Discovery of HMS Endeavour wreck confirmed
In 2016, Rimap volunteers, operating on private subsidies and donations, had located 10 of the 13 wrecks, almost exactly where the historic cards said they should be. And research had obtained a boost from the discovery in 1998 of a 200 -year paper path connecting the transport of troops Lord Sandwich to his old HMS life Effort.
Reduce
![Edward Fage, [Newport and its environs, ca. 1778]William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, 8380. Note](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/endeavor2-1024x574.jpg)
Edward Fage, [Newport and its environs, ca. 1778]William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, 8380. Note “Sweaks” indicated west of North Battery (surrounded).
Australian national maritime museum
Edward Fage, [Newport and its environs, ca. 1778]William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, 8380. Note “Sweaks” indicated west of North Battery (surrounded).
Australian national maritime museum
Mosaic showing the frame and the hips under the letters map, the north is at the bottom of the image.
John D. Broadwater / Australian National Maritime Museum
Mosaic showing the frame and the hips under the letters map, the north is at the bottom of the image.
John D. Broadwater / Australian National Maritime Museum
Edward Fage, [Newport and its environs, ca. 1778]William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, 8380. Note “Sweaks” indicated west of North Battery (surrounded).
Australian national maritime museum
Mosaic showing the frame and the hips under the letters map, the north is at the bottom of the image.
John D. Broadwater / Australian National Maritime Museum
A candidate was found only 500 meters off the Côtes du Rhode Island (RI 2394), 14 meters below the surface and buried in almost 250 years of sediment and silt. The Rimap team concluded in 2018 that it was probably the wreckage of the EffortAlthough the researchers stressed that they had to accumulate more evidence to support their conclusions. Indeed, only about 15% of the ship survived. All parts of the hull that were not quickly buried by the silt has long been broken down into water.
The ANMN felt sufficiently confident in its own research by 2022 to keep this controversial press conference announcing the discovery, against the objections of Rimap. But the evidence is now strong enough for Rimap to reach the same conclusion. “In 1999 and again in 2019, Rimap and Anmm agreed on a set of criteria which, if they were satisfied, would identify the RI 2394 Lord Sandwich, “ The authors wrote in the introduction of the report. “Based on the approach of the preponderance of agreed evidence, enough these criteria have now been met … to positively identify the RI 2394 as the remains of Lord Sandwich, Formerly Bark HM by James Cook Effort. “”
The Historical Preservation Commission and the Heritage of Rhode Island and the ANMM is now collaborating to ensure that the wreckage site is protected in the future.
