Emily Chan
In the 18th century, a ship was lost off the coast of Norway under interesting circumstances. Around 300 years after it sunk, researchers discovered the wreck of the Providentz in late 2020 near the town of Mandal, which is located in the south of Norway.
This year, new investigations were conducted, which have yielded fresh information about the vessel.
The Providentz was an Irish merchant ship. On September 22, 1721, it sailed out of Cork harbor in Ireland and headed for its destination of Arendal, Norway.
At the time, the ship belonged to the extremely influential Lavit family of Cork. It was packed with a cargo of butter, corn, malt, and grain, according to archaeologist Sarah Fawsitt.
The vessel arrived close to Mandal on October 16. Before making the rest of its journey, it stopped to wait for better weather conditions to continue sailing. A couple of weeks later, a local pilot helped guide the ship back out to sea, a practice that was totally normal back then.
On the early morning of November 9, despite favorable weather and plenty of moonlight, the Providentz strayed into the islets and reefs off Mandel, ripping a gaping hole in its port side. The vessel sank quickly, but the crew managed to escape unharmed.
Later that month, a court trial was held to get down to the bottom of what caused the ship to sink. The Norwegian pilot never showed up to the trial.
Instead, he sent a letter stating that some of the crew members, including the ship’s mate, were drunk when the accident occurred. Therefore, they had been unable to steer the vessel properly.
However, the crew blamed the pilot for the sinking. They claimed that he had issued an incorrect command in which he had mixed up the starboard and port.
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