Large steel knees join the deck plate to the outer hull and sides of the vessel. These are massive reinforced triangles of steel which outline the curve of the hull. Thus, they tend to be elongated triangles in the midships region where the hull bows out, and more equal-sided in the bow where the hull rises sharply. The result is that the ship's hull shape can be seen from these knees even though the hull plates themselves are mostly torn free. These provide important fish habitat but are not large enough to allow diver entry.
Several holes enable divers to peer into the cargo hold where ore was carried for many years.
This report takes the position that the Benwood shipwreck MAY BE eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, and should be considered a significant maritime archaeological resource. It can be argued that the vessel, in spite of its Norwegian registry, was sunk carrying ore for the U.S. military effort on April 9, 1942. Two areas of significance can be argued for the Benwood wreck. One is commerce. This merchant vessel was involved in coastal commerce on the Eastern seaboard for many years.