Shiver me timbers

"Shiver me timbers", a mock pirate's oath was popularized by the archetypal pirate Long John Silver in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island published in 1883. Based on real nautical slang the phrase is a reference to the timbers, the wooden support frames of a sailing ship. In heavy seas, ships would be lifted up and pounded down so hard as to "shiver" the timbers, thus startling the sailors.

This thoroughly shivered timber, probably from the old fishing boat which lies wrecked at the mouth of the Ythan, was washed onto the beach overnight. Over the years it has been well colonised by a host of barnacles, mussels, wood boring worms and other denizens of the sea.

Best viewed through Captain Flint's telescope.