A shipwreck was found on the western bank of the Czarnowsko (Żarnoska) channel,
west of Czarnowsko village (Żarnoska) , which is situated on the south -eastern
end of Łeba lake, at the intersection of two irrigation ditches.
The village is about twenty kilometres south of Łeba town. The wreck consisted
of bottom planks well preserved on both sides up to the turn of the bilge. Discovered
in 1896 by the landowner, the wreck was investigated in 1898, excavated and
transported in 1900 to the Museum in Szczecin, and reconstructed in 1905 by
Hugo Lemcke. In his reconstruction, the vessel had a length of 13.20 m and a
breadth of 3.30 m.
Its
T-shaped keel was preserved for a length 9,60 m. Although the sternpost and
the stem were missing, the ends of the keel indicated that they were fastened
to the keel through vertical flat scarf joints. At least seven strakes were
preserved on either side of the keel. The strakes were fastened to each other
with juniper treenails driven at 9 cm intervals. Moss was used for luting. A
total of thirteen floor timbers were preserved and inserted in the hull at 90
cm - 1 metre intervals and fastened with treenails to the planking. The boat
was probably trader for inland/coastal waters.
A mast-step timber was lashed to one side of the main floor timber. The finding
of bunt ceramic material in the after part of the hull led to date the entire
site to the 11th - 12th century.