2013 - Maritime Heritage Characterization and Monitoring Project

Divers mooring near Helgoland site — A Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary diver marks one of the mooring blocks to help record *Helgoland*'s remaining features (courtesy of Matthew Lawrence, NOAA/SBNMS).

In 2013 sanctuary archaeologists continued the characterization of the Helgoland site on Jeffreys Ledge and began developing a site map of the underwater habitat's remains. Archival documents about the mission do not include a detailed layout of the research projects' infratructure which included the main habitat, mooring anchors and cables, as well as guidelines and research stations.

Drawing of the Heroic — The *Heroic* was originally built in 1941 as the Accentor Class Coastal Minesweeper AMc-84. Pictured above is the AMc-77 *Endurance*, a similar vessel to the *Heroic* (courtesy of the U.S. Navy).

Sanctuary staff also conducted a monitoring dive on a shipwreck believed to the eastern rig dragger Heroic on Stellwagen Bank. The dive revealed that the previous winter's strong storms had scoured a considerable quantity of sediment from around that shipwreck. Additional research is currently being conducted to positively identify the site and learn more about its history.

The strong winter storms also moved the F/V Patriot shipwreck from its original location to a new spot 900 feet away. Learn more about the Patriot.