:confused: A Ship's Fitting Perhaps ??

[BigDan]

I found this relic off Chatham, MA (old Cape Cod area) in about 3 foot of seawater with my Exaclibur II
I brought it to a local Antique Store and the owner said it was 17th or 18 th Century and that it might be bronze because it did not corrode
The bottom post appears to be threaded so it might have screwed into wood
I did a tracing on the Top. The letters "HOULOM..." are faintly present
Any ideas what it might have been?
I'm thinking it might have been used to direct hand fishing lines on a Cape Cod Dory

 

[JohnnyI]

Wow, bigdan, that's a tough one. You brought to mind images of Spencer Tracy in "Captains Courageous". If I remember correctly, his lines fed through wooden chocks though, and most dories (or whaling dories) I've seen used wooden chocks to feed their lines. I doubt if it was any fairlead for fishing lines, because for one, it was threaded to be anchored fast, and wouldn't swivel with the movement of the boat. (Even oarlocks which need to swivel are not threaded.) Secondly, if it was planted on the bouncing dory it would be so fragile and exposed as to be asking to be broken off at the stem. Two questions; the scan doesn't show it, but is there any evidence of one or two rollors ever being present where the two lobes of the object are? Any evidence of old pins that held them? If you view it from what we guess is the top, is the opening rectangular? Are there any other letters after "houlom" (Houlom, might possibly be related to a Norwegian maker)

 

[BigDan]

Thanks for the Reply

Viewed from the top it is an open rectangle . There is no evidence of pins or rollers. The shape of the opening is a heart. Guessing at the last letters of the Brand,
I would say it was "HOULOMIC". But the letters are very faded

The view from the back is a mirror image of the front.

 

[Quartzsite]

[attachment 132861 oarlocks.jpg]

Maybe some type of oar lock ?

 

[GoGoGopher]

Looks to me like one of the pulley assemblies to the things that hang bikes, canoes, etc. from the ceiling of your garage or basement...

HH,

 

[Trocar]

First-- does this seem to have a round pulley wheel at the other end from the screw? If it does, then I believe it is a "Bell Cord Guide" like is used on a train or trolley or a bus. Here is a picture of some used on a train. There are hundreds of different styles and sizes. Most are made of bronze. Some would hang from a strap if the ceiling was high, but the screw type does not fit on a strap. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[ronaldj2]

Its a very nice find, wish I could ID it. I love detecting the Cape, found part of a brass instrument from a boat or a ship at Nauset Beach in April. Ron