For hundreds of years, ships leaving Hispañola bound for Europe had difficulty clearing a hidden reef near the Turks Island Passage. The H.M.S. Endymion , a 140-foot, 38-cannon, British frigate met its fate here on August 2, 1790 and has since become the area's namesake, now known as Endymion Rock. The rock also claimed an American Civil War vessel circa 1865, and maybe other vessels as well.
The Endymion was classified by the British Admiralty as a fith-rate ship, which simply meant it was not expected to be in the line of battle. The vessel was designed for its superior sailing qualities (actually the design was taken form a captured French frigate) and used in the fleet for such tasks as lookouts in battle, or they cruised independently in search of privateers.
Posted on 8 January 2009 by OceanContent.
The H.M.S. Sirius was also a fifth rate frigate based upon the same design as the Endymion . Built in 1797, the Sitrius ran aground twice during a battle in late August 1810. It was deliberately burnt and scuttled on the 24th to avoid capture. Should you want to complete an exacta of diving on both wrecks you will have to travel to Mauritius in the Indian Ocean to dive on the Sirius .