEGREE ANGLE. THERE IS A LARGE CONCRETION NEXT TO THE KNEE, BOTH OF WHICH ARE SITTING UPON LARGE TIMBERS APPROXIMATELY 0.5M WIDE. THE LARGEST CONCRETION STANDS 0.1 X 0.9M. THE AREA COVERED BY THE CONCRETIONS MEASURES 3 X 5M, AND ALL CONCRETIONS HAD TIMBER VISIBLE BENEATH THEM. ALONGSIDE THE CONCRETIONS THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL BEAM ORIENTATED IN A NORTH - SOUTH DIRECTION, AND A PIECE OF SCAFFOLDING POLE - PROBABLY LEFT OVER FROM THE EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE. APPROXIMATELY 10M TO THE EAST THERE ARE A VARIETY OF CONCRETIONS AND PARTIALLY EXPOSED TIMBERS. TO THE NORTH OF THESE CONCRETIONS THERE IS AN AREA OF SUBSTANTIAL FRAMING ORIENTATED IN A NORTH - SOUTH DIRECTION. THIS ARTICULATED SECTION OF THE WRECK WAS APPROXIMATELY 10.1M LONG AND CONTAINED 19 FRAMES AND SECTIONS OF (CEILING?) PLANKING. AT THE NORTHERN END OF THESE TIMBERS THERE WAS A FURTHER AREA OF ARTICULATED TIMBER WRECKAGE THAT WAS PROBABLY ATTACHED TO THE TIMBERS. THESE TIMBERS ALL LIE FLUSH WITH THE SEABED AND RANGE FROM 4 TO 0.15M IN EXPOSED LENGTH. TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THE ABOVE TIMBERS THERE WAS A FURTHER DETACHED AREA OF WRECKAGE AND AN ISOLATED IRON KNEE. COPPER FASTENING / STAPLES WERE OBSERVED IN TWO TIMBERS. THE FASTENINGS WERE 'U-SHAPED' AND WERE OBSERVED IN A LINE OF THREE ALONG ONE OF THE TIMBERS. SOUTHWEST OF THE MAIN WRECK SITE LIES A FEATURE THAT IS THOUGHT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAIN WRECK SITE. THE FEATURE APPEARS TO BE A RECTANGULAR CONCRETION MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 4X 1.5M WIDE. IT WAS A COMPOSITE OF WOOD AND IRON, AND HAD NO CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE FORM, THOUGH ALL OF THE COMPONENTS WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE REMAINS OF A WOODEN VESSEL. CLOSE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE FEATURE CONSISTED OF LAYERS OF WOOD, IRON CONCRETION AND UNIDENTIFIED ORGANIC MATERIAL. TREENAILS, IRON FASTENINGS AND A SCARF JOINT WERE OBSERVED IN VARIOUS TIMBERS - MOST OF WHICH WERE ONLY VISIBLE WHERE THEY PROJECTED OUT FROM UNDER THE IRON CONCRETION. THE EXPOSED TIMBER WAS BADLY GRIBBLED BUT JUST UNDERNEATH THE SAND THE TIMBER WAS SMOOTH AND SOLID. PREVIOUS EXPOSURE/DISTURBANCE IS EVIDENCED BY THE PRESENCE OF A COKE CAN WEDGED WELL INTO THE FEATURE. A SERIES OF CONCRETIONS WERE IDENTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 10 METRES SOUTH OF THE ANOMALY. ONE OF THE CONCRETIONS WAS A CIRCULAR RING WITH SIX LEGS COMING DOWN FROM IT DISAPPEARING INTO THE SEABED. THE CONCRETION STANDS 0.1M PROUD OF THE SEABED AND HAS A DIAMETER OF 0.8M; THE THICKNESS OF THE LIP AT ITS WIDEST POINT WAS 0.08M. THE OTHER CONCRETIONS WERE SMALL AND AMORPHOUS. (MV XPLORER, WESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY, PWA DIVER ASSESSMENT). NCA. [WGD] POSN: 5044.368N, 0102.304W. 11.11.13 NOT LOCATED USING M/B. (NETSURVEY, HI 1437). NCA.
Last Amended Date Nov 12, 2013

Circumstances of loss

WENT AGROUND WHEN ANCHOR FOULED & RUDDER JAMMED ON ATTEMPTING TO WEIGH. KEELED OVER & SANK 3 DAYS LATER. WAS ABOUT TO SAIL FOR CANADA.

General Comments

BROKEN INTO SEVERAL SECTIONS, IN SCOUR

WRECK MAP LOADING ... 50 44.368 N,1 2.304 W
Hms Invincible on Wreck Map Hms Invincible Wreck on Google Map

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FAQ

Where is the HMS INVINCIBLE wreck located?

The HMS INVINCIBLE wreck is located at coordinates 50 44.368 N,1 2.304 W.

How deep is the HMS INVINCIBLE and where exactly is it located?

The HMS INVINCIBLE lies at a depth of about 3.9 meters and is located at coordinates 50 44.368 N,1 2.304 W.

How deep is the seabed around the HMS INVINCIBLE?

The seabed around the HMS INVINCIBLE lies at approximately 5 meters deep.

When did the HMS INVINCIBLE sink?

The HMS INVINCIBLE sank on Feb 19, 1758.

When was the wreck of the HMS INVINCIBLE discovered?

The wreck of the HMS INVINCIBLE was discovered in 1980.

What country did the HMS INVINCIBLE belong to?

The HMS INVINCIBLE belonged to GB.

What was the tonnage of the HMS INVINCIBLE?

The HMS INVINCIBLE had a tonnage of 1793 tons.

What type of wreck is the HMS INVINCIBLE?

The HMS INVINCIBLE is classified as a sailing vessel.

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