The Maritime Archeology Laboratory (LAP) of the University of Montenegro from Kotor completed the work of electronic mapping of the wreck of the yacht "Rumija" which belonged to the Montenegrin sovereign, King Nikola I Petrović.
The wreck of this ship, which was sunk during the First World War, is located almost in the middle of the water area of the current port of Bar.
"The cooperation between the University of Montenegro and the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology of Montenegro (ZHMS) contributed to the detailed mapping and documentation of one of the most significant historical wrecks, the royal yacht 'Rumija'. Her fate ended tragically during the First World War when she was sunk in the waters of the port of Bar. The remains of the royal vessel were officially declared a protected cultural asset in 1967. Despite this, this very important site for Montenegrin maritime history has long been the subject of irresponsible behavior by divers, and its position within the harbor at a depth of 8,3 to 12,5 meters exposed it to the destructive effects of anchoring ships," the team announced. by watershed from LAP.
The Department of Hydrography and Oceanography, Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Laboratory of Maritime Archaeology, University of Montenegro, successfully carried out the mapping of the royal yacht "Rumija", using the most modern "multi-beam" sonar technology.
This undertaking is a contribution to the "Underwater Cultural Areas of Montenegro" initiative, within which LAP seeks to document and digitize the underwater cultural heritage of Montenegro.
As reported by LAP, the mapping of the yacht "Rumija" was led by hydrographers Luka Ćalić and Radovan Kandić from ZHMS Montenegro and underwater archaeologist Darko Kovačević from LAP.
NORBIT iWBMS "multi-beam" sonar was used, a technology that enables a three-dimensional display of underwater structures, which recorded precise data on the condition of the remains of this cultural asset.
Luka Ćalić, head of the Hydrography and Oceanography Department of the ZHMS, explained the significance of this technology.
"NORBIT iWBMS multibeam sonar documents underwater structures in high resolution, providing a clear three-dimensional image of the wreck. This is a step forward in documenting our maritime past, and at the same time this type of documentation provides a basis for monitoring the condition of this historically valuable site."
The data collected by the sonar were submitted to the Maritime Archeology Laboratory of the University of Montenegro for further study and valorization.
Darko Kovačević, head of this Laboratory, pointed out that this documentation of the condition of the wreck of the royal yacht "Rumija" has multiple significance.
"We are finally able to see the actual structural condition of the yacht 'Rumija' in its entirety and detail and to understand the level of damage. The data collected by this method are of great importance for future protective measures, monitoring and preservation of the site. Also, the digitization of the yacht 'Rumija' opens up the possibility of using advanced 3D technologies so that the historical story of this locality reaches a wider audience," concluded Kovačević, under whose leadership LAP has already created similar digital 3D models of several wrecks of sunken ships and airplanes in the Montenegrin sea, which now thanks to that, in the so-called virtual reality, not only divers, but also the general public can visit.
Bonus video:
