A section of oak hull discovered on the island of Sanday in Orkney, Scotland, has been identified as belonging to HMS Hind, a 24-gun Royal Navy frigate. The discovery, made by a schoolboy in , was confirmed in February 2024 after 18 months of research by archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology and Historic Environment Scotland (HES), alongside local volunteers. Dendrochronological analysis dated the wood to spring 1748, and archival research linked the remains to the Hind, built in Chichester in 1749.

HMS Hind served in numerous significant conflicts, including off the coast of Jamaica, the sieges of Louisbourg (1758) and Quebec (1759) during the Seven Years' War, and the American Revolutionary War. Later, it was decommissioned, sold, and renamed The Earl of Chatham, serving as a whaling ship before its wreck off Sanday on April 29, 1788. Remarkably, all 56 crew members survived the wreck, according to the Aberdeen Journal. The identification involved painstaking analysis of the timbers and extensive research into maritime archives.

The well-preserved 10m x 5m section of the hull is currently being preserved underwater at the Sanday heritage centre. The project highlights the collaboration between archaeologists and the local community of Sanday, whose members possess valuable historical knowledge and whose island has long used shipwreck timber for building materials.

Impact Statement: The discovery sheds new light on the history of HMS Hind and the maritime activities of 18th-century Britain, showcasing the importance of community involvement in archaeological research and the preservation of historical artifacts.