With La Salle back aboard their vessel, the company again sailed west until, about 25 miles (40km) from Niagara, weather checked their progress. [1] The French flag flew above the cabin placed on top of the main deck that was elevated above the hull. In the meantime, the duo plans to continue their hunt for the gold bullion. When a strong wind suddenly arose, they could not make it back to the ship. On 27 December 2014, two divers, Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe, announced the discovery of a wreck that they believe is Le Griffon, based on the bowstem, which to some resembles an ornamental griffin. From the web site of Libert's company: "There were plenty of theories of what happened to the flagship. The book's title, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1679 , indicates the importance the couple places on understanding the location of the Huron Islands in their search. More than 100 Native American bark canoes gathered around Le Griffon to look at the "big wood canoe". The figurehead likely isn't the remains of a griffin, he said, but a "big encrustation of zebra mussels," on burned wood. Le Griffon - Wikipedia the griffon shipwreck facts. His wishes and hopes to find the legendary ship were all granted when he, his wife Kathie, and a group of others discovered it on Sept. 10, 2018 in upper Lake Michigan. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Le Griffon and the Huron Islands 1649: Our Story of Exploration and Discovery. Le Griffon mysteriously went missing in 1679 and no one knows what happened between the time it was last seen until it was discovered three years ago, Libert said. Le Griffon - meaning 'The Griffin' - vanished during its maiden voyage in 1679 in one of the oldest and most notorious maritime mysteries in US history. The bowsprit is seen here sticking out of the bed of Lake Michigan, The Liberts are prevented by the State of Michigan from conducting an in-depth excavation of the wreck site, Mr Libert said: 'It is just a matter of time before we achieve our goal. (Image credit: Father Louis Hennepin Public Domain ). But the latest finding, made popular again by Wreck Diving Magazine in its latest issue, holds a number of clues about the ship's past.
The Future starts Here