The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) has published many histories of the vessels in Rhode Island during the American Revolution and has done many archaeological studies to find and document what remains of those that were lost. Vessels of various types and sizes were lost due to marine peril, human error, or in engagements between enemy combatants.

In Rhode Island local land engagements had a maritime component because in order to meet, one side or the other (and sometimes both) had to cross the Bay, transit the Sound, or navigate local inland waterways. The stories of these vessels can be thrilling, sometimes amusing, and often tragic, but more importantly, they clearly demonstrate the intensity of what happened on local waters during the American Revolution, and why Rhode Island is called the "Ocean State."