Issue date: 11/26/08 Section: AP NEWS

When the wreck was first discovered in 2004 it was named the Black Rock ship because the researchers were unsure of its identity. They have since become convinced by the timing and design of the vessel that it is the Trouvadore.

"We were not fortunate enough to find a bell with 'Trouvadore' on it," Carrell explained. Useful parts of the ship had been salvaged before winds and currents carried it into deeper water.

"It's rare and exciting to find a wreck of such importance that has been forgotten for so many years," said Frank Cantelas, marine archaeologist for NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

The team also found the remains of the U.S. brig Chippewa, a ship built for the War of 1812 which was engaged in chasing pirates when it was lost in 1816. That vessel was identified by the unique type of cannons, called carronades, it carried.

Indeed, the researchers said the Turks and Caicos now possesses one of the world's best collections of carronades.

NOAA provided about $178,000 to assist the research.

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On the Net:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

Trouvadore story: http://www.slaveshiptrouvadore.com/

Ships of Discovery: http://www.shipsofdiscovery.org/

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

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