Blackbeard’s anchor, or at least what appears to be, may see daylight for the first time in nearly 300 years if it can be raised from the ocean off the North Carolina coast.
According to Yahoo News, archaeologists hope to recover the anchor from what's presumed to be Queen Anne's Revenge in the waters off the coast of Beaufort. This is where the ship sank in 1718, just five months before Blackbeard was killed in a battle at Ocracoke Inlet. The anchor is the second-largest artifact at the shipwreck, outsized only by another anchor.
Retrieval of the 13-foot long anchor with 8-foot arms began last week. Researchers were scheduled to go out on two boats to retrieve it from the shipwreck, which is about 20 feet underwater.
Recovery of the anchor is happening at the perfect time for North Carolina officials, who are trying to increase tourism interest in the shipwreck. Released earlier this month, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," stars Johnny Depp and features both Blackbeard and the Queen Anne's Revenge.
Retrieval of the 13-foot long anchor with 8-foot arms began last week. Researchers were scheduled to go out on two boats to retrieve it from the shipwreck, which is about 20 feet underwater.
Recovery of the anchor is happening at the perfect time for North Carolina officials, who are trying to increase tourism interest in the shipwreck. Released earlier this month, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," stars Johnny Depp and features both Blackbeard and the Queen Anne's Revenge.