Three Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) archaeologists joined Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) volunteers in the latter's search for the Revolutionary War transports, one of which had been Cook's Endeavour. (See Cook's Log, page 1684, vol. 22, no. 4 (1999)).

The study of the first transport site has been completed. It is too small to be Endeavour. RIMAP then began a study of a second transport site, which is to be continued this summer.

From information supplied by Ron Moore and Brian Sandford

In a personal email Dr Abbass, project director of RIMAP and the Foundation for the preservation of Captain Cook's Ships, told me there could be as many as 13 vessels to study. It is slow work and will take at least one more season, possibly two.

"Our main concern is to determine how many of the vessels are here and try to find out which ones they may be. If we are really lucky one of them will be the Endeavour; if we are really lucky we will be able to prove it… After the initial press feeding frenzy we are trying to keep a lower profile and get on with our work unimpaired."

John Allan

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 1869, volume 24, number 3 (2001).