HMS Swift: Scientific Research and Management of Underwater Cultural Heritage in Argentina

Abstract

The Swift had an overall length of 28 meters and a beam of 8 meters and was armed with fourteen six-pounder cannons and twelve swivel guns. A few days earlier, under the command of Captain George Farmer and with a crew of nearly a hundred men, the Swift had left the British base with the purpose of conducting geographical surveys in the region. However, according to the historical documents, strong and persistent winds drove the ship towards the continental shore. The captain decided to enter the Deseado estuary, a natural and well sheltered harbor which had been visited by sailors and explorers since the 16th-century.