PONTE VEDRA, Fla. -- There are over 3,000 cars lined up on A1A, full of people who are anxious to get a look at the hull of a historic ship that washed up on Ponte Vedra Beach last week.
The hull of the ship has been dated by Marine Archeologist, Chuck Meide, back to the 1800s; possible between 1830 and 1860.
Miede said that the ship had not been on the water very long before it sank. Researchers can tell because the hull still shows signs of its construction, like hammer and construction marks, preserved even after being in the water for over a century.
It is likely the ship was a cargo ship.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said it has officers protecting the site when they can, but as the ship is now state property, it is not their jurisdiction, they are just attempting to help. However, the traffic backing up on A1A has caused issues they are facing including the mass exodus of pedestrians attempting to cross the road to get to the ship.
However, authorities want to remind the public that taking a piece, no matter how small, of a historic artifact, is punishable by law, up to a third-degree felony.
