This is the information page about the shipwreck Bonhomme richard, the water chart below shows the wreck in its immediate vicinity. The position of this wreck is 54 11.502 N,0 13.481 W (54.1917, -0.2246833)

The texts accompanying this shipwreck are in English 🇬🇧, as they are prepared by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) based on data from UKHO and the hydrographic services of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, among others. They include the known details of the wreck and the comments of the cartographers who have checked the position and condition of the wreck over time.

Name: BONHOMME RICHARD

Length 44.2 meter, tonnage 900 ton

Cause: Ex-duc de duras. built in france. six 18 pounder, twenty eight 12 pounder and eight 9 pounder carriage guns. passage lorient for patrol and return. an american privateer commanded by commodore john paul jones. sank 36hrs after sustaining severe damage in single ship action with hms seraphis (4th rate, 886 tons bm, 44 guns) during the war of independence. before bonhomme richard sank hms seraphis was boarded & taken over.

Year of registration: 1976

Water depth above wreck: 20 meter

Known since: 1976, last detected: 20160205

Details measurements/cartography: H4791/76 4.11.76 LOCATED 9.1976 IN 541036N, 000200W [OGB] USING TRISPONDER. POOR SIDESCAN RESULT & NO E/S RECORD. ESTIMATED LENGTH OF WK 150FT. THOUGHT TO POSSIBLY BE THE BONHOMME RICHARD. (DECCA SURVEYS LTD, K7588/1&2). 7.7.78 FURTHER INVESTIGATION TO BE MADE IN AUGUST 1978. (DECCA SURVEY NEWS RELEASE). NCA. HH100/351/09 6.10.94 WK LOCATED IN 541127N, 001345W [OGB], BELIEVED TO BE THAT OF BONHOMME RICHARD. EXAM'D BY DIVER 9.1994. VISIBLE SIGNS OF EXPOSED TIMBERS WITH SOME ANCHORS FOUND IN PROXIMITY. TO BE CONSIDERED AS POSSIBLE HISTORIC WRECK SITE. (RECEIVER OF WRECK, NO 155/94). INS AS FOUL. BR STD. HH090/730/01 19.11.97 NOT LOCATED, DISPROVED. (GARDLINE, HI 730). AMENDED TO DEAD. BR STD. HH100/351/14 16.9.99 WRECKAGE EXISTS IN 5411.502N, 0013.481W [WGD]. POSN BY DGPS. FURTHER PORTION EXISTS CLOSE NE (SEE [57731]). (FOR AUTHORITY SEE FILE). AMENDED LIVE. INS AS FOUL. BR STD. HH242/610/11 24.7.02 DESIGNATED AS AN HISTORIC WK. RESTRICTED AREA RADIUS 300MTRS CENTRED ON 5411.502N, 0013.481W [WGD]. (STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 1858/02).

- NM 3791/02. HH100/351/19 19.9.02 MANY WOODEN SHIPS WERE DESTROYED IN THIS AREA. A PIECE OF WOOD WAS PREVIOUSLY EXAMINED AND FOUND TO CONTAIN METAL PINS, BONHOMME HAD WOODEN PINS. (S OLD, EMAIL DTD 18.9.02). NCA. HH100/351/22 19.10.05 DOUBT CAST THAT THIS IS THE BONHOMME RICHARD, MAY BE THE REMAINS OF AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY ENGLISH COASTAL VESSEL. (P REAVELEY, EMAIL DTD 09.10.05 & TELECOM CALL DTD 18.10.05). MAINTAIN AS BONHOMME RICHARD FOR THE TIME BEING. NCA. SEP 2007/000034421 17.5.07 LOCATED IN 5411.4942N, 0013.4806W [WGD] USING DGPS. LEAST M/B DEPTH 19.53 IN GEN DEPTH 20MTRS USING PREDICTED TIDES. LENGTH 27MTRS, WIDTH 5.6MTRS, HT 0.5MTRS. LIES 030/210 DEGS. UNABLE TO CONFIRM AS A DEFINITE WRECK AS SMALL RIDGE RUNS APPROXIMATELY NW/SE THROUGH THE AREA, WK MAY HAVE BEEN BURIED BY SEDIMENT DEPOSITION. FURTHER DIVE EXAMINATION REQUIRED. RETAIN AS FOUL. (HMSML GLEANER, HN DTD 27.3.07). NCA. SEP 2016/000007250 14.7.16 EXAM'D 5.2.16 IN 5411.502N, 0013.481W [WGD]. LEAST M/B DEPTH 19.5MTRS IN GEN DEPTHS 20MTRS. LENGTH 36MTRS, WIDTH 6.6MTRS, HT 0.8MTRS, ORIENTATION 032/213. SCOUR LENGTH 26MTRS, 1.5MTRS DEEP TOWARDS 217 DEGS. WELL BROKEN UP AND MAINLY BURIED. (EGS, HI 1472). AMEND DW 19.5MTRS IN REVISED POSN.
Comment researcher: UK Hydrographic Office

Position: 54 11.502 N,0 13.481 W

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