Liverpool Cove Survey

In early summer 2024, students from Texas A&M University’s Nautical Archaeology Program traveled to the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary to document a shipwreck in Liverpool Cove, an adjacent inlet. Maritime historian Don Shomette briefly recorded this vessel in 1996, but further research identified that Site 18CH616 as a possible match for the log-hulled bugeye Bessie Lafayette. Historical records indicate that Bessie Lafayette operated in the region before being abandoned within the sanctuary. The primary goal of the project was to document the remaining features of Site 18CH616, determine its vessel type, and evaluate evidence supporting or refuting its identification as Bessie Lafayette. Students employed traditional recording techniques, including baseline offsets, alongside a digital goniometer to measure the hull’s curvature for reconstruction. They also recovered and documented 40 artifacts through measurement and photography. Historical sources, including newspapers, photographs, drawings, and ship registries, support the identification of the wreck as Bessie Lafayette, a Chesapeake Bay oyster boat. The vessel played a role in the oyster industry, transported freight on the Potomac River, and was even linked to “oyster piracy” during the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Wars. The data collected will contribute to a dissertation analyzing 19th-century regional shipbuilding techniques.