200-Year-Old Wreck Uncovered On Florida Beach

A ship that grounded some 200 years ago has been unearthed on Florida's Crescent Beach.

Beachgoer Mark O’Donoghue, a local resident, initially noticed the wreck poking through the sand after Tropical Storm Eta swept across the northern part of the state, displacing enough soil to reveal parts of the sailing vessel’s timber and metal spikes.

He and his wife have walked that stretch of beach every day for the past year, he tells First Coast News, and when he noticed the exposed wood, he notified the nearby St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program.

The ship likely dates back to the 19th century, Chuck Meide, the maritime program’s director, says in a press release after archaeologists visited the site to examine the wreckage.

“Everything we’ve seen on it so far fits that hypothesis — wooden planking, wood timbers, iron fasteners,” he says. “They look quite similar to other ships from the 1800s that we have seen.”

According to Meide, it’s possible that this ship is the Caroline Eddy, an American merchant vessel that was used to carry goods like lumber, hardware and flour up the East Coast.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse Keepers’ Log mentions the Caroline Eddy wrecking about nine miles south of the Light Station, which would correspond to the present-day Crescent Beach location. Historical records indicate the ship broke apart offshore in what may have been a hurricane, but all crew members made it to shore safely.

As years passed, the wreckage was buried under about 10 feet of sand. But more recently, erosion washed away most of the ship’s covering before the recent tropical storm finally revealed the vessel.

Today, partially exposed sections of the ship include a wooden keelson and ceiling planking, which Meide says is likely the floor of the cargo hold. His team hopes to complete a full survey of the wreckage, including taking samples of the timbers and iron work to uncover more about the ship’s past.