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On September 12, 2004 an expedition team led by the Turks and Caicos National Museum along with US based Ships of Discovery completed the first field season in search of Trouvadore.

Over a two-week period, interrupted in part by Hurricane Frances, a large portion of the Breezy Point area of East Caicos was successfully surveyed. A fair amount of shipwreck debris was spotted, ranging from modern stainless steel sailboat rigging to isolated iron anchors.

Two definite shipwreck sites were located within the survey area; a relatively modern iron hulled ship and an older wooden hulled sailing vessel. The iron wreck appears to be a late 19^th or 20^th century sailing ship, with remains lying both inside and outside the outer reef. The targets were identified through a combination of tow-boarding, snorkeling, and scuba diving outside and on the reef as well as in the shallows close to the shore of the uninhabited island.

The wooden wreck appeared to be a stone-ballasted ship, not unlike the working profile established for the Trouvadore. Apparently the ship was swept over the outer reef and came to rest in a confined area between two patch reefs approximately 200m from shore. More work will need to be done on this promising discovery in order to find out if it could be Trouvadore.

After discovery of the wooden hulled wreck, survey teams conducted a visual survey along the beach and slightly inland to look for indications of a survivors' camp, or any other type of activity connected to the shipwreck. Bottle fragments contemporary with Trouvadore were found in the area, as well as a mysterious stone cairn.

Considering the loss of time due to threatening weather, the 2004 search for Trouvadore enjoyed considerable success. The majority of the survey area was visually searched, important logistical lessons were learned, and a detailed accurate plan and photo-mosaic of the wooden wreck was prepared for the 2006 test excavation of the site.

Will the wooden wreck turn out be the ill-fated Trouvadore? With a careful scientific test excavation, further search of the rest of the Breezy Point area, and continuing archival research in Portugal, Spain, Cuba, and elsewhere, that question might eventually be answered.