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DeBraak Shipwreck (7S-D-47)

Site History

This site is the location near Cape Henlopen, Delaware of the wreck of a late 18th-century ship alleged to be the British HMS DeBraak. The ship was built in Holland in 1781 and sailed under the Dutch flag for 14 years before being captured by the British. The Debraak sunk in May of 1798 as a result of a powerful storm. The ship was carrying a load of merchandise when she sank. Efforts to salvage the cargo began as early as the 1880s and continued into the 20th century. The shipwreck was of interest because it allegedly carried treasure captured from a Spanish ship.

Archaeological Investigations

The wreck was discovered by treasure salvors using side scan sonar in the mid-1980s. The salvors looted the ship, removing artifacts and destroying large portions of the ship itself. The anticipated Spanish treasure was not found, and the State of Delaware purchased from the treasure salvors 20,000 artifacts from the wreck, as well as the wooden hull of the ship. This hull is curated in Lewes Delaware by the Delaware State Museums.

References

Duffy, Jim

2021   Shipwreck in Lewes! The DeBraak Goes Down. Secrets of the Eastern Shore. Electronic resource accessed December 4, 2025 at https://www.secretsoftheeasternshore.com/shipwreck-debraak/.

Nasca, Paul

2023   Remembering the HMS DeBraak 225 Years Later. Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs. Electronic resource accessed December 4, 2025 at https://history.delaware.gov/2023/04/10/debraak-225th-anniversary/.

(Edited from Delaware Cultural Resource Survey Archaeological Site Form, Duffy 2021, and Nasca 2023)