SHIP FITTINGS

Two brass deck water filler plates and one ceramic door number (45).

The water filler plates are 150 mm in diameter and approximately 100 mm thick. They are both heavily degraded and concreted, distorting their 'mushroom-shaped' original form. It appears they have screws running through the wider top surface and hanging down below next to the tinner plug interior. The screws are approximately 50 mm long and 5 mm in diameter. This type of ships fiitting is used to provide an access point by which to fill water tanks on a vessel and are common on many vessels, from pleasure craft to commercial vessels, up until the present. A hole would be drilled through the deck to accomodate the tube and the outer face of the plate would be flush with the deck, the central cap could then be unscrewed to allow a water pipe to be inserted and the tank filled. The plates are manufactured in a material, such as brass or stainless steel, is resistant to corrosion from sea water thereby protecting the rest of the pipework which would connect the pipe to the tank itself fitted lowr in the vessel.

The ceramic door number is 50 mm in diameter, and in fair condition. The number '45' has faded, and the white ceramic has been stained yellow in places. Near the edges either side of the number there are two holes roughly 3.5 mm in diameter, used to secure the number plate in place. The exact use for this item is difficult to determine, as it could be cargo or more likely ship fittings. It may correspond to cabin door numbers, crew lockers or the like, its high quality finish suggests that it is unlikely to be part of the crew or operating areas of the vessel and therefore probably relates to the accomodation of the 100 or more passengers the vessel could carry.