About This Structure
The slipway is a large wooden structure uncovered at Smith's Cove, first reported by treasure hunter Gilbert Hedden in 1936. Hedden noticed the ends of two large timbers protruding from the rocks inside the remains of the 1866 cofferdam. When excavated, the timbers proved to be fifteen inches in diameter, notched every four feet, with each notch containing wooden pins and several four-foot cross-members. Finn records that Hedden believed the formation was part of an ancient skid or slipway. Fanthorpe described it as "the remains of a very ancient ramp, jetty or slipway" comprising "massive old timbers with notches and bearing Roman numerals." Hedden lacked the resources to dig below the low-tide mark and could not determine the full extent of the structure.
The Lagina team fully excavated the slipway during the Season 6 Smith's Cove operation, exposing the structure within the cofferdam enclosure. Dendrochronologist Dr. Colin Laroque analysed the red spruce timber, and the results placed the construction date at 1769, the same year as the U-shaped structure. A separate sample from the bump-out area adjacent to the slipway returned a date of 1741, more than two decades earlier, indicating the waterfront structures at Smith's Cove were built across at least two distinct periods. The 1741 date aligns with the first siege of Fortress Louisbourg in 1745 and supports the theory that the French may have moved a fortune from the fortress to Oak Island in the early 1740s.
A slipway at this location would have allowed vessels to approach the island at high tide, ground on the structure as the water receded, and be unloaded efficiently before the next tide. The scale of the underground construction on the island, including the flood tunnel, the box drains, the Money Pit shaft, and the layered sealing barriers, would have required the movement of substantial quantities of material, tools, and workers over an extended period. A purpose-built landing structure was functionally necessary for an operation of this size. The slipway's position, combined with the other structures at the cove, supports the view that Smith's Cove served as the primary access and logistics point for whoever built the island's underground works.
Historical Context
Lagina team; Colin Laroque dendrochronology
Where It Was Found
Found at Smith's Cove — the north shore of Oak Island where the flood tunnel system was discovered.
