Future generations?

The top two silver coins are from the Wreck of Hollandia 1743. (Not salvaged by me)  The lower two copper coins were salvaged by me from the Wreck of the Bassenthwaite 1836.  These are a couple of examples of how stupid the British Heritage authorities current no take policy is. (even though they do it all the time)  They have this ill thought out policy that everything on shipwrecks should remain on the sea bed for future generations to enjoy.  But if you look at the image you can clearly see the deterioration occurring.  When items land on the sea bed they immediately start to deteriorate, that is a fact. If they get buried in an anaerobic environment they are better preserved but even in that environment the deterioration is just slowed down.  Metal objects like coins only survive for any length of time if they are either concreted in big heaps- or become concreted to iron objects. Coins in these two situations deteriorate too though -just more slowly. The outer coins in a heap just act like an anode for those deeper inside the heap. So the longer they stay on the sea bed then more of them will become exposed to the deterioration on the outer layer- until the middle of a heap is reached-thus eventually all the heap will inevitably disappear in time. 

If a coin or metal object is concreted to an iron object like, say, a cannon, then the cannon becomes the anode for the coin. Eventually the cannon gets softer and softer inside its concretion-until eventually- the cannon turns to mush inside its own concretion and thus all its integrity as a solid object is lost. Once that occurs all that is left is the sea bed concretion itself in the shape of a cannon with the coin stuck inside the remaining crust layer. Now without the iron as its anode- the coin becomes exposed to more rapid deterioration-especially if the concretion will eventually become dispersed by the actions of the sea and sea bed material movement.  This happens to everything on the sea floor in time- especially around very violent sea places like Cornwall and here at Scilly. 

The coins in the image above both survived in little heaps. The good coins shown were just deeper inside that heap when found. The worn thinner coins were to the outer of those heaps and thus acting as the anode for those further inside-which is why they are in such a sorry state. But all in the heap eventually suffer the exact same fate in time. So will someone please tell me how this is leaving it all to future generations? Its a myth created by university students now sitting behind a desk who no nothing of the sea. They did a course in marine archaeology then got a nice little desk job where they come up with rubbish ill thought out policies that sound great!- but are totally impractical.   

The good news for the treasure hunter today- is that some good coins still exist as not enough time has passed yet to destroy all. All the treasure hunter has to do is find where the anode coins loose on the sea bed are -and look carefully at the sea bed below where they lay. If he is lucky, that is where he will find the concreted heap of more coins looking like the surrounding sea bed & or bedrock. Many people would pick up the odd anode coins and not realise what is right there by them.  It takes a trained eye with the knowledge above to know and see whats hidden there to find.  My advice is if its legal to do so  then get it all up- because if left there it will inevitably be lost in time until no one gets to enjoy it.  This 'leave down there' policy they currently have- may work in brackish waters like the black sea or the Baltic but its of no use off  Englands coastline where the sea bed is granite or sand and the sea often violent.
 

Wreck of the Thornliebank

 

Thornliebank. built in glasgow in 1898 and wrecked on the crim here at Scilly in 1913.

Her skipper was lost and thought he was off the french coast. Then he sighted the red light of Round Island lighthouse and became confused. His dead reckoning of his position was miles out. His ship then rumbled onto the Crim and was lost. He later learned from those whom saved the crew where he had  become wrecked. He then wrote how Scilly was a good place to loose your ship as his treatment by the locals had been so good.

This is one of those wreck sites that I had to illiminate from my ongoing search for where the wreck of HMS Romney lies. There are various places the Romney could be and one of those is somewhere around the Crim reef. Thus I often find myself searching all around this reef for her.  I dived all the known sites at that reef to gain the positions of each. I magged and found the positions of the cannon site in 39 to 45m on the west side of Zantmans rock and the Sushannah in 30m on the north western side.  I then discovered the wreck of the Bassenthwaite off to the south east of the Crim in 30m. Somehow I felt proud  to have added my name to those privileged few who had actually discovered a wreck at this mysterious, treacherous, place.... the most western part of Scilly.  One day I was magging to the south of Zantmans when I had another hit to look at. I read that the Thornliebank was the other side of the rock so had to investigate to see what this hit was. Sadly the hit was not the Romney but the Thornliebank. (Mr Larns book was wrong again) This was years ago that I dropped straight onto her stern south east of Zantmans and after a short look around I found and recovered the brass boss to her helm above. (ships wheel). On surfacing I could see her name 'Thornliebank' embossed into the metal. Above is an image of it after I painted the letters back in. The finding of it just proves how little this wreck has been dived otherwise it would have been recovered long ago. I never went back but often think I should to see what else is about. Hopefully one day I may find the time but this isnt really my kind of wreck. Im into sites much older, preferably with lots of cannons laying about. Not sure who discovered this wreck but it was reported that someone raised her bell intact in 1988 ish

Frustration.

 Been searching all around the Wreck of the Phoenix to see if there's any more of her about. (See other posts about this wreck. )Did some more magging further afield and dropped on a couple of the hits recently. One day, which was rather a lovely day-we decided to base ourselves on the Western Beach of the uninhabited Samson Island for the day. From there I went out, did a dive, then returned the short distance to Samson to have lunch. Found nothing. In the afternoon I went out to the Roaring ledge to look at a hit on that reef. This was a bit far away from the Phoenix but as it was such a positive hit I had to take a look at it during the slack tide.  It was in shallow water, just 6 meters at most. I was actually full of expectation-hoping for a gully with guns in it- but sadly, I returned to the surface in disappointment. The mag hit turned out to be an 18th century anchor about 7 feet long-which isn't very big as anchors go. Nothing else of note was found or seen around the area. Either some small vessel had been lost there and now its all long gone- or the anchor was once the weight that held a channel marker buoy in place. I found the same sort of thing on the inner side of the Spanish ledge. An old anchor in the shallows on the top of the reef and nothing else. Very frustrating.  Well after the dive we returned to Samson for a walk and a swim. Then we had a picnic and watched the sun set. Absolutely stunning! Here's a couple of pics from the day on Samson between dives......

Phoenix is between the middle and far islands.

The wild and natural Western beach of Samson.

The wife. Her ancestors lived on Samson and one was the last to be born there.

                                                                  Bumming on the beach.