AMARANTHE Question

[firstbiggestmost]

Does any one have information on "AMARANTHE",,originally (Amarante) 1793 a French 14 gun brig sloop, which in turn was a Prize Capture, by HMS Diamond off the coast of Alderney and arrived in Portsmouth 1797 and underwent a refit 1797-98. Sank 25 October 1799 approx. 22 leagues s. of Cape Canaveral. I'm especially interested in what her business was in the Americas at the time of her sinking. Any information would be great.

Thanks and HH.

 

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[Galleon Hunter]

Here is what I have in my book

1799. British sloop-of-war H.M.S. Amaranthe, (formerly the French warship L’Amaranth), 14-guns, 290-tons, Captain John Blake, wrecked on the east coast of Florida, off Pompano Beach, about twenty-two leagues south of Cape Canaveral on October 25. Twenty-two of her crew of eighty-six perished. The captain was accused of having sailed too fast without using a sounding lead and court-martialed. The wreck lies approximately one mile north of the Hillsborough Inlet and is referred to as the “Old Silver Wreck” in several treasure hunting books. Reportedly, silver bars have been found on the beach near the wreck. The main portion of the wreck lies east to west, buried under eight feet of sand in fifteen to twenty feet of water. In 1959, divers recovered nine or ten cannons, cannonballs, ship fastenings and other artifacts, but no silver. (1,2,3,48,50,500,585,591)

GH

 

[barney]

Here is my draft entry to be included in the forthcoming "Encyclopedia of Florida Shipwrecks"

H.M.S. AMARANTHE
The H.M.S. Amaranthe was originally the 150-ton French brig-sloop Amaranthe, built in 1793 at Le Havre, which was later captured by Captain Strachen of the H.M.S. Diamond on December 31, 1796, off Alderney in the Channel Islands. She was 85 feet in length and 28 feet in breadth, and was later armed with 14 cannon (twelve 24-pounder carronades and two light long guns) while sailing under the British flag. Under the command of Captain Blake, the H.M.S. Amaranthe patrolled in the Caribbean until her wrecking on October 25 or 27, 1799, on the Florida coast. One report states she was wrecked 22 leagues south of Cape Canaveral, which would place her just north of Fort Pierce Inlet. In the days following the wrecking, 24 of the 86 crew members died of starvation before rescue.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[firstbiggestmost]

Thanks for the info

 

[mad4wrecks]

Of course, if you used 3.5 miles to a league, it would put the wreck near the St. Lucie Power plant.

 

[firstbiggestmost]

The reference I read said approximately 22 leagues S. of Cape Canaveral which should put the wreck in the Fort Pierce Area. Of course, every description I have read on the AMARANTHE has been a little different than the next. .

I know a lot of 1715 salvage has been done in the area. Are there artifacts, etc. that don't fit with the plate fleet in the area?

Im just getting in to this so I have a ton to learn and I appreciate any good info or leads.

Thanks and HH.