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Florida State University
Research in Underwater Archaeology


Shipwreck Databases, Indices, and Lists


The Florida State University Shipwreck Index

This searchable, online directory is a list of all shipwrecks from the Admiralty Courts of the Southern District of Florida between 1828 and 1911. It contains information such as the ship's name, ship's type, where it wrecked, its cargo, salvage fees, its home port and destination, and where it can be found in the Admirlty Records (on microfiche). This index was originally compiled by Tom Hambright of the public library in Key West.

Dutch East India Company Shipwrecks

In addition to an excel spreadship of VOC shipwrecks from 1597-1800, this site includes links (many in English) to text describing the vessels and their history.

Victorian Shipwreck Listing

This is a compiliation, in alphabetical order by title, of 23 ships that have wrecked along the coast of Victoria, Australia. The dates of the vessels range from 1875 through 1949. Data listed includes vessel name, type, year wrecked, length, and weight.

Minnesota's Lake Superior Shipwrecks

This listing, compiled by the Minnesota Historical Society, includes 47 ships wrecked in Lake Superior. Data includes ship name and type, the years the vessel was built and wrecked, current condition (poor, fair, good, unknown), and National Register status (eligable, ineligable, on register).

The Shipwrecks and Reefs of Morehead City

Lists 15 wrecks offshore Morehead City, North Carolina, with short descriptions of each wreck site.

Wreck Databases and Lists

Though not a listing of shipwrecks, this directory includes maritime museums, record offices, archives, and historical societies accross the world.

Virginia Shipwrecks

This webpage is geared towards recreational divers. It includes a list of over twenty shipwrecks offshore the Virginia Beach area, ranging in age from 1888 through the 1970s, including a number of WWII era wrecks. Brief details for each wreck are listed , as well as photographs for some. Unfortunatly, it seems many of these have been looted by divers.

North Carolina Wreck Diving

Another listing of North Carolina wrecks for the recreational diver. General locational information is provided, but no historical details are listed.

Northern Shipwreck Database

This project, a private effort by David Barron, now includes a list of over 65,000 New World shipwrecks from the 1500s to present day. At first the database contained shipwrecks from waters above the 40th degree latitude, but the list is now expanding across North America and the Caribbean. This site give basic information on the database, how to purchase it on CD-ROM, and how to reqest shipwreck information via mail

Historic Wrecks of Great Britain

This Guide to Historic Wreck Sites is provided by the Archaeological Diving Unit. It provides basic information on the Protection of Wrecks Act of 1973, and then provides the location and site history for the 42 shipwrecks currently protected by law.

Historic Ships (in chronological order)

This site is part of the Maritime History Virtual Archives homepage. It contains a massive amount of information on individual ships. There is an index based on ship type (North American Clippers, British Clippers, Four-Masted Ships and Barques, Schooners, Royal Barges, etc) and then a list of individual ships in chronological order, from the Mary Rose (1510) to the Estonia (1980).

Australian National Historic Shipwreck Database

This is an extensive, searchable database of shipwrecks in Australia. It is a joint effort of several Australian agencies responsible for managing underwater cultural resources, and constitutes a combined database with 35 potential fields of information for each wreck.

NAVIS: A Database of Ancient Ship Archaeology

This is an extensive database of European shipwreck resources. The aim of the project is to create a multilevel international database for ancient ships of Europe. The webpage includes an impressive list of nautical terms, with translations in a number of languages. It has a dynamic graphic-oriented user interface, giving acces to the database by clicking on images of the ship itself.

Lloyd's of London Information on Merchant Shipping Losses and Shipwrecks

The first surviving issue of Lloyd's List, dating to 1741, provides an ongoing daily record on shipping casualties recieved in London. This resource became more and more comprehensive as the years went by, recording not only British vessels in native waters but shipping losses worldwide. This webpage provides information on this resource as well as other useful sources such as the Parlimentary Papers (Admiralty Wreck Register).

NOAA Automated Wrecks and Obstructions Information System (AWOIS)

This is a searchable database of wrecks and navigational obstructions sponsored by NOAA. Users can search for wrecks and obstructions in one of three ways: 1. By the chart number, 2. By giving latitude and longitude (in degrees and minutes), and 3. By giving any part of the wreck name. Also, any of the search criteria can be combined for a more detailed search.

Ship Information Database (SID): Canada

This database was put together based on ship registration records at the National Archives in Ottawa. In some cases, though not all, the fate of the ship has been indicated.

Historic Shipwrecks of the Azores

This webpage, compiled by Paulo Monteiro, lists hundreds of shipwrecks known to have been lost in the Azores. They are categorized by century, from 16th to 20th. Information provided includes an identification number, year and date of loss, island and specific location of wreck, ship name, ship type, and other observations.