The story of our search for the Jennie R. Dubois begins on the deck of the dive vessel Baccala, a 42’ Westmac/Wilbur captained by a very good friend, Jack Fiora.  We were on a weekend dive trip around Block Island, Rhode Island somewhere south of Southeast Light. I was beside Jack who was at the Helm, and he turned to me and said out of the blue “you know what wreck you need to find?” and most likely not waiting for a response said the "Renee Dubois”. Undoubtedly he then gave me an account of the wreck that was, well, just as clear and detailed as any obscure shipwreck story.  Details were few and far between but I decided to look into it and see if I could get a little more information and clarify the account.

My research began at the Mystic & Noank Library

Where I found an article by Carol Kimball on the Dubois.
 

Carols article spoke of a gigantic schooner built on the shore's of the Mystic River in West Mystic, Connecticut

 

and lost only nineteen months later, thirty miles from where she was launched, somewhere southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island.

Photo: Mystic Seaport Photography Collection

She was built at the Holmes Shipbuilding Company which was organized  by William K. Holmes in 1900 with his son Charles D. Holmes.

 

Photo: Mystic Seaport Photography Collection

The Holmes shipyard was located on the banks of the Mystic River in West Mystic Connecticut and relating today's shore line to where the Jennie R. Dubois was built we see that the old yard is currently occupied by another shipyard and marina ........

Photo: Courtesy Mystic Shipyard

The Mystic Shipyard. The white oval is a true scale representation of the Jennie R. Dubois and it’s location is accurate to where she was built and launched.