Abstract
The composition of copper alloys has been shown to be a major influence in determining the overall fate of sailing ships when they encountered Australian shores. A comparison of the mechanical properties of copper nails and bolts from the wrecks of the James Matthews (1841) and the Rapid (1811) has shown that the higher levels of bismuth impurities in these components in the James Matthews caused them to fracture prematurely. The fractured bolts contributed directly to the loss of the ship. Analysis of broken bronze and brass rudder fittings on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century wrecks has shown that a combination of the composition and poor casting of the fittings may have contributed to the loss of the vessels.
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