Historical Background

The site is representative of the metal components of a wooden sailing vessel from the late 1800s, possibly identified as the vessel Slobodna. The Slobodna, built in 1884 on the Adriatic Sea, sank in 1887 while hauling cotton from New Orleans to current day Estonia (Office of Marine and Aviation Operations 2019). The Slobodna hit a severe storm and grounded on Molasses Reef. The Slobodna was 170 ft long, with a beam of 35 ft and a capacity of 1199 tons (Rutherford 2002). The wreckage, believed to be spread across Molasses Reef from approximately the Winch Hole site to what was formerly known as the ‘Train Track’ site (M13), appears to be scattered in portions, with many rigging features and upper hull components along the Winch Hole and M13. The Brass Pin Wreck is believed to be associated with the partial wreck sites of the Winch Hole and M13, with a mast assembly, iron knees, and bronze pins to complement the winch, deadeyes, hull components, and additional features found on the Winch Hole and M13.

The Brass Pin Wreck has been known for many years under various names such as "Slobodna," “Brass Wreck," and "Mast Wreck." The "Brass Pin" Wreck is named after what the site is known for, most notably, from Marty Meylach’s “Diving to A Flash of Gold.” The name indicating the presence of ‘Brass Pins’ actually refers to the highly-salvaged bronze fasteners on the site, used for framing and reinforcement of the hull structure on wooden ships like the Slobodna (Muckerheide 2021).