A search for 18th century Bermuda sloop shipwrecks in the Turks and Caicos islands is being undertaken by a consortium involving the Bermuda Sloop Foundation and the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

Led by Dr Michael Jarvis — author of ‘In the Eye of All Trade: Bermuda, Bermudians, and the Maritime Atlantic World’ — the three-week expedition will collaborate the University of Rochester in the US and Bristol University in the UK in the hope of learning more about shipbuilding techniques used in Bermuda at the time.

“It was the key to the whole 18th Century economy, this wonderful, unique Bermudian invention,” said Dr Jarvis.

Around 4,000 sloops were built in Bermuda over the course of the 18th Century, said Dr Jarvis, but such was the skill of Bermudian sailors, the ships were rarely wrecked in local waters.

“These vessels would last 40 or more years, so Bermudians would sell them at a high profit to French and Dutch and British buyers, usually down in the Caribbean. All these vessels left Bermuda, and they’re important enough we want to study them, but nobody has ever really found and archaeologically excavated an intact vessel.”

The expedition team have applied for a number of grants to fund the trip, but are still taking donations.

Those wishing to donate should contact the Bermuda Sloop Foundation on 737-5667.