St. Ann's Bay is located west of the Ocho Rios.

In 1990, INA began a search for two ships lost by Christopher Columbus on his fourth and final voyage to the New World.  Worm-eaten and leaking severely, the Admiral beached the Capitana and the Santiago de Palos in what is now St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica.  The ships were lashed together, propped upright, and served as a base for Columbus and his men while they awaited a rescue that was to come more than a year later on June 29, 1504.

Columbus Statue, Jamaica.   Photo: INA

The shipwrecks are important for several reasons.  No plans and no remains of caravels from the era of discovery have been found by archaeologists.  As the two hulls left behind by Columbus rested in soft sediments in shallow water, there is an excellent chance they have survived the centuries.  These ships will yield new information on the construction techniques of the time, as well as on how the Admiral and his men fared in their year-long marooning, including the cross-cultural contacts with the local Arawak people.

Under the direction of James Parrent, INA surveyed in St. Ann's Bay for three seasons, ending in 1992.  While Columbus' ships were not found, several wrecks of later centuries were located.  One of these, an 18th-century sloop, was excavated by INA under the direction of Texas A&M graduate student Gregory D. Cook in 1994.

The Columbus Caravels Project was a joint venture between INA and the Government of Jamaica.  

For more on St. Ann' Bay and Jamaica visit:

Port Royal Project
St. Ann's Bay Survey, Jamaica 1981
Reader's Point Wreck: An 18th-Century Sloop in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica

Other INA projects in the Caribbean include:

The 17th-century Shipwreck at Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic
Highborn Cay: INA's Shipwreck of Discovery
Molasses Reef: Shipwreck of the Early 16th Century

Ralph K. Pedersen, Editor
2003, Columbus Caravels Archaeological Project
URL, http://ina.tamu.edu/CCAP/CCAP.htm