Researchers narrow site of HMS Endeavour to one site in Newport Harbor

One of the greatest maritime mysteries finally gets a crack in the case, as researchers with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum narrowed down the location of the centuries old ship H.M.S Endeavour to one spot a stone’s throw away in Newport Harbor.

Scientists released their findings at Gurney’s Newport Resort and Marina where the wreckage is and released new 3-D images of the site.

For Australians this is huge. It’s akin to finding the Mayflower of one of Christopher Columbus’ ships on the other side of the world. 

The ship was famously captained by James Cook who explored around the world and eventually claimed Australia as part of Britain on the vessel.

The British Royal Navy eventually sold the Endeavour and it was renamed the Lord Sandwich. The ship ended of being in Rhode Island as part of a barricade from the British to protect them from the French.

French forces eventually sunk it in 1778. The ship was also used as a prisoner transport ship in Newport Harbor.

The effort to locate the vessel began more than 20 years ago and was spearheaded by Dr. Kathy Abbass with the RI Marine Archaeology Museum who said it was no easy task.

“The visibility is poor and there’s just not a lot left,” she said.

Dr. James Hunter is the curator for the project who said that the final verification will come down to studying construction records of the Endeavour and comparing it to the wreckage.

“Got a very extensive archival record. We have collected quite a bit of data,” he said. “We’ve worked on more shipwrecks we couldn’t identify than shipwrecks we could.”

Once the verification is complete, Hunter said the ship will likely stay right where it is.

For now, the site is marked by orange buoys and is closed to diving and anchoring of boats until the verification is complete.

Scientists are hoping the ship will be identified within the next year.