Unkwon Object

The Boatwiser · 08-22-2011, 09:52 PM

Came across this cast iron object off a small island south of Wolfeboro bay in about 8 feet of water 40 feet from shore. It's about 2 feet long and round in shape. Any ideas?

KPW · 08-23-2011, 02:30 AM

Woodstove?

brk-lnt · 08-23-2011, 05:42 AM

It's from the early 20th century era, it was a device you put on your keyring to help prevent you from losing your keys.

As boating became more popular on the lake, people realized that while they rarely misplaced their keys, the device was not very buoyant (though it was able to be easily retrieved from the water with a 30lb magnet) and so they died in popularity.

If you brush away some of the rust you may still be able to see an inscription like "Niagara Falls, New York" or "I (heart) Winnipesaukee", as they were popular tourist souvenir items.

NoBozo · 08-23-2011, 09:34 AM

Maybe a small mooring 'Bollard'. That thingy bolted on a dock/peir....or on the deck of a barge ....serving as a big cleat that one would drop an eye spliced dock line over when docking.

Picture the Mount Washington docking at Wolfeboro.

NB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollard

The Boatwiser · 08-23-2011, 06:13 PM

The stove was a thought I had but there is no hole on the top for a stove pipe - unless it was a on the facing side that is now rusted away - hmmm?

Gavia immer · 08-25-2011, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KPW

Woodstove?

Could be. I found a woodstove fragment at a private Wolfeboro beach.

Underwater, it wouldn't be difficult to lift from the lake bottom. It looks like there are chains on each end though. Were there any other artifacts found nearby that could point to what it is?

A woodstove left unattended in a bob house could have melted through the ice. Or a bob house abandoned at Ice-Out may have left this as the only part existing.

The Boatwiser · 08-31-2011, 06:40 PM

I did a 100 foot search pattern around the area of the object in hopes of finding parts of a boat - not a thing. So the wood stove theory seems the best guess. Could never raise it - just touching it causes it to fall apart.

08-22-2011, 09:52 PM	#1
The Boatwiser Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 2 Posts	Unkwon Object Came across this cast iron object off a small island south of Wolfeboro bay in about 8 feet of water 40 feet from shore. It's about 2 feet long and round in shape. Any ideas? Attached Images

08-23-2011, 05:42 AM	#3
brk-lnt Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: South Down Shores Posts: 1,937 Thanks: 532 Thanked 568 Times in 334 Posts	It's from the early 20th century era, it was a device you put on your keyring to help prevent you from losing your keys. As boating became more popular on the lake, people realized that while they rarely misplaced their keys, the device was not very buoyant (though it was able to be easily retrieved from the water with a 30lb magnet) and so they died in popularity. If you brush away some of the rust you may still be able to see an inscription like "Niagara Falls, New York" or "I (heart) Winnipesaukee", as they were popular tourist souvenir items. __________________ [insert witty phrase here]

08-31-2011, 06:40 PM	#7
The Boatwiser Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 2 Posts	I'm going with wood stove I did a 100 foot search pattern around the area of the object in hopes of finding parts of a boat - not a thing. So the wood stove theory seems the best guess. Could never raise it - just touching it causes it to fall apart.

08-23-2011, 02:30 AM	#2
KPW Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 378 Thanks: 710 Thanked 116 Times in 58 Posts	Woodstove?

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08-23-2011, 09:34 AM	#4
NoBozo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portsmouth. RI Posts: 2,231 Thanks: 400 Thanked 460 Times in 308 Posts	Maybe a small mooring 'Bollard'. That thingy bolted on a dock/peir....or on the deck of a barge ....serving as a big cleat that one would drop an eye spliced dock line over when docking. Picture the Mount Washington docking at Wolfeboro. NB http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollard

08-23-2011, 06:13 PM	#5
The Boatwiser Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 2 Posts	The stove was a thought I had but there is no hole on the top for a stove pipe - unless it was a on the facing side that is now rusted away - hmmm?