O VAPOR DE BAIXO SHIPWRECK CAUSE FACTORS - RECIFE, PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL

STUDY OF THE CAUSING FACTORS OF SHIPWRECK

Abstract

This article examines the Vapor de Baixo shipwreck, located in the adjacent sea to Olinda-PE, about five miles from Recife Harbour, at a depth of 21m. It is a steam vessel with propulsion to side blade wheels, has riveted iron hull, being one of the specimens built between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Thus, this research sought to analyze the factors causing the sinking of the Vapor de Baixo and is justified to the extent that it was proposed to identify the characteristics of the ship, its surroundings and its interactions with the environment using the methods and techniques of Underwater Archaeology. For this, the methodology developed was defined in three stages: documentary, bibliographic and imagery research; non-interventional prospection of the sinking and analysis of the variables established in the material and contextual dimensions. Dives were performed, where the hull, parts and accessories were analyzed, as well as the ship's planimetry was performed to identify the type, size and power of its machine. By the materiality found and the human factor being almost always associated with the other factors, this was characterized preliminary as the cause of the shipwreck.