Sloop Cove, National Historic Site
Sloop Cove is another historic location 2.5 miles up the Churchill River on the west side. It was an important asset when considering the current location of Prince of Wales Fort. This shallow and sheltered cove was used to dry dock sloops and other small ships for over wintering out of the crushing grip of sea ice. Ships could also be block and tackled into position for maintenance and repair. What can you see at Sloop Cove? Isostatic rebound has slowly changed this 18th century shallow cove into a 21st century dry cove. You can find original iron mooring rings still in place. There are signatures and graffiti on the rocks put there by 18th century seamen, the most famous being that of Samuel Hearne. There are also two ship names, the Discovery and the Furnace, used by Christopher Middleton during his unsuccessful search for the entrance to the North West Passage in 1741/1742 (Dobb's Expedition).
