The Mjønes shipwreck

An 18th century Nordland jekt cargo ship

Abstract

A line of ship frames exposed at the mouth of the Mjønes River midway between the towns of Bodø and Fauske in Nordland was reported in 2021. Subsequent surveys confirmed that that the wreck was a large clinker-built jekt cargo ship. The ship lies on the starboard side and the hull is filled with river deposited sediment. The bow end has been removed by natural forces and most of the port side is missing as well. The ship was most likely beached and abandoned due to old age and unseaworthiness. Dendrochronological age estimates from frames and strakes confirmed construction using local pine in the mid-1700s followed by repairs in the early to mid-1800s in central Norway with a use life extending over a century. A radiocarbon date of calAD 1727-1785 from linden bast rope supports a mid-18th century construction date. The Mjønes jekt had a lifespan much longer than the average of c. 30 years for jekts. As the only existing jekt built in Nordland, the wreck provides unique insights into the history of the stockfish trade with Nordland jekts.

There are similarities between the Mjønes jekt and a jekt wreck from Kattmarka near Namsos in Trøndelag documented by NTNU University Museum in 2017. The Kattmarka jekt was clinker-built c. 1750 with later conversion to a carvel hull and in use for more than a century. A collaborative
research project between the Arctic University Museum and NTNU University Museum to compare the two jekts was undertaken with partial excavation of the Mjønes wreck in 2022. Excavation exposed 14 tightly spaced (40-50 cm) frames. Sixteen strakes were documented on the starboard side. About 50% of the ship is preserved with a length of 9 m from the transom forward and a maximum width of c. 4.8 m amidships, although the uppermost strakes are
missing. The Mjønes ship may have been almost as large as the Holvik jekt built in 1881 that is 19.7 m long and 8.3 m wide with 22 strakes and 20 frames. This large size contrasts with historical sources indicating the predominance of small jekts in the 18th century. Much larger jekts may have been built earlier in Nordland due to increased stockfish production requiring larger cargo capacity.

A brief description of a c. 40 cm high stone cairn structure constructed in shallow water c. 50 m from shore at Erikstad c. 17 km from Mjønes is included in the report. The structure was supported by a wooden framework and is interpreted as a mooring for large vessels such as jekts. It is dendrochronologically dated to the 1730s at about the same time as the Mjønes jekt was built.