Bow

This video begins with a short set of clips from 2002. We believe the beta tape that this is recorded on once held footage from 2002 but was recorded over in 2003 to create the footage you see through most of the video. I will make a note of some things in the 2002 clips though, as they are quite indicative of how quickly things have deteriorated in some areas

00:15 - A pass begins over the collapsed foremast. At this time stamp, the machinery for the masts attached cargo booms is visible underneath the mast. The cargo booms are no longer visible, but would have assisted in loading cargo into cargo hatches 1-3. The cargo cranes on the forward well deck were primarily used for larger and heavier loads in hatches #2 and #3.
The cargo booms on the mast are visible in a classic photo showing Titanic and Olympic side by side in Belfast. You can find this photo in the photo gallery under the Pre-Sinking section. It's titled "Olympic and Titanic in Belfast."

00:28 - As the submersible moves up the mast, note that the mast is still cylindrical in shape and the rivets holding it together are still in place. At this time stamp, look for the small piece of debris laying across the mast just below the door to the crows nest. This small piece of debris is actually part of the crows nest. While most of the lookouts platform is gone, this small piece is likely from the bottom edge of the crows nest and was all that remained by 2002. This is significant for several reasons. It's often been said that the crows nest was destroyed in an accident involving a submersible that resulted in it being knocked off the mast. However, this small piece was attached firmly in the 1980's. If a submersible had actually knocked the crows nest off the mast, this piece would not likely be here. I have made a note of the cylindrical shape of the mast for reasons that will become apparent later on.

00:42 - Just above the crows nest door, you'll note a small protrusion emerging from the mast. This protrusion was the bracket mount that once held the crows nest bell. The bell was ripped off of the mast during the ship's descent to the bottom and has since been found in the debris field, but this mounting bracket remains intact.

1:00 - The 2002 footage ends, 2003 footage begins as the MIR descends to the seafloor.

1:20 - The bottom of the ocean becomes clearly visible to the camera.

1:50 - The MIR impacts the sea floor. In the footage audio, depth readouts are noted. The MIR's depth readout is read as "Thirty-eight Sixty," or 3,860 meters (12,664 feet)

2:30 - An unknown object with marine life growing on it is spotted. Observations are made. The MIR crew guesses it may be a piece of dishware, possibly of copper composition.

10:59 - After setting up the submersibles lights and passing over a field of starfish, Titanic's bow is sighted by the MIR's camera.

12:31 - The MIR is oriented to the centerline of the ship and prepares to begin the photomosaic survey.

13:45 - After getting oriented and making a note of the visibility, the decision is made to conduct the photomosaic passes at an altitude of between 8-10 meters over a given point on the wreckage. When shooting a photomosaic, the MIR must stay close to a set altitude in order to expedite the process of combining the images together.

16:12 - The submersible has cleared the anchor crane and is now passing over the forecastle at an altitude of 9 meters.

17:13 - As the submersible nears the edge of the forecastle deck, note the auxiliary anchor seated in the corner. Titanic had 5 anchors total, 2 mounted on the side of the ship below the forecastle, one central anchor on the prow, and 2 auxiliary anchors, one on the aft starboard side of the forecastle deck and one placed on the center of the aftmost rail on the poop deck. You'll also see that there is a bent section of steam pipe twisted around this auxiliary anchor. It is generally believed that this steam pipe is a section torn from the #1 funnel as it fell to the bottom over the starboard side of the forecastle. Such a path of descent would have laid the steam pipes across this section of deck, knocking out the aft railing and hooking this section of pipe on the anchor.

18:05 - The starboard side cargo crane is visible from a top down perspective as the submersible nears the forward end of the ship's superstructure.

18:45 - As the submersible climbs over the forward superstructure, the collapsed starboard bridge wing is shown. Note the long section of teak laying near it on A-Deck, likely the original teak rail that adorned the top of the bridge wing.

19:14 - With the submersible clear of the superstructure, the boat deck is visible. The foremost wall of the A-Deck 1st class cabins can be seen protruding through the collapsed forward end of the boat deck, and just aft of that, the aft handrail of the starboard bridge wing can be seen lying on the deck.

19:46 - The davit for lifeboat #1 is visible still standing on the outboard edge of the starboard boat deck. While much of this area has collapsed or begun to sag since 1912, this lifeboat davit still remains mostly intact in the cranked in position. As the forward end of the boat deck began to submerge, it was here that first officer William M. Murdoch made a valiant attempt to launch the last lifeboat. He and the crew working with him had already launched the emergency cutter and lifeboat #1 from this davit, and were in the process of hooking the falls up to Collapsible lifeboat A when this area was flooded at 2:12 AM. The lifeboat was cut loose from the falls while passengers scrambled on board, and the boat floated off the deck. One of only two lifeboat davits left standing on the wreck, this davit remains cranked in as a solemn reminder of the terrifying desperation of Titanic's final moments.

20:18 - The leading edge of the starboard officers quarters becomes visible. Collapses in this area have progressed significantly since the ship was discovered. Until the mid 1990's, the starboard side bulwark of the officers quarters was bent and angling out towards the boat deck, but it had still been attached to the vertical walls here. Now, this wall has fallen away and now lies in sediment on the deck. On a somewhat positive note, this collapse has also lead to the iconic bathtub in the Captains Quarters being far more visible, as will be seen in later footage.

20:58 - The expansion joint is visible. This large gap in the ships superstructure was intended to provide flexibility to the superstructure during heavy seas, a condition Titanic would ultimately never encounter. In service, the joint was meant to expand and contract by an inch or two in the most extreme of conditions. During the sinking, it was reported that this joint had begun to open up to a significant degree shortly before the breakup, a strong indication of the forces at work. Here, the expansion joint is stretched open by over a foot, far more than it was ever designed to be.

22:04 - The deck begins to warp in the area near the starboard side of the Grand Staircase. A large hole is visible outside the first class entrance. The outer wall of the boat deck level of the Grand Staircase has begun to fall outwards, and the roof that once held up the glass dome has almost completely collapsed onto the floor of the uppermost level.

22:51 - The roof over the door to the Grand Staircase is almost completely intact, and a ladder is visible on the side of it. However, just outside the door, the boat deck has collapsed on to A-Deck, no doubt hastening the collapse of the Gymnasium and First Class Entrance over the years to follow.

23:34 - Sobering evidence of the totality of the boat deck's collapse in this area is shown in the form of holes opening up in the collapsed sections of the deck. Below these holes is the exposed ribbing that supported the boat deck above and the floor of the A-Deck promenade. The walls of the gymnasium have also given out about halfway up under the weight of the gymnasium roof. The roof over the gymnasium appears to be clinging to the edge of itself, which has been dragged inward. It now lies on the floor of the room, burying any gymnasium equipment which might have still been visible.

24:19 - Just aft of the gymnasium, holes begin to appear in the floor of A-Deck. The side of the ship begins to warp, and the deck drops nearly vertically into the abyss. Any remnants of the first class lounge that may have survived the sinking lie decimated in the vertical cliff of wreckage below the submersible. This is the start of the collapsed breakup zone.

24:48 - The remains of the compass platform are visible with holes opening up in the top as the submersible clears the aft end of the bows wreckage.

25:14 - The remains of a cowl ventilator are visible in the background. The cowl itself and the duct that it stemmed from have been torn loose in the descent, but the motor and fan housing remain.

This clip begins with the submersible behind the bow section in open water. The submersible turns to face the area where Titanic broke in two and begins moving towards the bow. The previous pass for the photomosaic followed a tracked down the starboard side of the bow from fore to aft.

01:51 - On the starboard side of the ship, a tangled mess of warped hull plates and steam pipes opens up to reveal the remains of boiler room #2. Note that the top of the boilers seem to have fallen inwards. This was likely a result of increasing water pressure during the ships plunge to the seafloor.

02:22 - On the left side of the frame, a section of catwalk is visible lying on top of one of the boilers pinned down by a collection of twisted pipes and cables. It's likely that this was a part of a network of such catwalks that allowed the stokers access to Scotland road on E-Deck.

06:38 - The remains of a cowl ventilator are visible on the collapsed roof of the first class lounge near the top of the frame. Like others in this area, this ventilator is missing it's cowl and the duct that it stemmed from, but the motor and fan housing still present. On the left side of the screen, B-Deck windows and hull ribbing are visible.

07:18 - Though this area is a nearly vertical dropoff, not everything has been completely destroyed. This portion of the raised roof over the first class lounge has seen the boat deck around it collapse onto A-Deck, but the walls holding the roof are still present. Near the center of the frame is a large hole in the roof of the first class lounge. Although it is entirely unlikely that anything inside this area has survived, it is theoretically possible for an ROV to enter the remains of the lounge through this hole.

07:41 - The aftmost wall of the first class gymnasium is visible with a sidelight intact near its corner. Further to the right, the collapsed remains of the boat deck on A-Deck show signs of holes opening up in what remains of the boat deck itself. These holes provide aft facing openings into the A-Deck promenade. As the submersible moves forward, pay attention to the angle between the gymnasium walls and the Boat Deck. Further forward, the Boat Deck rises back up to its proper height. In the areas where it has collapsed or is visibly collapsing, the deck is sagging down towards the gymnasium, and the gymnasium walls are leaning to starboard. It seems evident that the unsupported weight of the gymnasium is accelerating the collapse of the boat deck in this area. Small portions of the gymnasium roof are still visible on the edges of these walls.

08:15 - The Gymnasium walls are visibly split, with the upper portions supporting the ceiling sitting inside the lower portions. On the boat deck, another large hole is visible near a tangled mess of ropes and cables. At the outboard edge of the boat deck, the remains of a cranked out davit are visible. This davit is not fully intact, only the bottom portion remains.

08:40 - At left, the remains of the roof over the grand staircase show signs of rapid deterioration, with holes opened up between individual supports. On the boat deck outside the staircase, a massive hole has opened up, providing access to the A-Deck promenade below. The deck has started to sag near the edge in this area.

08:58 - The officers quarters on the left are still largely intact. A section of railing has fallen from the roof and now lays on the boat deck outside the officers quarters. A large winch still sits on the deck. It is a stark contrast in this area to other areas only few feet aft of here that such a heavy piece of machinery has not caused the deck to collapse, while other areas have collapsed under their own weight. This deck winch would have been used in the event that lifeboats needed to be recovered from the water during drills or emergency deployments that didn't result in the ship being abandoned permanently. Unfortunately, this winch was likely never used.

09:30 - A small portion of Captain Smith's bathtub is visible inside the deckhouse as a sliver of white. Much more evident is the outward collapse of the walls of the captains quarters.

09:55 - The guardrail around the crew staircase has fallen towards port, but remains partially upright. It was this staircase the First Officer Murdoch used to gauge the rate at which Titanic was going down near the end of the sinking. This staircase was for crew use only and ran from the Boat Deck all the way to B-Deck. As Titanic began its final plunge, water would have been visible rising up the steps from the boat deck, and that rate provided valuable insight to the speed at which the ship was slipping away. Visible once again to the right of the stairs is the cranked in davit. Note the metallic sheen glinting off of a horizontal rod on this davit. This rod is threaded brass. A hand crank was attached to this rod, and the gears of the davit arm were interlocked with the threading. As the hand crank was turned, the threading would crank the davit in or out.

15:46 - After returning to the Forecastle and clearing the wreck, the submersible turns around to realign with the wreck and begin its flyover of the ships centerline.

16:10 - The central anchor crane at close quarters with the submersible. This crane was used to deploy Titanic's colossal central anchor. Unknown to many is the fact that the iconic bow railing of Titanic was actually a removable piece. When the need to deploy the central anchor arose, the railing was removed, along with two sections of the ships hull plating the sides of the anchor itself. At this point, the anchor would be hooked up to this crane, swung out over the side of the ship, and released. The central anchor is over 15 feet long and weighs over 15 tons and required a reinforced wagon pulled by 20 horses to move it from its manufactory to the shipyard in Belfast.

21:34 - The #1 cargo hatch still remains mostly intact, except for its missing hatch cover. All of Titanic's cargo hatches are missing their covers, but unlike the rest of them, hatch #1's cover isn't just gone due to deterioration. On impact with the bottom, Titanic's bow buckled under the forward well deck, forcing a colossal stream of water to eject itself from the ship through any path it could find. One path was through the hatch covers. The much more fragile covers of the #2 and #3 hatches were likely destroyed in this event and then deteriorated into nothing over time, but the heavier iron cover for hatch #1 was simply blown off the opening. This cover has been found, and rests upside down on the sea floor about 150 feet in front of the bow.

22:45 - The collapsed foremast lays over the forward well deck. I made a note about the condition of the mast in 2002 in the description for the video above this one (Photomosaic Overhead #1 -Starboard Side Bow Pass) and I made that note for this reason. If you'll recall, the mast was still cylindrical in 2002. If you look closely at the mast here, you'll notice that the top half of the cylinder has fallen into the bottom half. The bottom half has also started to flatten out, and the rivets holding the top and bottom halves together have all broken. This severe damage to the mast occurred in the span of only one year. Below the mast, cargo hatches #2 and #3 are visible.

23:32 - Here you can see the booms of the cargo cranes on the well deck. These two cranes were used in port to load cargo into hatches #2 and #3, but at sea these cranes were kept in the stowed position. This would have meant they were crossed in a similar manner to their current positions, but the booms were meant to be secured to the iron framework visible in front of them. During the descent to the sea floor, the laws of hydrodynamics meant that the two crane booms shifted back towards the superstructure, revealing the iron framework below.

24:48 - The forward superstructure on the ships centerline has been heavily damaged by hydrodynamics during the descent and deterioration ever since. At this time stamp, the most prominent feature is the small portion of steel deck plating resting on top of a support from below. This fragment of deck is all that remains of the floor of the navigation bridge. Below this fragment, the framework that once supported this deck now plays a part in its destruction as it sags onto the floor of A-Deck. To the left of this section of flooring is a section of the bridge wing guardrail, now falling forward. On the deck below, the rail on the forward facing end of A-Deck has also started to fall outwards. Below the navigation bridge, the windows of 1st class staterooms overlook the destruction.

25:11 - The remnants of the ships wheelhouse are littered with tributes and memorial plaques. The telemotor is still standing, the only piece of bridge equipment left intact. The floorboard defining the outer edge of the wheelhouse is still present. The floor itself is littered with debris and sediment.

26:31 - The shattered remains of a forward facing ventilator and its accompanying ductwork sit just forward of a fidley escape. The fidley escape seen behind this ventilator very nearly claimed the life of Second Officer Charles H. Lightoller during the final plunge. Lightoller had been working to launch lifeboats on the forward port side of the ship all night, and as this area submerged, he found himself in the water. These fidleys lead to a series of ladders and catwalks that terminate in the boiler rooms, and until this point that vertical shaft had not fully flooded. As Lightoller attempted to swim away from the ship, the sudden rush of water into the ventilation shaft and escapes pulled him down and pinned him against the fidley escape seen here. He struggled to get free unsuccessfully for a time, and later recounted being close to death when a sudden blast of hot air from below blew him clear of the wreck. After catching his breath on the surface, Lightoller made his way to the overturned Collapsible Lifeboat B, where he would spend the night directing efforts to keep the upside down lifeboat from sinking.

26:57 - Funnel #1 once stood over the black well you see here. Shortly after Lightoller made his escape, the base of the funnel submerged far enough that the water pressure crumpled the base of the funnel, causing it to collapse. Along with the sudden rush of water into the ventilators and fidley escape ahead of it, this new colossal hole in the roof of the ship quickly accelerated the flooding during the final plunge.

27:50 - Just aft of funnel #1, these two square holes in the roof of the Officers Quarters are both skylights which lead into two separate rooms. The closer of the two skylights leads into the officers lavatory. Between the two skylights is the expansion joint, and just aft of the expansion joint, the second of these skylights leads directly into the Marconi Wireless Room. Just aft of the skylight of the wireless room, two holes have opened up in the roof over this area.

28:45 - Though visibility is poor, the drop off here leads into a large deep hole. This hole is all that remains of Titanic's Grand Staircase. The staircase ran from the Boat Deck all the way down to F-Deck, and as a result of the staircase being destroyed, this shaft now provides easy access into the interior of the wreck. Just aft of the staircase, another forward facing ventilator remains somewhat intact.

29:38 - The remains of the #2 funnel are visible here. This funnel suffered a very similar fate to the #1 funnel only a few minutes later, though some survivors reported seeing a shower of sparks burst out of this funnel as it fell, a phenomenon not seen by anyone in the collapse of the #1 funnel.

Clip begins with the submersible aft of Boiler Room #2 on the centerline in open water. Submersible turns around and moves in towards the aft end of the wreck as before.

00:41 - The Gymnasium is visible. The outer walls were visible on the previous return pass but this is the first good look at the full length of the aftmost wall of the gymnasium. Note that the gymnasium has separated from the #2 funnel casing and has started to sag down towards the starboard side.

01:02 - At the aft end of the #2 funnel casing, the shaft of an aft facing ventilator is visible. While most of the hood for this ventilator has gone away, there are some small remnants of it. Titanic's ventilation system was a mix of a natural and forced draft system. There were multiple types of ventilators on the ships boat deck and the roof of various deckhouses. Forward facing ventilators had large openings protected by grills that allowed the forward motion of the ship to push fresh air into a downward shaft. This draft brought clean air into the interior of the ship, and a series of motorized fans distributed it around inhabited spaces. Every good ventilation system needs a way for older air to be cycled out and this is where the cowl vents came in. These cowl vents were aft facing and used a motorized fan to draw air back out of the ships ventilation system and push it into open air. In some cases, other types of ventilator were also placed facing aft, and this is what you see here. This particular ventilation shaft belonged to a hooded duct similar to the forward facing ventilators but faced aft.

03:37 - The raised roof over the first class lounge comes back into view as the submersible drops down to the mudline. On the left, a square platform is visible. This is the remains of the amidships compass platform. The remains of another cowl ventilator are also visible, and as is the standard. The cowl and its duct are missing while the electric motor and fan housing are still present.

04:34 - The violent forces at work during the breakup are extremely evident here. Note the large square chunk taken out of the deck just aft of the compass platform. This is the space that was once occupied by the forward end of the deckhouse below funnel #3. The funnel itself was just aft of where the breakup occurred. Underneath two of the collapsed decks, you can see a section of the uptake casing that vented boiler smoke to the #3 funnel.

07:01 - Debris behind the bow section. This pile is a mess of hull and deck plating, steam pipes, cables and sediment. The large piece of steel here is likely a section of deck plating.

09:22 - A section of steam pipe hangs down over the boilers. The boilers themselves are almost completely covered in a cascading wall of rusticles.

13:35 - As the submersible climbs the collapsed portion of the end of the bow, the boat deck becomes an almost completely vertical drop-off.

13:51 - The aftmost wall and roof of the #2 funnel casing show signs of heavy deterioration. Note the hole on the wall. See that the vertical wall and the deck that was once behind it are nearly parallel to each other.

14:02 - On the left side of the frame, a large hole with framework crossing it is visible. This hole is over what remains of the first class reading and writing room. Though there has not been an exploration of the interior here, the lights of the submersible showcase what we could reasonably expect to find fairly well. Almost nothing is visible inside this room, just rust, sediment, and debris.

14:45 - The hole where the #2 funnel once stood is just aft of another set of fidley escape covers. Forward of the fidley escape covers, a reasonably intact forward facing ventilator is visible with most of its sheet metal intact. To the left, another motor and fan housing from a cowl ventilator sits on the deck outside the first class entrance. It was on the deck near this cowl ventilator that Wallace Hartley and the rest of Titanic's band played during most of the sinking. In the time immediately following the collision, the band had assembled to play inside the first class lounge. As the evacuation got underway, they moved here to calm passengers on deck. None of the ships band would survive the sinking.

15:22 - The steel bulkhead forward of the Grand Staircase is still fairly intact, but all the wood from this location is completely gone, exposing the framing that was once behind it. While some people have claimed to have found the iconic clock of the staircase in previously released footage, this view showcases the impossible nature of that claim. No wood has survived here, only an exposed metal bulkhead.

15:36 - A large number of small holes have developed in the roof over this portion of the officers quarters. Near the bottom of the frame, holes perforate the roof over the elevator machinery room. At the top right of the frame, the Marconi Room Skylight is joined by holes rusting through the ceiling. At left, another series of holes line the ceiling over a corridor that ran the length of this deckhouse.

15:59 - A unique view of one of the motor and fan housings is provided by the housing on the left side of the frame. The sheet metal covering the internal machinery has completely disappeared on this particular housing, and you can see the fan and motor that powered this ventilator. To the right of the exposed machinery, an aft facing hooded ventilator is missing its grille cover. Just aft of that, the skylight over the officers lavatory is visible ahead of the expansion joint. A mess of cables covers the area in frame. Some of these cables were once part of the wireless system aerial that stretched between the ships masts.

16:35 - At the forward end of the #1 funnel casing, a section of steam pipe is hanging over the uptake. Note the similarity between this section of pipe and the pipe wrapped around the auxiliary anchor on the forecastle. The remains of a forward facing hooded ventilator sit just forward of the funnel and fidley escape covers.

17:35 - As the submersible passes over the wheelhouse, note the remains of a lifeboat davit on the deck towards the port side of the ship. This davit was likely torn from the deck by the ships rigging during the descent and landed here on impact with the bottom.

18:06 - The top of the foremast is supported by A and B-Deck. When the ship was first discovered, the mast extended all the way up to the wheelhouse. It has since deteriorated and collapsed down further. Note that only the top portion of the mast remains, the bottom half of the cylinder has been completely destroyed at this location.

18:30 - The teak top guard of the rail on B-Deck is visibly intact here, though a piece of debris has fallen and damaged a small part of it.

22:44 - After passing back over the forward well deck and forecastle, the submersible turns around and lines up for a pass over the port side of the bow.

24:15 - A plaque rests on top of a bollard. On a previous dive, a similar plaque was found sitting on the deck. It had fallen from its position on a separate capstan. After discovering this, the submersible closed in on the plaque and replaced it on the bollard using its manipulator arm. This can be seen in the Forecastle Deck Survey at the bottom of this page.

25:28 - The skylight over the engineers mess is visible on the right side of the frame. Two of its covers are missing. At the top of the frame, the aft forecastle rail has fallen in. When the ship was discovered, this rail was still upright.

26:33 - The most visible change to the mast since 2002. Note that it has buckled in on itself. The point where it buckled is now resting on the deck with the upper part of the mast laying across the cargo boom of the port side well deck crane.

27:21 - The port side bridge wing has completely collapsed, with the guardrail laying upside down against the forward end of the A-Deck cabin walls. The mast ends here, and a cable dangles from the Boat Deck to A-Deck.

27:44 - The portion of the mast which lays across the Boat Deck is no longer connected to the rest of the mast, and so is still in place. What remains of the upper portion has collapsed on itself and been reduced to little more than a pile of rusted metal chips.

28:14 - More detail is visible on the aforementioned lifeboat davit. Note that it remains in the cranked out position. The top of the davit arm rests on top of the collapsed port wall of the officers quarters.

29:55 - Another bathtub is visible inside the officers quarters thanks to the extreme width of the expansion joint.

00:06 - Submersible is over the port side of the Boat Deck, near the spot where lifeboat #4 and #6 would have been launched from. The roof of the Grand Staircase is visible and collapsing in towards the stairwell.

00:35 - Remains of a ventilator are visible outside the port side first class entrance. In this spot, Wallace Hartley and the ships orchestra played after moving to the boat deck from the first class lounge. Another view of this location is visible in the previous pass.

01:12 - The raised roof over the reading and writing room has a noticeable slope downwards towards the aft end of the ship. A large hole has opened up in the top of this location.

02:27 - The #2 funnel casing. Note the internal supports of the funnel uptake. These supports have disconnected from the remains of the uptake as the outboard wall of the casing starts to sag outwards.

03:04 - The Boat Deck collapses down in a sharp dropoff. A large hole on the outboard edge of the port side has opened up, allowing access directly from the Boat Deck into the port side A-Deck Promenade.

06:01 - The broken end of the bow comes into view. Collapsed decks, boilers and steam pipes are visible.

08:16 - Boiler Room #2 is visible again. More steam pipes, girders and framework jut out from the collapsed decks above.

09:33 - Holes have opened up in the collapsed portion of the raised roof over the First Class Lounge. It's not clear how much space there is underneath these holes, but small pockets of interior space are visible below them. As with many places in the broken end of the bow, it is unlikely that anything has survived inside the lounge, but if an ROV were to be sent inside through these holes, it's not impossible to think there may be something of interest left.

11:20 - A closer view of the hole over the reading and writing room. Note the remains of another cowl ventilator just forward of the raised roof.

11:28 - Perforations starting to form on the Boat Deck.

11:40 - This doorway would have opened into the entrance vestibule of the Grand Staircase. Once inside this door, a french door would have been on your right with a similarly styled wall ahead of you. After going through the door to your right, the Grand Staircase would have been directly in front of you with the Honour and Glory Crowning Time clock panel visible under the glass dome. Today, this door opens into darkness and a collapsed ceiling.

12:28 - Near the deckhouse corner, a winch similar to the one on the starboard side still sits on the deck. Like the winch to starboard, this winch would have been used to haul lifeboats out of the water during drills or any use of a lifeboat which later required its recovery.

13:04 - The collapsed forward end of the officers quarters. The outboard wall has fallen away entirely, and you can just barely make out the window frames and general shape of this wall lying on the deck.

13:10 - The port side emergency staircase. While the guardrail here is mostly intact, the weight of the officers quarters wall lying on its inboard side has caused a portion of the guardrail to fall into the staircase.

19:50 - The submersible has cleared the bow, turned back around, and approached the prow again.

20:49 - Explorers club plaque is visible on top of a bollard.

23:15 - The B-Deck Promenade is still in relatively good condition. The teak railing top is still completely attached and only seems to have been covered in sediment.

25:48 - The forward end of A-Deck has not fared quite as well over the years. Also of note in this photo is the disappearance of an engine order telegraph that was once present on this part of A-Deck. Two telegraphs were recovered during the 2000 expedition, and this might explain the disappearance of this telegraph. The forward end of the promenade has been blocked off by the upside down remains of the collapsed port bridge wing.

26:28 - The #2 lifeboat's forward davit remains in the cranked out position. From here, the submersible makes a pass down the rest of the port side, passing by multiple locations which have been previously mentioned.

This clip focuses on the forecastle deck and reveals some interesting things about the state of this area that were previously under heavy debate. You'll also see the maintenance of a plaque on the forecastle that had fallen from its position on top of a capstan.

00:00 - Titanic's center anchor, which weighs 15 tons, still rests in its storage well on the iconic prow. The rail surrounding this anchor and the hull plating that supports it are actually removable sections, and would have been removed if this anchor needed to be deployed. The anchor crane is visible on the right side of the frame. Since this anchor weighed 15 tons and rested on the deck, it was always going to be necessary to have an onboard crane to deploy and recover the anchor. This crane was usually stowed facing aft, but when Titanic's bow impacted the sea floor, the cover for cargo hatch #1 blew off and over the side of the ship, snapping the cables that held this crane in place and swinging the arm around to face forward.

03:03 - The anchor chains, consisting of chain links weighing around 175 pounds each, are still in good condition with relatively little corrosion. The hawse pipe is still able to route the chains down to the main anchors on the port and starboard sides of the ship.

Note the wheel protruding from the sediment. This wheel is connected to a "brake" of sorts for these chains that controlled the speed at which they fell. At the forward end of both chains, a steel cable passes through one of the links. This cable served as a fail-safe which prevented the anchors from dropping out should the brake mechanism fail for any reason.

In the foreground near the rail, a set of mooring bitts are visible. As the submersible passes over the forecastle, more elements of the mooring system will be visible, and will be noted as they become visible.

03:46 - A capstan is seen on the outboard side of the starboard anchor chain. This was another element of Titanic's mooring system. The Capstans served as a winch that could spool in a mooring line that was too long. To create a mechanical advantage, the mooring lines were not just run straight from the capstan to the dock, but instead passed from the capstan to the bitts near the rail before being passed down to the dock. This created a 2:1 mechanical advantage and reduced the overall load on the Capstan.

07:19 - Wood on Titanic's exterior has been the subject of debate ever since the ship was discovered. Depending on who you asked, there was either wood everywhere or no wood at all, only the caulking between planks giving the illusion of wood planking. Neither side was completely correct as it turns out. It's been known for a long time that wood does survive in the interior of the ship, but at this time stamp, you can see conclusive proof of intact teak on Titanic's exterior. This long section of teak elevates the anchor chains off the ships pine pitch decking, creating the angle that allows these chains to pass through the hawse pipe. At the time this footage was recorded, this teak had been underwater for 91 years and was still supporting the anchor chains. Given that each individual link weighs around 175 pounds, it is absolutely remarkable that this wood is not only present, but has not been damaged by the weight of the chains. No sagging is visible anywhere along the entire section of teak. Additionally, teak handrail toppers are visible in various places around the bow section. For more information on Titanic's forecastle decking, check out the forecastle planking article in our additional resources section: Articles

10:55 - This steam powered windlass was used to raise the starboard anchor. On the deck below, a steam engine powers a spurred wheel that interlocked with the chain and reeled it in to the chain locker.

11:21 - The first visible indicators of intact deck planking are visible here. Note the outlines of the planks. These outlines have been debated extensively, with many believing that these are simply the caulking from between the planks rather than the planks themselves being present. In the same frame, another capstan is visible with a plaque at its base. This plaque was placed in the 80's by the Explorers club, but in recent years, it has fallen from its place on top of the capstan.

11:47 - Having noticed the fallen plaque, the sub pilot extends the manipulator arm and prepares to move it back to its original position.

15:56 - The Explorers Club Plaque is released by the manipulator back onto the capstan where it originally sat.

17:09 - An orange stain is visible on the deck where the plaque had fallen.

19:23 - The forecastle breakwater remains in good condition. In heavy seas, this breakwater protected the forward well deck from water and waves that may run down the forecastle. Since this well deck served as a promenade for third class, it was necessary to keep water from drenching any passengers that would have wanted to take a walk around that space.

20:23 - A close up inspection of the deck shows the remains of pitched pine deck planking. The wood is still present, but it has been heavily eaten by what are likely a form of Teredo Navalis. Teredo Navalis (Teredo worms) are a form of saltwater clam that are notorious for burrowing in submerged wood.

26:28 - After inspecting the deck and its deterioration, the submersible starts to move further aft and stops to inspect a gel film experiment left at the site by Dr. Roy Cullimore.

30:07 - Steam winches used in the operation of cargo booms on the mast appear next to the base of the mast, which becomes visible a few seconds later.

31:08 - The submersible begins a flyover of the mast. Significant collapses from the top down are immediately evident.