SEA VENTURE
By Capt. Dan Berg

Photos:  Replica of the Sea Venture and Admiral Sir George Somers statue. Photos by Dan Berg.

The English flagship, Sea Venture, under the command of Admiral Sir George Somers, was leading a squadron of ships from Plymouth, England, to Jamestown, Virginia,  with settlers and supplies for the new colony. On July 25, 1609, a hurricane blew the Sea Venture off course. Three days latter, on July 28th, after having suffered severe damage from the storm, the crew was grateful to spot land. Admiral Somers grounded the ship a half mile off St. Catherine's point. Fortunately all 150passengers and crew were able to make it to land bringing much of the Sea Venture's cargo with them. Within a short time, the Sea Venture broke up and sank.
 
These castaways were Bermuda's first settlers. The settlers built two small vessels named the Deliverance and the Patience. In May of 1610, all but three men sailed to Jamestown on these improvised sailing vessels. On arrival they found only 60 survivors out of the 500 settlers left in Jamestown the previous year. Indian attacks and poor crops had plagued the Jamestown colony. Admiral Somers returned to Bermuda and died on the island he had come to love. His heart and entrails are buried in St. George, while his body was returned to England.

In June of 1958, Edmund Downing set out to find the Sea Ventures remains. Research told him that the wreck lay in an area named Sea Venture Shoal. In October of the same year, Downing found a wreck in 30 feet of water. The Smithsonian's, Mendel Peterson, and local shipwreck authority, Teddy Tucker, were called in to make a positive identification of the site. After unearthing a stone jug, clay pipe, and a vase of the correct period and taking timber measurements, they concluded that this was indeed the vessel that had brought Bermuda's first colonists.

The information listed above was taken with permission from the Book:
BERMUDA SHIPWRECKS,  ISBN # 0-9616167-4-1
A Vacationing Divers Guide to Bermudas Shipwrecks,
by Dan and Denise Berg, 6x9 softcover,73 pages.
Retail $14.95

From the first quarter of the 16th century, Bermuda became a landmark for Spanish ships sailing back to Spain from the New World. The desire to sight Bermuda to confirm their position often ended their voyage as they wrecked on Bermuda's outer reefs. To this day Bermuda's treacherous reefs have taken their toll on shipping. The reefs have claimed vessels ranging from ocean lines to small fishing boats. Bermuda Shipwrecks is the most comprehensive, accurate, illustrated collection of information, photographs, sketches and stories ever written about the legendary wrecks around Bermuda. Bermuda Shipwrecks includes over 100 illustrations comprised of 61 sensational color photos, 17 rare b&w historical images, 19 stamps, 4 sketches plus one map. Bermuda Shipwrecks contains a wealth of enlightening information that gives the readers a nostalgic glimpse into the history and present condition of over 55 of Bermuda's most popular Shipwrecks.