Rare 18th-Century Warship Rudder Found in the Solent

The lost rudder of a warship that sank in the Solent in 1758 has been discovered on the seabed, 60m (200ft) away from the main shipwreck. HMS Invincible – built by the French in 1744 and captured by the British in 1747 – is regarded as one of the most significant warships of its time.

The 11m-long intact rudder was spotted during a routine inspection of the site near Portsmouth.

Marine archaeologist Dan Pascoe said it was “unique and significant”.

“We weren’t particularly looking for it. A feature had shown up in geophysical surveys, 60m off the stern,” he said.

“It looks like it’s in pretty good condition and is complete from top to bottom.”

The 74-gun ship was lost when the rudder jammed and it ran aground on a sandbank between Langstone Harbour and the Isle of Wight, capsizing three days later. No lives were lost.

Mr Pascoe said: “The ship was highly manoeuvrable and the rudder was critical to its design.

“It’s the last piece of the jigsaw that tells the story of Invincible. It’s a fantastic, wonderful find and extremely rare – it only survived because it was buried.”

The rudder is due to be protected with sandbags to prevent it from being quickly eroded by the elements underwater, but bringing it to the surface and conserving it could cost up to £80,000, Mr Pascoe estimated.

“It’s a unique find – there are no other examples from warships of this era. Its future depends on whether it is financially viable to raise and find somewhere to display it,” he added.

A major excavation project, carried out by Poole’s Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST) and Bournemouth University experts, began on the wreck site in 2017.

Among the artefacts discovered were a gunpowder barrel, swivel guns, a bottle of corked rum and woodworking tools.

Many have since gone on display at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.