Blackbeard's anchor recovered off U.S. coast

A 3,000 pound anchor from what is believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, is recovered from the ocean where it has been since 1718, on Friday, May 27, 2011 in Beaufort Inlet, in Carteret County N.C. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Robert Willett)

MOREHEAD CITY, North Carolina (AP) -- Archaeologists recovered the first anchor from what's believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's flagship off the North Carolina coast Friday, a move that might change plans about how to save the rest of the almost 300-year-old artifacts from the central part of the ship.

Divers had planned to recover the second-largest artifact on what's believed to be the Queen Anne's Revenge but discovered it was too well-attached to other items in the ballast pile, said project manager Mark Wilde-Ramsing. Instead, they pulled up another anchor that is the third-largest artifact and likely was the typical anchor for the ship.

Apparently, pirates had everyday anchors and special anchors just as the rest of us have everyday dishes and good china.

"That's a big ship to be putting that out to stop it," Wilde-Ramsing said admiringly as a pulley system of straps and men holding ropes moved the anchor from a boat to the back of truck. It's the first large anchor that divers have retrieved; they earlier brought up a small, grapnel anchor.

more...
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/odd/news/20110528p2g00m0in017000c.html

Good article.

It had every element that a good pirate tale should have. Despite what you may feel about Crichton's political leanings, he's a good author, and I really enjoyed Pirate Latitudes.

A little off-context, but a good authentic fictional glimpse of pirate life in the Caribbean.