Recreational fishing is a popular pastime at the cove. Shipwrecks Chesil Beach, and the cove, have seen many cases of shipwrecks, more so than most other parts of the British coast, particularly during the age of sail. Chesil Beach became infamously known as "Deadman's Bay", taken after the name Thomas Hardy gave West Bay, including Chesil Cove, in his novel The Well Beloved of 1892. The local fishermen, particularly at Portland, developed a purpose-built vessel to withstand the sea actions at Chesil Beach. The boat, known as a Lerret, is a double-ended open fishing boat, used for seine net fishing. The 18th-century public house The Cove House Inn remains one of Portland's most popular pubs and is Grade II Listed. Despite its particularly vulnerable position on the beach, the pub was a survivor of the Great Storm of 1824. Shipwreck list Some of the ships wrecked at Chesil Cove include: John - 1669 - English cargo vessel, crew and cargo saved Angel Guardian - 1681 - cargo vessel, 6,000 oranges recovered Peter - 1685 - French cargo vessel, four hogsheads of French wine saved De Hoop - 1749 - Dutch West Indiaman, all crew saved Johanna Theresa - 22 January 1753 - Dutch craft, the captain and five men drowned Biscaye - 1754 - Spanish cargo vessel Fanny - 1760 - British brigantine involved in slave trade Zenobie - 12 January 1762 - French privateer Le Pelerin - 10 August 1784 - French craft Nancy - 13 August 1793 - British brig, crew and part cargo saved Peggy - 3 June 1796 - American cargo vessel, four of eleven crew saved Rodney - 26 September 1799 - English brigantine vessel, all crew saved Hayward - 26 September 1799 - English brigantine vessel, all crew saved Concord - 26 September 1799 - English brigantine vessel, all crew saved Smith - 26 September 1799 - English brigantine vessel, all crew saved Endeavour - 1800 - British craft, all crew saved Nancy - 24 March 1801 - British craft Le Mercuria - 4 March 1818 - 500-ton French vessel, 20-30 drowned Pollux - 20 October 1820 - brig, one crew lost Iris - 7 November 1823 - Swedish brig, the master and three of six crew men saved Wasster Norland - 26 November 1824 - Swedish sailing vessel, six of ten crew men saved Leonora - 3 December 1824 - Dutch Galliot, all