# Balist Bottles



## bottlehawk (Nov 30, 2017)

Over the years I've accumulated at least 19 round bottom bottles that are embossed with "Belfast Ireland". I live at a coastal community known as Cedar Key Florida. I found these bottles on my airboat in about a foot of water on low tide. It took about ten years on and off to find them. My question is what could be the history in reference to these bottles?


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## RCO (Nov 30, 2017)

the history of the bottles themselves or how they got there ? it might help if we saw some pictures of them , are there bottlers names on any of them or just Belfast Ireland ? 

what do the local history books say about your area ? during the time period the bottles were from ? any marina's / hotels or such nearby


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## Harry Pristis (Nov 30, 2017)

These ginger ale bottles, along with stoneware ale bottles are sometimes called BALLAST bottles.  Both sorts of bottle were imported by sea from Britain and Ireland in great numbers in the late 19th Century.  These filled bottles were so heavy, they were stowed low in the ship holds . . . Thus, the term "ballast bottle" was born.


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## bottlehawk (Dec 5, 2017)

Thanks for the input, I'm very computer illiterate but I'll try and figure out how to post pictures. My 15 year old son can probably do it.


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