Thanet coast - Sealink ferries and beach plastic.

 Sealink cross channel ferries that operated from Dover ceased to be in 1984. The company may have been and gone but the legacy of marine debris that originates from the cross channel ferry trade still continues to haunt us. Over the past month or so three identical plastic items from over 32 years ago have appeared on the north Thanet coastline. Two were found at Margate and the other further along the coast at Grenham Bay Birchington . The origin being Sealink ferries.
 Beach plastic is now opening another chapter in coastal history as items going back to the 1970's are now being reported as found. The finds may be interesting but they really do raise environmental concerns.

Found by Tony Ovenden Margate main sands

Found by NEKMPA coastal warden Terry Wilson Grenham Bay Birchington.

Found by Margate mudlark Frank Leppard on the Nayland rock Margate.

Sandwich Bay shipwrecks - Teredo navalis

The location of the five shipwrecks on the Sandwich flats is no big secret as they can be easily seen from the shore All that remains are the ribs and some planking. The ends of the ribs have suffered badly from the wood boring bivalve known as the Teredo worm (Teredo navalis). Occasionally wood from these wreck sites break away and are found ashore and many are good examples of Teredo worm infestation. This example of a oak rib I found a few months ago has now dried out and I have cut sections of if. It can be very decorative  and does some natural artistic appeal.

I have cut this cube of infested oak as an specimen sample.

Thanet coast - the deterioration of the B17 flying fortress on the Sandwich flats

 In the coming weeks as the weather becomes more winter like there will be further evidence ashore of the B17 flying fortress on the Sandwich flats breaking up. As it stands to remove anything from the crash site is illegal unless you hold a MOD licence to do so. But as items break away the items are classed as surface wreckage and a licence is not required. However the MOD department that deals with military remains still need to be notified of any finds.
The most common and easily identifiable item to find ashore along the coast from Deal to Sandwich and Pegwell bay is pieces of corrugated inner wing panel. This gave the B17 its wing strength but after 73 years underwater, time is taking its toll. In the first photograph is an example of the starboard wing breaking up as the inner wing deteriorates exposing rubber fuel tanks.
This past year I have found pieces of inner wing panel the full length of Sandwich bay, in turn I have collected it and given it all to the RAF Manston History Museum for them to conserve and deal with.

Inner wing panel and fuel tank on site.

Inner wing panel as found .

Some pieces are very badly corroded

An example of a inner wing panel before the cleaning method I have adopted.

Example of most of the corrosion removed and ready for the next stage for the RAF Manston history museum to deal with.

Thanet coast - collecting items from the life and death cycle of marine life.

The Thanet and Sandwich coast like any other coastal region has a natural life and death cycle of marine life. Evidence is not to far away and can be found mostly on the strandlines of over 22 miles of coastline. Dead carcasses ashore are not a uncommon find but from a natural history collectors point of view I would think the bones  would more collectible.

Building a collection is easy but it is very time consuming walking miles of coastline. I have built up a small collection which to be honest I have come across by accident as I comb the beaches looking for shipwreck remains and evidence of.

This year (2016) the deaths of porpoises top the finds list followed by Gannets. I have also been lucky to come across common seal bones where the origins are from the local seal colony in the River Stour Estuary.

I have posted a few photographs of some of the finds I have in my collection.

Razorbill beak, I have donated it to the Monkton nature reserve collection.

Razorbill skull

Remains of a Gannet ashore recently in November

Part of a beak from a Gannet part of the remains after a scavenger had attacked the carcase.

In no particular order common seal bones including a nice Scapula

Another common seal bone (Ischium)

Vertebrae of a harbour porpoise

Samples taken from vertebrae in the previous photograph all clean and presentable.

Sandwich Bay shipwreck timbers ashore.

Towards the end of November 2016 , the wind stayed onshore for many days often reaching gale force. Over this period the shingle beach changed from a series of stepped terraces of shingle to a steady slope. In these conditions the most diverse pieces of driftwood do come ashore.
Many of these timber remains are of a shipwreck origin and some are easily identifiable as such. On the 26th November two larger items came ashore. It is hard to link them to a specific shipwreck as there are many offshore wreck sites with the Goodwin Sands on the doorstep. Both items were oak and of a large construction.

Thanet cetacean strandings 2016

This year to date Sandwich and Thanet strandings and sea mammal remains ashore have been uneventful with no whales ashore. In May this year a dead dolphin was ashore at Sandwich Bay this was recovered by the IZL , ref SW20 215. The largest casualty again are Harbour Porpoise deaths with five recorded or should I say parts of as predators like grey seals have been active in the area. These finds were recorded through the North East Kent Marine Protection Area project. I am the posting images I hold  of the finds.

5th May 2016 Sandwich Bay

Close up of injuries

Other injuries.

Ramsgate main sands 24th April 2016

Westbrook Margate 27th April 2016

Sandwich Bay September 2016

Sandwich Bay 16th October 2016

River Stour Estuary 3rd November 2016 , I was able to take a few bone examples.

An update on the B17 flying fortress on the Sandwich flats B17 G 42 - 31243 303 rd Bomb group.

Since the last posting there has been a steady stream of items coming ashore in Sandwich Bay Kent. Parts are found over a wide area as the wings of the B17 break up. I have informed the MOD that parts are coming ashore. As the pieces are classed as surface wreckage I do not need a licence to collect them from the beach. However it does not mean I can keep them to build a private collection. With agreement with the MOD as I find the parts I take them to the RAF Manston History Museum. Given the fact that there are more than one crashed aircraft in the bay there is a possibility that some parts could be from another aircraft so they do need to authenticated by the Museum. The Museum are conserving the parts and will eventually have them on display.
I have set up a facebook group called Sandwich B17 G group that gives regular update on the finds and latest photographs feel free to join. In October this year the crash site took a battering in a storm and I have posted the latest photographs of the site. One again there were more pieces ashore and I even found  some ammunition. In 1999 the engines were taken and in nacelle two a tyre can be seen and it is in very good condition.

October 2016

A marking on the port wing

Rubber pipe work is still intact

Part of the tail section underwater

A maker plate still intact

Wiring in the fuselage area

The outer skin of part of the port wing is peeling away

Two rubber  fuel tanks

.5 live round

The maker of the .5 Lincoln city ordnance

Rubber pipe ashore

The numbering on the rubber pipe

Piece from the tail section ashore that is breaking up

This piece of aircraft is still attached to some wood.

A number part

Stainless steel nacelle panel

Numbering on the nacelle panel

Another numbered part

This part was found well over a mile away

The are only a few examples more info on https://www.facebook.com/groups/1568122450174108/