tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86193833195089573422024-03-25T06:58:14.788-07:00Scilly Divers. Cockney Buccaneer.Living in the Isles of Scilly. Searching out and diving its undiscovered shipwrecks. And finding things underwater. Hence to the deep where all caution be tossed- there to recover the riches that folly hath lost.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-52853427959328582652024-03-21T02:44:00.000-07:002024-03-25T02:07:28.031-07:00<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <span style="font-size: large;">Merchant Royal (Part 2.) </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FEk21PZeAS-jfOmq2nWqhm7EPVGdN9DqCmzEL3h_Tw44k2GSDUswPObLciJo0fhUalVEoE2CsVrla0YMsB8PZX-Q9vMYbspGavJs1KXM1r5wYHY0ES9JfIACZNNCLf1Ddd1WwGp061vAvYvFPjgTQfuhJoL2Icb5DelCllOAjnROfDtuXs7agdOhjD0/s1024/domharveyhill_20828_17th_century_painting_by_Alessandro_Grevenb_4fe68abc-924d-4041-97b0-3c442ba75498.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FEk21PZeAS-jfOmq2nWqhm7EPVGdN9DqCmzEL3h_Tw44k2GSDUswPObLciJo0fhUalVEoE2CsVrla0YMsB8PZX-Q9vMYbspGavJs1KXM1r5wYHY0ES9JfIACZNNCLf1Ddd1WwGp061vAvYvFPjgTQfuhJoL2Icb5DelCllOAjnROfDtuXs7agdOhjD0/w400-h400/domharveyhill_20828_17th_century_painting_by_Alessandro_Grevenb_4fe68abc-924d-4041-97b0-3c442ba75498.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> In 2022 I was asked by team leader Nigel Hodge to join the latest team to look for the wreck of the Merchant Royal. Looking for this wreck has always been top of the list around here so, naturally, I accepted. Time I have; the wherewithall I also feel I have- (after finding 18 new sites of my own on a small budget so far) - but with this wreck its always been about the finances that stops any search from going ahead. And even if you do get the backing the weather is the next obstacle- so for a loner like me the Merchant Royal has really only ever been a pipe dream. In 2023 Nigel and one of his investors came to my home in Scilly for a meeting. Subsequently, as I write, other investors are gathering and meetings are being held with Nigel to get his project fully off the ground. I can only hope they will be successful. My skill set will be shipwreck historian/researcher and wreck material identification. I also have good experience in interpreting sonar data and shipwreck artefact identification and dating. I also own the biggest digitised database of shipwrecks in over a 100 mile radius of this area that has ever been assembled and it grows daily- it could prove a very useful tool in a search such as this- as we should encounter many targets out there.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">There were two big factors that I feel certain Oddessy Marine missed in their search for this wreck. Two facts that also played a part in wrecking 4 British Warships here in 1707 among many, many, others before them. I prefer to keep these two factors off facebook and between myself and the team at present but these things place Odessey's search a minimum of 15 miles out. I have plotted all my findings onto a chart and came up with a viable target area and how I would go about the search. Maybe it will be used by the team, maybe it wont, but the insightful input can not be ignored. This is not an easy wreck to find. It is a small target in a very large area of sea. Chances to get out there each year are few and far between - but with a team like the one Nigel has assembled- there is a chance of finding her. I'm looking forward to the day when we set sail from Scilly to help Nigel look for the Merchant Royal. Someones gotta do it!</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: CentSchbook BT, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Heres a link to the project: </span></span></span></span></span><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv xzsf02u x1s688f" href="https://www.facebook.com/nigel.hodge.54/videos/957957382197786/?__cft__[0]=AZUiOhKmhMGea4IJoPhRCwinqmp3G0KMWb2bQceWdtgomK7O_HUgHFjV7wU9qPpQdx2YzRsYssuh8JtmE9JqKz21zGhv5Utm65KW2cwxnbvQgp5EXK7th76JE9_Y56D3tFXIb2_AKnvUYOeujjDn7mEMoaxzvItvhTYKO-KkpX7kKY-1sO1KcfcTc6zr-vG92T4&__tn__=-UK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none; background-color: white; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 600; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;" tabindex="0">https://www.facebook.com/nigel.hodge.54/videos/957957382197786</a></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-13896227311767334672023-06-29T02:05:00.002-07:002023-06-29T02:05:33.993-07:00Future generations?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9sfzwzv4EtaNIE9_8ODbWHaQTr-x-qOrByomZVNQZ2snm7za0eVRpe7nCqSbGJkDH5b5I2a8QazjtdjtlFQ2JOE6mQZBu9PL_NEZAEeMFq67Z7Tyhr0ZAVHetYo9tleihqcj1W4tPfkTmTXPN-UfOgosu8CMwKQmD2DnRoYMzS7FV_o57pYPXH7H3m0/s4000/IMG_2953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9sfzwzv4EtaNIE9_8ODbWHaQTr-x-qOrByomZVNQZ2snm7za0eVRpe7nCqSbGJkDH5b5I2a8QazjtdjtlFQ2JOE6mQZBu9PL_NEZAEeMFq67Z7Tyhr0ZAVHetYo9tleihqcj1W4tPfkTmTXPN-UfOgosu8CMwKQmD2DnRoYMzS7FV_o57pYPXH7H3m0/w640-h480/IMG_2953.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>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. <p></p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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.<br /> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-64049581185957479122023-06-06T01:40:00.002-07:002023-06-06T01:40:29.717-07:00Wreck of the Thornliebank<p> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-pwoUAOtXGJpb80p5uwHAyR2VCyae1MA4a-xUphRn_EpnXpkOgMuouIQADgLWmLHx--9SDDFhQcwUEG8FmZC92mq_MohI0sWJOIoUAMHCMN9zeoXK2qYAA4Pxbl5BqmJWJkg6_zg38k6UUnSE4XsxtJpgOx7dPmUUG3W2CUbZBU5zZ5XpCN3hnNb/s4000/IMG_2921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-pwoUAOtXGJpb80p5uwHAyR2VCyae1MA4a-xUphRn_EpnXpkOgMuouIQADgLWmLHx--9SDDFhQcwUEG8FmZC92mq_MohI0sWJOIoUAMHCMN9zeoXK2qYAA4Pxbl5BqmJWJkg6_zg38k6UUnSE4XsxtJpgOx7dPmUUG3W2CUbZBU5zZ5XpCN3hnNb/w400-h300/IMG_2921.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thornliebank. built in glasgow in 1898 and wrecked on the crim here at Scilly in 1913.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">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.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-50344076472931036672023-06-02T01:34:00.000-07:002023-06-02T01:34:13.935-07:00Frustration.<p> 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......</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKko2HD5HeXNjnM2UHXEQEGbssngCpjDiMV6rOLubiXTRJmsy6PsN-K7GDYyAMb068zkmD3LT5vI4PDy5JioPrf7Fo4nItlItThy4Q1oGyAgVOsQ6I1LFblPTKc66VjmJCIwgzoZfIiDmD2ZotA12WivbL786iYzxJXikFNZxN_TyxVp5KyIWbW7R/s4000/IMG_2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKko2HD5HeXNjnM2UHXEQEGbssngCpjDiMV6rOLubiXTRJmsy6PsN-K7GDYyAMb068zkmD3LT5vI4PDy5JioPrf7Fo4nItlItThy4Q1oGyAgVOsQ6I1LFblPTKc66VjmJCIwgzoZfIiDmD2ZotA12WivbL786iYzxJXikFNZxN_TyxVp5KyIWbW7R/s320/IMG_2895.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Phoenix is between the middle and far islands.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0FyM3OLK66tiQXCP_jsh-zioFb_UmXS4LDuvFogU-ZQp7s6MydBUeGYlHie0A5lbhOz2fzCfK_D3tB3ccSEThdiVDkMz_nSI6iItJiKYkbfQZ3iX_iCF44S4FfAUo24JS0jcylSvoI-B-BZuyCzNhPefczyISbHxqtUPka-JY6pi-VxWjlFXPgF1/s4000/IMG_2897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0FyM3OLK66tiQXCP_jsh-zioFb_UmXS4LDuvFogU-ZQp7s6MydBUeGYlHie0A5lbhOz2fzCfK_D3tB3ccSEThdiVDkMz_nSI6iItJiKYkbfQZ3iX_iCF44S4FfAUo24JS0jcylSvoI-B-BZuyCzNhPefczyISbHxqtUPka-JY6pi-VxWjlFXPgF1/s320/IMG_2897.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The wild and natural Western beach of Samson.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQAuhZFMPcu9hXF6LT2b3S6ZZMoRDgtpUWPJlrk-2t0SYsF0FYkL6H1R-ajgME4YgYWVhXxvZJsNekQn6r64axnVsxUWFTvb2crbq2TF79UrxDRIZYU5JwMJ28SyEnO_3bcVpa3mqhZu5cS9qRBoKlyo8zeok8G9gUT1s4PQUG_4zSuH9Bx8t30XT/s4000/IMG_2901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQAuhZFMPcu9hXF6LT2b3S6ZZMoRDgtpUWPJlrk-2t0SYsF0FYkL6H1R-ajgME4YgYWVhXxvZJsNekQn6r64axnVsxUWFTvb2crbq2TF79UrxDRIZYU5JwMJ28SyEnO_3bcVpa3mqhZu5cS9qRBoKlyo8zeok8G9gUT1s4PQUG_4zSuH9Bx8t30XT/s320/IMG_2901.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The wife. Her ancestors lived on Samson and one was the last to be born there.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAGLB-EWexEzKifkipAyUEhe3a-wtQB4CwQIW8s_lVsiRgbo7QNYYcob1OnkX-EcW4gnmNgdTq8sKeVrmzKgdwuohhKtu9OQDrps3zYRZ4amn_Smai8O4JBjU8PGkvk4MfmiDQq8vaDOAbf_I4ufBzLcPpRsoKpwk2Gz-ONhgvLwuLZ8L3FRBB9qd/s4000/IMG_2904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAGLB-EWexEzKifkipAyUEhe3a-wtQB4CwQIW8s_lVsiRgbo7QNYYcob1OnkX-EcW4gnmNgdTq8sKeVrmzKgdwuohhKtu9OQDrps3zYRZ4amn_Smai8O4JBjU8PGkvk4MfmiDQq8vaDOAbf_I4ufBzLcPpRsoKpwk2Gz-ONhgvLwuLZ8L3FRBB9qd/s320/IMG_2904.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Bumming on the beach.<br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-63726013297456158292023-05-29T01:32:00.002-07:002023-05-29T01:35:37.756-07:00Hunt the Hurricane<br />Hunting a Hurricane.<br />Years ago I was told by an old guy here called Wilf (RiP) that as a boy he watched a Spitfire go over the town and go down in St Marys Roads. I spoke to others about this at the time but no one else seemed to know of the incident. Thus the story went into the back of my mind. One day I contacted a local about her archive of the local rag. Sarah looked into the year of the incident but still drew a blank. At the time I thought this was odd as the local rag records what socks people are wearing! However, on reflection, I came to understand that it was war time and thus reporting such incidents was forbidden without express permission. I then visited the RNLI station to see if they went out to save the pilot. Still nothing. Then one day I met Graham. This was a guy who went about the south west finding crashed aircraft sites. He even has a museum full of stuff from such sites. I told Graham the story and eureka! he knew about it and gave me the scant details. However, It wasn't a Spitfire,- it was a Hurricane. This was great news. It meant that there is indeed a war time plane out in St Marys Roads. So, as a result, , whenever I go magging I do a row or two in the Roads. Similarly, whenever I go out to dive in that area I'm on the look out for it. It will probably only appear as a big pile of weed and hidden beneath that will be whats left;which wont be much. The plane was made of plywood on an aluminium sub frame. The plywood will be long gone and much of the frame will have fizzed away in the salt water too. But the Engine, undercarriage gear, machine guns and some of the cockpit and its canopy, and some of the propeller should still all be present. No gold or silver involved here but sometimes the treasure is in simply uncovering a little bit of local history. Rest assured I'm now onto it.- (Hurricane MKIX BW949 of Flight 1449 flight based St Marys, crashed in the sea on approach to land between Tresco & St Marys.)<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=662063112602754&set=a.473761291432938&__cft__[0]=AZWR8ccCPhs3MyDJd4mwirwgs5XwhMHdVvnKxI_wlcoS-3HHaMf4BQWSpNkEJaFzFr2IdsLdUGUbATfYAcAXH1LY__U1hrleZp1aAD76eG8kC09yN2lVQQk574qzqtbgwfWLZImEolKm_gLE5Jw824sCG9yM41ZDil_hUu24XpTy4P81Nr0LfhWFb6npRZQ4Cz8&__tn__=EH-R"></a><div style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><div class="x1n2onr6" id=":r10:" style="animation-name: none; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><div class="x1n2onr6" style="animation-name: none; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><a class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjbqb8w xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x2lwn1j xeuugli xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz x1lliihq x1pdlv7q" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=662063112602754&set=a.473761291432938&__cft__[0]=AZWR8ccCPhs3MyDJd4mwirwgs5XwhMHdVvnKxI_wlcoS-3HHaMf4BQWSpNkEJaFzFr2IdsLdUGUbATfYAcAXH1LY__U1hrleZp1aAD76eG8kC09yN2lVQQk574qzqtbgwfWLZImEolKm_gLE5Jw824sCG9yM41ZDil_hUu24XpTy4P81Nr0LfhWFb6npRZQ4Cz8&__tn__=EH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; animation-name: none; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: block; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="x6s0dn4 x1jx94hy x78zum5 xdt5ytf x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1n2onr6 xh8yej3" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none; display: flex; flex-direction: column; overflow: hidden; position: relative; transition-property: none; width: 680px;"><div style="animation-name: none; max-width: 100%; min-width: 500px; transition-property: none; width: calc((100vh + -325px) * 1.56691);"><div class="xqtp20y x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1n2onr6" style="animation-name: none; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 433.969px; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><div class="x10l6tqk x13vifvy" style="animation-name: none; height: 433.969px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition-property: none; width: 680px;"><img alt="May be an image of seaplane and text" class="x1ey2m1c xds687c x5yr21d x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy xh8yej3 xl1xv1r" height="538" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://scontent.fbrs4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/346501278_1899345997117340_6164799563013745187_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p843x403&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=uYbEAXtptawAX9Hw1nM&_nc_ht=scontent.fbrs4-1.fna&oh=00_AfAM5DvNPAxFcA8I1bbLmLfl9uTbRERDW_6WBvbsRd56eA&oe=6479E984" style="animation-name: none; border: 0px; height: 433.969px; inset: 0px; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; transition-property: none; width: 680px;" width="843" /></div></div></div></div><div class="xua58t2 xzg4506 x1ey2m1c xds687c x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy" style="animation-name: none; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); border-top: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); color: #385898; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; text-decoration-line: none; transition-property: none;"></div><div class="x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="animation-name: none; border-radius: inherit; color: #385898; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; text-decoration-line: none; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: none; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></a></div><div class="x6ikm8r x10wlt62" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; transition-property: none;"></div></div></div><div class="x8gbvx8 xdppsyt x1n2xptk x78zum5 x1q0g3np x1qughib xz9dl7a xn6708d xsag5q8 xpkgp8e" style="animation-name: none; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); border-top: 1px solid var(--divider); display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: inherit; padding: 12px 12px 12px 14px; place-content: flex-start space-between; transition-property: none;"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x1nhvcw1" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none; display: flex; font-family: inherit; justify-content: flex-start; transition-property: none;"><div aria-label="button" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x2lwn1j xeuugli xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz x6s0dn4 x3nfvp2 xl56j7k" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: center; animation-name: none; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: center; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f x1fey0fg x2b8uid" color="var(--blue-link)" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center; transition-property: none; word-break: break-word;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div class="x168nmei x13lgxp2 x30kzoy x9jhf4c x6ikm8r x10wlt62" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="animation-name: none; border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; transition-property: none;"><div style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div class="x1n2onr6" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><div class="x6s0dn4 xi81zsa x78zum5 x6prxxf x13a6bvl xvq8zen xdj266r xktsk01 xat24cr x1d52u69 x889kno x4uap5 x1a8lsjc xkhd6sd xdppsyt" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); color: var(--secondary-text); display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; justify-content: flex-end; line-height: 1.3333; margin: 0px 16px; padding: 10px 0px; transition-property: none;"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x1iyjqo2 x6ikm8r x10wlt62" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #65676b; display: flex; flex-grow: 1; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; overflow: hidden; transition-property: none;"><div style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt x1jfb8zj xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none; width: inherit;"></span></div></div><div class="x1c4vz4f x2lah0s xci0xqf" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #65676b; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; width: 7px;"></div><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 x2lah0s x1qughib x1qjc9v5 xozqiw3 x1q0g3np xykv574 xbmpl8g x4cne27 xifccgj" style="align-items: stretch; animation-name: none; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #65676b; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px; position: relative; transition-property: none; z-index: 0;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-79662520812497270842023-05-17T01:02:00.000-07:002023-05-17T01:02:01.786-07:00Double standards<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIDK0OTB5S2wNYgX5lWqgBjEOsDpznMftPW8DKeDdSeiusKMjD4iYoCE52qF_furGrIdSFo5UjSO53QlfuCnXklNk37LzH8ZFFD5DbSa5PzpLqMc9tp_4pZeR-ClDm5zm99PJ5yuROjFMZCyY0euMzrNQwKLvVMYbucrMTaX7TQjmgj8qMUGWiZ6T/s1828/ships.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1387" data-original-width="1828" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIDK0OTB5S2wNYgX5lWqgBjEOsDpznMftPW8DKeDdSeiusKMjD4iYoCE52qF_furGrIdSFo5UjSO53QlfuCnXklNk37LzH8ZFFD5DbSa5PzpLqMc9tp_4pZeR-ClDm5zm99PJ5yuROjFMZCyY0euMzrNQwKLvVMYbucrMTaX7TQjmgj8qMUGWiZ6T/w640-h486/ships.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Already we have had around ten cruise ships in the Roadstead of Scilly. Good for me but very bad for the wildlife. As usual I have been diving where they anchor and I see the devastation they leave behind and thus I get to see any interesting items they uncover as a consequence. The other day I followed along a huge swathe one of these ships had cut in the sea bed and it drove right through one of the protected Eel grass beds. Not my problem but I will say this -If I were to go down there and find a wreck or something else of interest I would have to apply for a licence through the MMO to try and uncover it. However I know for certain that they would never grant such a licence if the thing I wanted to uncover was anywhere near any Eel Grass. If I went ahead and worked without a licence I would be prosecuted and at the very least heavily fined. I could dig for a month and not destroy anything like what these vessels do in just one day. I'm not complaining as I benefit from them coming in here-its just the double standards from Government bodies that grinds on me.Yet its ok for one of these things to utterly destroy the same thing and no one gives a toss. In this picture- The small blue ship is right in between two areas of Eel Grass and is ok there. The stern of the big white one is right over an Eel bed. The big blue one is ok as she is over sand although she is ever so close to a protected shipwreck there and a swing of her stern to north would probably be encroaching into the protected zone. Much further over and her keel would knock over the standing guns that are there. Its logical for captains to want to anchor in the lee of Samson Island as their ships are protected from the sea swell there. In the old days of sail they did the exact same thing,-they anchored all around the south and east of Nut Rock. To be fair, its hard to anchor in that area and not be destroying Eel grass beds-however-all the rest of the Roadstead is free of this protected growth but then they would be anchoring more in the sea swell. However the biggest cruise ships should anchor more south as they are so large the swell wont really affect them much. <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-39014962007009819582023-05-11T01:42:00.000-07:002023-05-11T01:42:03.427-07:00Mud lark up-date<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxxGMi-gMbM95wL0m9VXIbucesfSL6_3LsgZO59tbcc7s3UFGM20VoGGEvokDmh2xQVh8jvuV8Ciji9H3EM5etzpdoSo118oWyosak1w_h9jCS70KHiHh9-L67wQKngl9cEQ4fL_L41v_lpKcoX92xB5R0hfYzUa14II7Nh1a0f3L9E6mlxghA9Aq/s3068/PXL_20230406_120401256~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2948" data-original-width="3068" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxxGMi-gMbM95wL0m9VXIbucesfSL6_3LsgZO59tbcc7s3UFGM20VoGGEvokDmh2xQVh8jvuV8Ciji9H3EM5etzpdoSo118oWyosak1w_h9jCS70KHiHh9-L67wQKngl9cEQ4fL_L41v_lpKcoX92xB5R0hfYzUa14II7Nh1a0f3L9E6mlxghA9Aq/s320/PXL_20230406_120401256~2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> I covered a bit of my mud larking on here before. But here is an image sent to me by the Mersea Island Museum of their newly reformed Roman pottery display. It contains all the finds I have made over the years while mud larking there. All my items are on the two middle shelves on the right hand side. If you zoom in you can even see my name on the labels. I never asked for this but its nice that they did it. Not that anyone over that way will know who I am except my mum who has lived there for the last 30 years. My connection with that Island goes way back to the 1960's. My family had a very small caravan on a farm there called Waldegraves farm. We used to go there for all our summer holidays. Dad would drop us off then pick us up six weeks later. It was brilliant! Back then the island was so quaint and charming. We knew most of the others who had caravans there too as there were few. We also had my grandparents and some aunts and uncles cousins etc with caravans there too-all close by. It was like our whole family took up half of that area in summer. You could count the number of caravans on the site back then. There was a tap where we queued to get our water and a small toilet block. It was primarily a farm with fields and farm animals all around. However, today the quaint feel has long gone and Waldegraves is now a huge sprawling holiday complex with pub restaurants showers the whole sorry shebang. Sad really. I remember the wildlife was fab there when I was young. Fire flies, glow worms. Badgers, foxes, hares, birds of all kinds and swans on a huge wild pond where I used to catch eels. I loved going out on the mud when the tide was out. I would get up in the early morning while everyone else was asleep- silently stepping over my brothers I would creep out and quietly shut the caravan door. Then out on the mud to get to the sand banks further off shore. Out there I would find all sort of things. This was how my love of finding things started and my now love of history and nature grew from it all too. Without Mersea Island in my childhood I think I would have gone crazy in East London. Dont get me wrong, I loved all my mates there and I still do. But who knows what I would have become had the influence of my summer holidays not shown me there was a beautiful natural world out there. In a way, the small display above is like a small thank you from me. Thank you Mersea and please look after my dear ol mum!<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-52219250585938434642023-04-25T01:36:00.001-07:002023-04-26T01:15:59.725-07:00Shipwreck Treasure<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Shipwreck treasure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is inevitable after being in diving and visiting many treasure wrecks over 44 years, that i am going to come across shipwreck treasure. I have dived the Campen; Admiral Gardender; Earl of Abergavenny; Coronation; Association; Eagle; Hollandia; Phoenix; Colossus; Schiller and many more. Below are a few items of treasure I have come by as a result but for differing reasons. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My trail of shipwreck treasure finding started with the Colossus and Schiller. I found my first ever shipwreck coin on Colossus. It was this copper portuguese coin. After it, I found a few more similar and my first silver on the wreck too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Colossus sank in 1798.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J11F-iGOsPwj37fQn8O4x2Op4Fz1JSM5e-W_IFLFZW7Ny67rMovUduiRSz3i-GFYNHviVSyZWOZXeM4G6YiMhCI1xAbIKdDnYoPpm1iX7PRp6WgvI9iS1Zyn5zGdpt4VJdlQ7zsVuJYJnxTcWGiba8-pJmTxnjr-Z_QMNG-pztQMP67MAQU_d5SD/s564/PA290014.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="564" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J11F-iGOsPwj37fQn8O4x2Op4Fz1JSM5e-W_IFLFZW7Ny67rMovUduiRSz3i-GFYNHviVSyZWOZXeM4G6YiMhCI1xAbIKdDnYoPpm1iX7PRp6WgvI9iS1Zyn5zGdpt4VJdlQ7zsVuJYJnxTcWGiba8-pJmTxnjr-Z_QMNG-pztQMP67MAQU_d5SD/w400-h240/PA290014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then I dived on the Schiller for a while and found my first gold coins and boy what coins to find as your first gold- they are huge and very heavy. The Schiller sank in 1875 with 30 barrels of these coins on board. Most were salvaged but some still turn up time to time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Schiller gold.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDz-EJnlJHgLMWDudDoJQ7XnXQ06-yKkHyCT_9PLxMut1bCJstIgqHLjn1Jk86djUqwjWfPpx3kLH_xnksxkG8xBy8oQ23ysdo6s540UhfyR6Ohb-y4l6XbnEyki_iNY9UTE5TpVRYG5jklIKc24aTXikU7unfsbZ1VzAvJcaB_AFQmiquRkTZZsYt/s425/77%20Gold.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="425" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDz-EJnlJHgLMWDudDoJQ7XnXQ06-yKkHyCT_9PLxMut1bCJstIgqHLjn1Jk86djUqwjWfPpx3kLH_xnksxkG8xBy8oQ23ysdo6s540UhfyR6Ohb-y4l6XbnEyki_iNY9UTE5TpVRYG5jklIKc24aTXikU7unfsbZ1VzAvJcaB_AFQmiquRkTZZsYt/w400-h300/77%20Gold.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some of the Treasure from the Phoenix. This is one of 18 wrecks I have found pretty much on my own over the years. I can see this site from my lounge window. After diving the wreck for two years I had no idea this treasure was there, until one day I turned up to find all the sand over the site had disappeared. This lead to finding the first bit of treasure which then lead me to the rest. Later the sand returned again- but had I not bothered that day it could all still be down there today and me no one any the wiser. Until that point the wreck had been a bit of a disappointment in regards to artefacts. I believe this is contraband gold jewellery- and also in the picture Im holding a hoard of Charles II gold coins. I found many silver coins too. This is all set to go to auction by law.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> The Phoenix sank in 1680</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf8xQXrfDe8xW3bpZZad3NAvsbfjvGDcEo2-HTvUm6iDXuKi2IewqqmF19tIdzf5JFEO7fiprClTaO3SEfSGSDCLH9Vfyoh2ge2kbJtEfWG5vU1Tdwc6irmPVkikMK0nSpKgBSKNFxnX22KGrmyd9Sej4yeHHdOhl5Ztfe2glRJwCrsoLF5o4lX6z/s640/IMG_2773.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf8xQXrfDe8xW3bpZZad3NAvsbfjvGDcEo2-HTvUm6iDXuKi2IewqqmF19tIdzf5JFEO7fiprClTaO3SEfSGSDCLH9Vfyoh2ge2kbJtEfWG5vU1Tdwc6irmPVkikMK0nSpKgBSKNFxnX22KGrmyd9Sej4yeHHdOhl5Ztfe2glRJwCrsoLF5o4lX6z/s320/IMG_2773.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> I covered the story in another post. Diving in very deep water away from the wreck on East'ard Ledge. I was clearing pots for a fisherman when I came across some old onion bottles dating from circa 1710. I picked up a few coins from the spot too, which date from the same period. The closest wreckage was up on eastard ledge which is east of the Association. Some beleive the wreck on Eastard ledge to be the Romney but this has never been proven. Others believe it is just more of the Association which is on the nearby Gilstone Ledges. There have been so many wrecks around those rocks that its hard to pull one from another. I believe I have found a trail to either the stern of Association or to the Romney itself. Some believe that the stern of Association went off into deep water and going by the few items I found and where I found them -it is either debris simply pushed down from above- or as I like to believe- the trail to something much bigger even deeper down. My items were found in over 40meters of water but whatever else may be down there is going to be in over 50m. Theres a lot of sand out there so it could be nearby but just buried. Time will tell. These wrecks sank in 1707.<div><br /></div><div> I declared these as (Possibly) Association <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVyS07ptIrWQul6cTlvVigwD9R-Qhx_R59iOePRMt459pQwPUPbtZXSxNsPZd8YW9myUJD5WhoZ_80Khc25gzEPUZoY2IQV3XYfh_GvgpzkfJBAsHzjZYVKWZY1BSUVPS3oje3uupcSWidvTjoCMQV8erT0lumoSajFW4dKIyOiFIKcahzC2xYnJe/s4000/IMG_2850%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVyS07ptIrWQul6cTlvVigwD9R-Qhx_R59iOePRMt459pQwPUPbtZXSxNsPZd8YW9myUJD5WhoZ_80Khc25gzEPUZoY2IQV3XYfh_GvgpzkfJBAsHzjZYVKWZY1BSUVPS3oje3uupcSWidvTjoCMQV8erT0lumoSajFW4dKIyOiFIKcahzC2xYnJe/s320/IMG_2850%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When I first started diving Scilly in the early 90's I helped the salvage team to place moorings on the Hollandia and other jobs. They had found a large mound of silver pillar dollar coins on this wreck years beforehand. I was gifted a couple of these coins for my help at that time as a thank you. These were the world currency of the time. I never actually found any coins on this site so I cant really include them but I did spend a lot of time on this wreck helping out and since then have produced a site plan of it- upon during which I found a nice part of her ornate ships bell. Nice big silver coins these.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Hollandia sank in 1743</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKNfyBenc2S3URUERzo4xydKbieX8--r8IjL8wh_E06gKtYNZGESdy5wQ5UCW2dvTWX4DywbGPlRhm1QHZqbbyWqjC-OT5IAbq42Cdp5FXT0wSjMAN_B7jKvkIBs8buQQHTPo947PT_fWCfyOCXARiAb1DnlQ4-EeHSG7TNj-2F-nFCvCSqQ7EyYc/s4000/IMG_2851%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKNfyBenc2S3URUERzo4xydKbieX8--r8IjL8wh_E06gKtYNZGESdy5wQ5UCW2dvTWX4DywbGPlRhm1QHZqbbyWqjC-OT5IAbq42Cdp5FXT0wSjMAN_B7jKvkIBs8buQQHTPo947PT_fWCfyOCXARiAb1DnlQ4-EeHSG7TNj-2F-nFCvCSqQ7EyYc/s320/IMG_2851%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Copper ha'penny coins from the wreck of the Bassenthwaite. This was a wreck I found in 2017 and these coins helped to date and thus identify the wreck. These coins were minted for one year only- which was 1837. The Bassenthwaite sank in 1836 carrying these coins as part of a large cargo consignment to Quebec. They never made it.</div><div><br /></div><div> Bassenthwaite 1836<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkrJiGJnCArvTLHFJdGUU48bJIwHCfM3VN1WfGpCOCsX_hdfDK0lWlg9yCOEQCVFyH78LLbgqYf1fLE4kU5bL8pCrhVqXO2xnLeHoDQZPOB_BxfK50N__zKI41g-pKxbwjOJ6H-unv6zA2PIXP27zvLhuAzVFALuoaLsnyUxsoOR3VDfulg8tdlrq/s1600/IMG_2508%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkrJiGJnCArvTLHFJdGUU48bJIwHCfM3VN1WfGpCOCsX_hdfDK0lWlg9yCOEQCVFyH78LLbgqYf1fLE4kU5bL8pCrhVqXO2xnLeHoDQZPOB_BxfK50N__zKI41g-pKxbwjOJ6H-unv6zA2PIXP27zvLhuAzVFALuoaLsnyUxsoOR3VDfulg8tdlrq/s320/IMG_2508%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-59290756719513058302023-04-18T01:45:00.009-07:002023-04-18T02:15:23.292-07:00Assume nothing.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Crim Wreck site plan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafjmX91hjPmO7DEK2HQs8XPjqqcIVidMjzub4_K082NHBGZ0Kzu_WpP5z5Rln4pkE1gziGdYKFU_dlP4ckHBRtineaIa9ql-GTqtQsj3mRzE1R0Ul35gUCBK2Iui4_IkCAwQUyz7lbBV9JkOXSleazRB5h-2Rnsl4BF3gp09EzfD4Pi7FLie3FZyS/s1134/Crim%20site%20plan.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="1134" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafjmX91hjPmO7DEK2HQs8XPjqqcIVidMjzub4_K082NHBGZ0Kzu_WpP5z5Rln4pkE1gziGdYKFU_dlP4ckHBRtineaIa9ql-GTqtQsj3mRzE1R0Ul35gUCBK2Iui4_IkCAwQUyz7lbBV9JkOXSleazRB5h-2Rnsl4BF3gp09EzfD4Pi7FLie3FZyS/w640-h356/Crim%20site%20plan.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I used to dive this unidentified wreck a lot when I was younger. It was an interesting site and one that Roland Morris thought was English and part of HMS Romney. However, I dived it extensively to find out for myself what it was. My findings were that it was a small frigate from the Mediterranean area, possibly even a Turkish vessel from the mid 1600's. I found 3 types of pottery on the site that were identified as either Spanish or eastern Mediterranean and all dated into the 17th century. The anchors looked Spanish to me also. The oddity was that I kept finding clay pipes like the one pictured below. These were identified to be ottoman empire and mid to late 17th century. I was informed that these dated to no earlier than 1630. However, these particular clay pipes seem to be unchanged in their use for a long time- and that seems to be the case as one exactly like the ones seen on my wreck were recently found on another dateable wreck that sank in 1682. Oddly that wreck was English but the information was still interesting. They only found one pipe like mine and many English ones which makes their one out to be more of an anomaly than a norm for that wreck. Whereas I only found Turkish pipes and no English ones. So my ship seems to be from the Mediterranean and sank here sometime between 1630 & 1690. So the new information is merely that my wreck could be a bit later in date than I first thought. Every little bit of information helps. This is why I regularly visit museums and shipwreck displays all over the world. You can often see something you have seen before but didn't know the date or context or nationality of the object. Then you spot something in a display that is from a known historical context and bam! -suddenly, one day, things begin fall into place. It really annoys me when I watch on TV (usually in America) they find one thing on a wreck and call it conclusive proof of something when it can merely be an anomaly or even contamination. In this game one must always keep an open mind. I had that lesson reinforced upon me when we found a large naval Anchor near the wreck of HMS Colossus. Being so close to that wreck I naturally assumed it must be her long lost missing anchor. Made perfect sense to me! Over the years I have even found the odd item from the Colossus in the vast areas between the wreck and that anchor. But blow me down if the anchor didn't turn out to be mere contamination. It was dated to 1707 but arrived there on the sea bed after the Colossus sank in 1798. An easy mistake to make given the prevailing circumstances at the time. However, it was only my own research into the naval records that proved the case conclusively for me -as other peoples published research on this anchor (namely that of Mr Richard Larns) was so contradictory and unreliable that I had to totally ignore it and go back to the very beginning. I not only found a record of the navy putting the anchor in that exact spot themselves in 1967, I even found a written record of a third party who witnessed the navy as they salvaged it off a wreck 7 miles away from where we found it. A third more local record even gave me the reason why the navy put it where we then discovered it over 40 years later. This was all hard conclusive evidence- whereas this little clay pipe is merely trying to tell me a little something. Another small piece of evidence in a very big aquatic jig saw puzzle out at the Crim. And another small lesson is being learnt. This is one of the reasons why I love this diving wreck hunting game- Im always learning something new... even if its by my mistakes. Assume - makes an ASS of U and ME.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ottoman Empire clay pipe. 1630 to 1682 -and possibly beyond.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTskr6XLRgjqQAaje0BpNmFAxJxbpNgfwi3NiK2YQxSKpUwMDWVYnUZkGR0B-IJddlF9hFzfB3bU4CqeQobGjGpk7uzKJs3tFxPWULHcuxLgtfBZQ9lOkoYycaRua7Yrm2nHEiGQeu2Bo5KiSnKry9Yde9nA14zeMsDmwuURAhJ7WypXD4I0dtGeQn/s1600/IMG_2865.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTskr6XLRgjqQAaje0BpNmFAxJxbpNgfwi3NiK2YQxSKpUwMDWVYnUZkGR0B-IJddlF9hFzfB3bU4CqeQobGjGpk7uzKJs3tFxPWULHcuxLgtfBZQ9lOkoYycaRua7Yrm2nHEiGQeu2Bo5KiSnKry9Yde9nA14zeMsDmwuURAhJ7WypXD4I0dtGeQn/w400-h300/IMG_2865.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-43029890895952290082023-04-13T01:19:00.005-07:002023-04-18T02:20:53.726-07:00Bit Lively.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPF-KJunecjBrah7_f1Yof4JPbQXK4eFhUdAfasqi7jSqhNPQHamD13LPlXI3_D_DtofpwYzEQnJHOgDrCx3Qq4_M10oZvBjajgDlg7jIaclgwZBH2SCWTiJ-5rlFQRAXlLLUgcPRE2iUkem4cusN9bdYxzudvecLSPF1vNcAfc__yfwhGtLgFJW0/s1600/IMG_0897%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPF-KJunecjBrah7_f1Yof4JPbQXK4eFhUdAfasqi7jSqhNPQHamD13LPlXI3_D_DtofpwYzEQnJHOgDrCx3Qq4_M10oZvBjajgDlg7jIaclgwZBH2SCWTiJ-5rlFQRAXlLLUgcPRE2iUkem4cusN9bdYxzudvecLSPF1vNcAfc__yfwhGtLgFJW0/w640-h480/IMG_0897%5B1%5D.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Been a bit lively over the last few days with very strong winds and high seas. I had a few people set to come over for a meeting but they have had to postpone until the gale has abated. Still, it all looked very dramatic out there and when the sun came out to light it all up- it looked just beautiful! Anyway, I was walking the dog around the Garrison near my home and as I passed by one of my wreck finds at low tide, I watched the waves going over the spot. Realising there was a anchor from the wreck right on the end of the out crop, I stopped to study it for a while. This was because at low water, a snorkeler can simply reach an arm down and touch that anchor without diving down below the surface. Therefore, as the the rollers came across the spot, the huge troughs that precede them should expose that anchor to the fresh air- thus I should be able to catch sight of it laying flat there. Sure enough, as the biggest waves went by, I'm sure I could just make out the anchor. Sadly, this is an old image above as I didn't have a camera with me. Must try and remember to take one the next time. Below is a photo I took of the anchor while snorkelling there once. I have found 3 cannons not far from it and all are part of a wreck I discovered and have been investigating there over the years. Nothing else of any note has turned up yet, unfortunately. It all very big boulders down there burying the guns, and thus what ever else remains of the wreck, are all buried underneath the boulders- making it hard to locate anything at all, let alone anything new.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgob8_nhk5z0hpPyQ_tw6Nfh_Y8dvADxXdlCnkF6IMGOfDZwNzEXcWAHOGp2q_hEIb5BNb-zjsZ02EjmARjF20SZi3_6vnCQAPgIuV84Q7WL-kXsOgemWiCjF0Dm4dLhfY_v9V_ytCMh97bzrahWbI4aI9eTAtZDUg497R4xI5nLKwZlGsdDfmye8Fe/s2048/299954825_10227946029626542_8258209644939139237_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgob8_nhk5z0hpPyQ_tw6Nfh_Y8dvADxXdlCnkF6IMGOfDZwNzEXcWAHOGp2q_hEIb5BNb-zjsZ02EjmARjF20SZi3_6vnCQAPgIuV84Q7WL-kXsOgemWiCjF0Dm4dLhfY_v9V_ytCMh97bzrahWbI4aI9eTAtZDUg497R4xI5nLKwZlGsdDfmye8Fe/w300-h400/299954825_10227946029626542_8258209644939139237_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-1324358551928895842023-04-08T01:50:00.001-07:002023-04-08T01:51:29.971-07:00Buchaneer Survey<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBjso2T9J6ZvnreccGM-fvl6AFLRL-5mBdE72-EniyBa9IsYQf4ebsQSE4FgqRz5IO8SNOIdYqbbrinNHq0JtbmYPU5rvTdhVP_mpXLHYGpLDAGSnGmIIEWrKypGvDn5o1BoL2XtgsxhPBFv9MvPcvri6HdkzJGtDihtzK3wziYp0xoyGkFQAJJEj/s4032/IMG_6610.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBjso2T9J6ZvnreccGM-fvl6AFLRL-5mBdE72-EniyBa9IsYQf4ebsQSE4FgqRz5IO8SNOIdYqbbrinNHq0JtbmYPU5rvTdhVP_mpXLHYGpLDAGSnGmIIEWrKypGvDn5o1BoL2XtgsxhPBFv9MvPcvri6HdkzJGtDihtzK3wziYp0xoyGkFQAJJEj/w640-h480/IMG_6610.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> My old tub needed a proper survey recently. It was at the request of my insurers who wanted to know it was still all ok- in reality they just want to know what its worth today. £900 later it was deemed to be in good shape. I had a few minor things to take care of like- a bit of floor under the bench in the cabin needed a minor repair and they wanted make sure the sea cock was ok. Yes she is an old tub and even looks tatty by the end of a season but the things that matter are always kept on top of. So I did what was asked and am still working on getting her back on the water. Slapping some new paint on at present; fiddling with a minor steering issue and looking at the engine stuff as usual. Wont be long now and I'll be afloat again. No rush as I'm full of cold and snot at present and feeling a tad miserable because of it. Hopefully be better by the time Im rubbing down the hull for anti fouling-a miserable job but worse if you have a stinking cold.<p></p><p>Below is a link to her coming alongside the quay here last summer.</p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/vykintas.simutis/videos/226104760090461">Facebook</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-89662919207032808262023-04-07T01:29:00.000-07:002023-04-07T01:29:04.610-07:00Phoenix lookalike<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jSt7NC3kHZdQXtXQ4ZSlkEK5_CulKb8KcU5SRsZ14KqeJsbNgI7xaQLR7uUpmHUHuQT33pFbjrn3T7_tpdS10IzxS1pArnORXXNvggviSIHRmO6VFR5ZBklW4aIDiX489FWjjDvAd5bWwacTnRF5ovOHrpSvBvVegJEUYtBjggV31g608H2Fukud/s827/eic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jSt7NC3kHZdQXtXQ4ZSlkEK5_CulKb8KcU5SRsZ14KqeJsbNgI7xaQLR7uUpmHUHuQT33pFbjrn3T7_tpdS10IzxS1pArnORXXNvggviSIHRmO6VFR5ZBklW4aIDiX489FWjjDvAd5bWwacTnRF5ovOHrpSvBvVegJEUYtBjggV31g608H2Fukud/s320/eic.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So what did the Phoenix look like before she sank. Well all I can do to answer this is to place up a few images of east indiamen of the similar period. The image above is of a slightly bigger east indiaman coming under full sail. She is even flying the flags of the Company. This one shows a round house on the stern but im not sure she had one. This is a 36 to forty gunner by the look of her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON-yvwnpyTWPl1XbSeu8vW6edvJAxjGaEvyGexp-dwe5lX_uWTHaW4qyBG7ooU8kwQpTX31t7Br_hAPeeLGYUT2e7TsHQuo4zDSrymeF5lT-glBn1hVOUQFX6TkijND6G5H1Odd4jndcOI-CSZJYJBpmmnVvgfFJrAAu1kvozPjK8YtMh_owLbivG/s850/eic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="850" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON-yvwnpyTWPl1XbSeu8vW6edvJAxjGaEvyGexp-dwe5lX_uWTHaW4qyBG7ooU8kwQpTX31t7Br_hAPeeLGYUT2e7TsHQuo4zDSrymeF5lT-glBn1hVOUQFX6TkijND6G5H1Odd4jndcOI-CSZJYJBpmmnVvgfFJrAAu1kvozPjK8YtMh_owLbivG/s320/eic3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These two images are closer in size and style for the Phoenix and the one below even looks like she is sinking by the bows. I really like the image below and may even have it painted with a golden Phoenix on her bows as a figurehead. Must have looked awesome sinking behind Samson Island. That is where I found her remains in 2017. Very little of her left on the sea bed today. Just paint some waves coming over her starboard side and the island of mincarlo rising in the background and there you have the scene in the deep winter of 1680.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKc46mWBY0cp3FNTOFQ1V_pd5zx4pSJcabq-C3v8Xx-6lALA7Nl1qqsMU_TWbMEcCqhSWrssRFaShwIM4UFKHxX4UgzMjte9UsZnmEBDMMfh3RySPcCAPtpH22ImmtuzjFCLVWWVlx5-yGFfuidHGwLIzcK5DI3gqM8H1Sq1NW_M-OrhXiv4WnuxUj/s850/eic.jpg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="850" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKc46mWBY0cp3FNTOFQ1V_pd5zx4pSJcabq-C3v8Xx-6lALA7Nl1qqsMU_TWbMEcCqhSWrssRFaShwIM4UFKHxX4UgzMjte9UsZnmEBDMMfh3RySPcCAPtpH22ImmtuzjFCLVWWVlx5-yGFfuidHGwLIzcK5DI3gqM8H1Sq1NW_M-OrhXiv4WnuxUj/s320/eic.jpg2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-81116867295342650782023-03-26T02:22:00.002-07:002023-03-26T02:26:58.165-07:00Fishermen<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Always dived with Fishermen over the years. Because divers always end up helping them out. We either clear or retrieve lost lobster/brab pots. Lift sunken carbs; or clear their propellers when they have gone over their own lines or indeed someone elses. Its a funny union be cause fishermen often blame divers when they have a bad day. They often think divers rob thier pots but in all my 44 years of diving I have never seen this or heard of a diver doing it. Most of the guys I have helped have either retired now or in one case RiP. Another has left the islands. Even some of the boats are no longer on the water. I'll introduce a few from the past. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRlk0JTT3sv1oIqikBXPUVT7dIOXy0GnHO9bkjn331AtuxEOeJ_VWeFtu6v6vOhCQ_LYYBpWxYdRbRedg79ioMb8SbmcUv3sIfdg6z8vAEB0AWn_jt6MSwi8mO1cyXOmzMsBzLwGeDQnb5Ea7WYPXqrQ5YLH4UMBPgxa6bmF6VGdEQNmEvhTNGT7H/s1600/IMG_0253.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRlk0JTT3sv1oIqikBXPUVT7dIOXy0GnHO9bkjn331AtuxEOeJ_VWeFtu6v6vOhCQ_LYYBpWxYdRbRedg79ioMb8SbmcUv3sIfdg6z8vAEB0AWn_jt6MSwi8mO1cyXOmzMsBzLwGeDQnb5Ea7WYPXqrQ5YLH4UMBPgxa6bmF6VGdEQNmEvhTNGT7H/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This top image is Alec Hicks on board 'Good Will'. I knew his father first who was a boatman/diver for Roland Morris on the Colossus Wreck. Later I got to know his son here, Alec, and went out with him quite a few times, once even just for the ride. Alec worked everywhere-in amongst the islands and also out in deep water around the outside a good distance out. He was a serious fishermen. They all are but Alec spent a lot on his well kitted out boat. I also shared his woodworking shop for many years. Alec used to spend his winters in the workshop mending pots and nets and making new pots while I built staircases and such. He was always great company but sadly retired and now left Scilly. He was a local boatman before that. He ran a tripper boat called Kingfisher for years before getting serious with the fishing. He gave up the very lucrative holiday maker trade for smelly fishing.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiql3aZMmUfuvfqaTPprNe0Q81ThGIeft-Wetg49NE7YAi1GWDr6Dg5QvMunKE20GZ_zCU8_HGwoEIS11vvZt4sy2TjyrdlF1_XqUpdkSw0bwHddka0ZSfhmmbsc8QZSk3qlOEbO_IfGUxDppWlzgO-ADBETgHugfD0eck7_mFlPEqeB7X7s44qYa-4/s640/crabs%20054.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiql3aZMmUfuvfqaTPprNe0Q81ThGIeft-Wetg49NE7YAi1GWDr6Dg5QvMunKE20GZ_zCU8_HGwoEIS11vvZt4sy2TjyrdlF1_XqUpdkSw0bwHddka0ZSfhmmbsc8QZSk3qlOEbO_IfGUxDppWlzgO-ADBETgHugfD0eck7_mFlPEqeB7X7s44qYa-4/s320/crabs%20054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is Brian Jenkins & son aboard 'Curlew'. He was the very first fishermen I got to know over here. Brian is always ready with an old story about Scilly. He is a bit of a local oracle who features a fair bit in my book Wreck of Colossus. I have some nice memories going out with Brian on his old tub. He has long since retired and his old 1930's wooden built boat 'Curlew' broken up and burnt. He is very old now and cant get about much but his mind is still sharp as a knife. Brian often went by my boat when I was diving on the stern area of Colossus after I found that wreck site. Thats how I got to know him. His son now runs his own vessel and fishes the exact same spots as his father Brian used to. Mostly around the norrard rocks off Maiden Bower; castle Bryher; scilly rock; Mincarlo etc etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdv3iT5uZmkn0rABHVlcxvlnLWA4lLhQ0iS92IyBNwKr1mkcx1KWpwm4OjiISjsYzOii1NYlODEJgSo9yZKokxhJxrlzN1xAyhPbT6SbY6zqRwKxrtpcb2MPqN4ZHU5krDr8i9dCp5LwjgTfiwXsJsUzN8DA1xGEnqnxHgUy0Wq6R_9UNfoUtfwhT/s640/crabs%20098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdv3iT5uZmkn0rABHVlcxvlnLWA4lLhQ0iS92IyBNwKr1mkcx1KWpwm4OjiISjsYzOii1NYlODEJgSo9yZKokxhJxrlzN1xAyhPbT6SbY6zqRwKxrtpcb2MPqN4ZHU5krDr8i9dCp5LwjgTfiwXsJsUzN8DA1xGEnqnxHgUy0Wq6R_9UNfoUtfwhT/s320/crabs%20098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another older fisherman I have helped in the past is Tim. Here is is aboard someone elses boat but his own boat was called Victory. He mostly worked out in deep water around the outside of the islands a a good distance off. I think he has long since retired or scaled down what he does. Went out with these guys years ago, mostly to look after the boat while they went netting, then help to pull in the catch. The old ways were they set a net on a high tide near a brow of rocks. Then , when the brow covers the fish come to eat whatever gets washed over it. The fishermen then went along the nearby shore and made a lot of splashing in the water to force the fish towards their net. It was great to watch. Not seen it being done like that in a long time but was glad to get to see the old ways in operation.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TErotuf7xzG_qbxH_QSkIO5DY0RqFr8hcp7ZL_xaoEBCjvCFYliKA8YrcdRUkSQY5qeUzwv_d-yXGgcb6bkudAzNhZ105mA2xU5Tk0qgjgGfTueoEYA8Oi2KG_EnwUHz4YfFdkirvePbNwHwwEZieEyfo24P7TlvgA01UoKxuYSH-7u90hfFdk8_/s640/WSW%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TErotuf7xzG_qbxH_QSkIO5DY0RqFr8hcp7ZL_xaoEBCjvCFYliKA8YrcdRUkSQY5qeUzwv_d-yXGgcb6bkudAzNhZ105mA2xU5Tk0qgjgGfTueoEYA8Oi2KG_EnwUHz4YfFdkirvePbNwHwwEZieEyfo24P7TlvgA01UoKxuYSH-7u90hfFdk8_/s320/WSW%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Kitt Legg aboard Pioneer. Sadly no longer with us, so a bit sad I dont have a better picture of him. . This guy always worked out to the western rocks, St Agnes rocks; Annet rocks; Brow of Ponds; Bishop; Retarrier; and the Gilstone where the warship Association wreckage lies. Thus I saw him quite a lot over the years working out there. Quite often he would let me tie my boat up to his pot line when he worked anywhere near a wreck I wanted to look at out that way- of course, in return, I'd have to help him out if called upon. He lived on St Agnes and his son took over his boat for a few seasons after he passed away. But sadly now the Pioneer seems to be high and dry above Periglis bay and looks to be set to be left that way to rot. but I could be wrong-I hope so anyway! All very sad. Had some great days out there and seeing and mixing with them all. They being around on the surface while I was diving down below was kind of comforting-especially when I was out there all alone. They were all intrigued to know what it was like down under the places they worked. And if ever I found a new wreck I would tell them= "hey, you know that spot where you always fish by such and such rock?-well theres a wreck under there" It always stunned them to think they had no idea what they were actually fishing over all those years. Similarly, I would say to avoid a position if there was a big steel or iron wreck about- so that they wouldnt get their lines or nets stuck.<p></p><p>Nice guys all!<br /> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-81579085420004776162023-03-14T02:41:00.003-07:002023-03-14T02:44:04.433-07:00Colossus Carriage<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOPr4Hl-vhfrhNU0-Ai2uBU6Jciq1rXP8hvofuVs6UEQiwPx4LP00joo7i05UE_6PUrawP8hHQlGBk8k69tUjr19fsf8S1HhGeMVytyiDFc61_UDkkxxssQwt0XUHhZRMs9qVzLqKMZJ17F0hOE2q7Q62Agcw0xsZrWTSkvZt2EsR_5780yG46hTd/s4000/me%20&%20gun%20carriage%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOPr4Hl-vhfrhNU0-Ai2uBU6Jciq1rXP8hvofuVs6UEQiwPx4LP00joo7i05UE_6PUrawP8hHQlGBk8k69tUjr19fsf8S1HhGeMVytyiDFc61_UDkkxxssQwt0XUHhZRMs9qVzLqKMZJ17F0hOE2q7Q62Agcw0xsZrWTSkvZt2EsR_5780yG46hTd/s320/me%20&%20gun%20carriage%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One day back when I found the stern area of the Wreck of Colossus, I found a loose piece of wood. This bit of oak was about 4feet long, 6 inches wide and wedge shaped- Tapering from about 3 inches to about 3 quarters of an inch over its length. This wood I left out in the rain for about 5 years to see what would happen to it if it went untreated. One day I took it indoors and let it dry out for another year or two. Eventually I picked it up and decided to see if it was of any use. The surface had gone all black and wrinkled. So I scraped this wrinkled layer off and was amazed to find that there was perfect wood beneath. So I decided to make a small gun carriage with it. I made a few pattens to work from and discovered there was only just about enough for the job. The image below shows one end of the bit of wood before cutting the shapes out. You can see a blackened area which was an original slot in the wood. It is how the whole thing looked before I scraped the black wrinkled layer off. The oak beneath is perfect old English oak. I am holding a plywood patten of one of the side cheeks above the piece.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHGOjcMQhbSrwTxJ-HQmajQuYHA0GVzaaUNTnhWZWAQdpFCQUU2GBXPO4BfZzb0AvlddZ7jOdwtyyMcYxJ9DVqU13ElT_7xTPYSRBmjdPKbfIm27IG9sBLewt5ju-jgP7h9uOewIB4mLzCJTs8MBvT99zTTJPEKQnXtlMUzdH2njB7EU_vAvXqwc4/s320/IMG_4653%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHGOjcMQhbSrwTxJ-HQmajQuYHA0GVzaaUNTnhWZWAQdpFCQUU2GBXPO4BfZzb0AvlddZ7jOdwtyyMcYxJ9DVqU13ElT_7xTPYSRBmjdPKbfIm27IG9sBLewt5ju-jgP7h9uOewIB4mLzCJTs8MBvT99zTTJPEKQnXtlMUzdH2njB7EU_vAvXqwc4/s1600/IMG_4653%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I found a diagram of how to construct a late 18th century carriage then, scaling that down to suit the iron gun I was given, I set about cutting out the individual components. Two side cheeks; two axels; 4 trucks; 1 front transom; 1 gun bed; 1 pig; and a quoin. As are laid out below.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcXV3eiJKlu-nY_X3uDlEgZG1A1YdI5pd6cc1Cd9gG4sPfIIiKwFEmOmeRqt0Z6sz6cKm4oluwEI2JfzyVLe8JSg7pn-HWrKmpNIUuSBFO12fUI3-MhXVgluAjwyDm8UAvPjZJFQHrmq2qV0r9kEQNpx5ULh60QOP4YRwK4PZN5_0dykG2ERd21om/s4000/gun%20carriage%20bits.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcXV3eiJKlu-nY_X3uDlEgZG1A1YdI5pd6cc1Cd9gG4sPfIIiKwFEmOmeRqt0Z6sz6cKm4oluwEI2JfzyVLe8JSg7pn-HWrKmpNIUuSBFO12fUI3-MhXVgluAjwyDm8UAvPjZJFQHrmq2qV0r9kEQNpx5ULh60QOP4YRwK4PZN5_0dykG2ERd21om/s320/gun%20carriage%20bits.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pig Bed & Quoin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTQ_2E0OM8-WzGFsbGuaAgNtPbfRoCPMHrNbWNFyfw3nhOUd3Ejl3QyGM6hk9QpyibE_OXVR6rZ5t2MKb8wvVdgZUwGRwmSEptPE0rZsmXSYJtm_AziT8y1ftkBGfmL3mheLMjx1yI2n56i9rF10IPpOWdWDmCixb2jy7hlqFDkDtXtyTpONXnucc/s4000/gun%20carriage%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTQ_2E0OM8-WzGFsbGuaAgNtPbfRoCPMHrNbWNFyfw3nhOUd3Ejl3QyGM6hk9QpyibE_OXVR6rZ5t2MKb8wvVdgZUwGRwmSEptPE0rZsmXSYJtm_AziT8y1ftkBGfmL3mheLMjx1yI2n56i9rF10IPpOWdWDmCixb2jy7hlqFDkDtXtyTpONXnucc/s320/gun%20carriage%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Then, after putting it all together, and making holes tor all the ironwork I carved these latin words on the front of the transom- MATERIA CAPTUS EX NAVIS COLOSSUS which roughly translates to- Material taken from the ship Colosuss. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tzRkuPPa8nzRiRCPP_Q2Rb7EM1STtjhg6EH7iW9IKkuQ_iwCFWDKZHaukUOeIFnQ0WPolSn5kRlETrhTy6m7_Hnzy_HLODhTTEqnF-bHUjywYD-KYVrz_RW0aEb_XG7XTL3gtKx5jj0jocXFuasy0lYlU49vB3uL4EUm2qYVlrNGWYJlpflxo-SQ/s4000/gun%20carriage%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tzRkuPPa8nzRiRCPP_Q2Rb7EM1STtjhg6EH7iW9IKkuQ_iwCFWDKZHaukUOeIFnQ0WPolSn5kRlETrhTy6m7_Hnzy_HLODhTTEqnF-bHUjywYD-KYVrz_RW0aEb_XG7XTL3gtKx5jj0jocXFuasy0lYlU49vB3uL4EUm2qYVlrNGWYJlpflxo-SQ/s320/gun%20carriage%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I then sent the carraige away to a friend who made all the iron parts for it like- the bolts to hold it all together like the axels o the side cheeks; the trunnion straps which hold the gun down; and the litch pins to hold the wheels (trucks) on. He also added a few rings for where the ropes that move a gun about should go. The iron gun itself was a gift from another friend. All the iron bits can be seen in the images below. So now, ever since, I have had an actual part of the ship inside the house. One of my prize possessions and a fabulous reminder of the wonderful time (2 years 1999 &2000) I had on the site before all the toss pots turned up to spoil it. I later made a full size gun carriage out of a big bit of local elm and it now stands outside my house in the front garden, but thats another story............<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RgFNUHle1ZYZJ9DAPMT4-FpbEzlkbjTSaIv6YERt41U61Q1sZmLCyFD54iLm6rW0k8Ur9m8Sa7O_k3FJ43vsXUwlptwjeOX5G23v42CA8JmEddDAOoDuLCp55IaMxK5kFnflmqAP-GLQhqh2S5_P3xQnOixCTcfpnLn62F0IBx4Ie6doeiRZ-ig6/s1600/IMG_2886.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RgFNUHle1ZYZJ9DAPMT4-FpbEzlkbjTSaIv6YERt41U61Q1sZmLCyFD54iLm6rW0k8Ur9m8Sa7O_k3FJ43vsXUwlptwjeOX5G23v42CA8JmEddDAOoDuLCp55IaMxK5kFnflmqAP-GLQhqh2S5_P3xQnOixCTcfpnLn62F0IBx4Ie6doeiRZ-ig6/s320/IMG_2886.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaiDgZ43bVWx3D29QU5qTZXsoNrBG36wbY5qZvbR7NDrA6ueRfYT0eMA8MgM8UYRs0sQolaJl96XMU7F_vABjbV52JT6vFRmDt6s1prFFo6bPG7V688f9uGPazbZiDzNCRi_p3zWvSsYqUtxJ5NdoFWsvFQQOM_bF9kHgXlo7Wdoqlcd3crLxA7Uo/s1600/IMG_2884.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaiDgZ43bVWx3D29QU5qTZXsoNrBG36wbY5qZvbR7NDrA6ueRfYT0eMA8MgM8UYRs0sQolaJl96XMU7F_vABjbV52JT6vFRmDt6s1prFFo6bPG7V688f9uGPazbZiDzNCRi_p3zWvSsYqUtxJ5NdoFWsvFQQOM_bF9kHgXlo7Wdoqlcd3crLxA7Uo/s320/IMG_2884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /><br /> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-21944353335240866992023-03-12T03:37:00.003-07:002023-03-12T06:50:37.489-07:00Cita Telegraph.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKqdohOL0aNFHb9XKpV6TptACsNrhxWmhb_c_LGiG5Pj6gfqot8S1gt_C8RSmZUPe95UEeOOWJZxCDxe-8j1uwgjpMC0-oRYD8nUsBNwhT7Aed2Nt6lXLptrCZ91pBZMmUtVjHDXn9jgx3b0c15-DhvXpBxmgoz6NbQY1CQWYgRgnMV2i6YNd_uEj/s1600/IMG_2881.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKqdohOL0aNFHb9XKpV6TptACsNrhxWmhb_c_LGiG5Pj6gfqot8S1gt_C8RSmZUPe95UEeOOWJZxCDxe-8j1uwgjpMC0-oRYD8nUsBNwhT7Aed2Nt6lXLptrCZ91pBZMmUtVjHDXn9jgx3b0c15-DhvXpBxmgoz6NbQY1CQWYgRgnMV2i6YNd_uEj/s320/IMG_2881.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gibson image of Cita with salvage vessel 'Scavenger' astern of her.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The MV Cita container ship was wrecked here on Newfoundland point south side of St Marys island 6th March 1997. She was on auto pilot at the time and her crew asleep. Someone had turned off the auto pilot alarm, so that when she was due to change course noone knew because no alarm sounded. The man in charge in the bridge was asleep in the captains chair at the time. The crash woke him up. Later, after they got all the rest of the crew off safely, the captain wanted to stay aboard in case he was needed if the vessel could be towed off the rocks. My wife was listening on the sea radio and could hear him refusing to leave. Then all of a sudden the vessel lurched a bit underneath him and began her slow slip back into deeper water. My wife heard the panic in his voice when he shouted over the radio mike for them to come and rescue him. He was got off safely and slowly but surely, over time, the Cita slipped away into the deep.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">It was most odd. One moment this vast vessel was still showing above the waters surface- but by the time I saw her in June that year she was gone. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2MttwdghH64v_Ir06JOSFaQbj2AbvbbEVwa8vXDP2UUSsz_nK8bcTTrX58ZcE7fMwvhVb0jqzRmD52PdEmLvwMvYoFlQwBeLHXGWGYjO9LGwkv3dsutB8lnrUNNQWjTfuS3K5BcNM899uVcyz19SfKHPPKg76w1Hqf8U5uwOVu7qmxIyGNqA2Ztw/s811/Cita.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="811" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2MttwdghH64v_Ir06JOSFaQbj2AbvbbEVwa8vXDP2UUSsz_nK8bcTTrX58ZcE7fMwvhVb0jqzRmD52PdEmLvwMvYoFlQwBeLHXGWGYjO9LGwkv3dsutB8lnrUNNQWjTfuS3K5BcNM899uVcyz19SfKHPPKg76w1Hqf8U5uwOVu7qmxIyGNqA2Ztw/s320/Cita.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cita telegraph still in place on the bridge</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxT5pfZVLiUULfvukRm3QA7SAz_YapJ1CIBYxHN3b2arY1FjbTrz81ySBR6Nb8xlanSTIZqZKFMbC8x-1QW-tqKBzIh3VZ5EfbMdA8hS88ui5y18y73rF7tWKwrvr-Y9H9ldSMRc40U-9ozqcf-QieJ-K7_VtCjS4MciAxomTcfi21r_JWcNp6aba/s1600/IMG_2882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxT5pfZVLiUULfvukRm3QA7SAz_YapJ1CIBYxHN3b2arY1FjbTrz81ySBR6Nb8xlanSTIZqZKFMbC8x-1QW-tqKBzIh3VZ5EfbMdA8hS88ui5y18y73rF7tWKwrvr-Y9H9ldSMRc40U-9ozqcf-QieJ-K7_VtCjS4MciAxomTcfi21r_JWcNp6aba/s320/IMG_2882.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Scavenger</div><p> I was on holiday in the Islands in June that year and found myself tangled up in the salvage for a few weeks. I was aboard salvage boat called 'Scavenger' which can be seen in the top picture astern of the Cita. The crew were Mac Mace the skipper/diver and John Williams his number one diver. Myself and a friend called Terry Perkins joined them that June. It was all just a bit of fun, for Terry and I, if truth be known. We were gifted silver coins from the Hollandia at the time-because without a commercial ticket, we couldnt actually be paid for our time. The work was a bit dangerous at times but a real hoot on the whole. We raised car tyres, grave stones, tools, all orts, oh and the ships spare propeller blade which currently stands outside the Belrock hotel on St Marys-just down the road from where I now live. You can read about this saga in my book 'Wreck of Colossus'. We were mostly working stuff out from the holds of the Cita and from inside the stern locker, as well as from around the outside of the wreck on the sea floor. But when the work was done I went for a swim around the bridge which was in shallower water at the time. There I noticed the Telegraph still being in place. I then returned aboard another boat with some tools and removed it. It took a couple of longish dives to get it. It was situated in about 25meters as the ship had turned right over onto its side. In other words- as I went into one side door of the bridge- the other opposing open door was facing the sea bed. I remember seeing a seal frequently looking up at me from that deeper doorway as I worked to remove the telegragh.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFKFn8smeha-Asy4yDGx_ocShveIfZrnyYX_7r0Kf9yVVXsu5ciwWHiMrdUDj25Yr6iH2BinUyG_xAntCb5IoRdQbb4gYAuebnPfzIFM3CEqydT7xgYJn98WxWupWZKxNbEHj7Xz7oZpKlIOijUKrD9XwTMf5DVQ8Ls0le-8Wx6aKknz-5P56mDcu/s1600/IMG_2880.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFKFn8smeha-Asy4yDGx_ocShveIfZrnyYX_7r0Kf9yVVXsu5ciwWHiMrdUDj25Yr6iH2BinUyG_xAntCb5IoRdQbb4gYAuebnPfzIFM3CEqydT7xgYJn98WxWupWZKxNbEHj7Xz7oZpKlIOijUKrD9XwTMf5DVQ8Ls0le-8Wx6aKknz-5P56mDcu/s320/IMG_2880.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Here I am aboard, Moonshadow going back to St Marys harbour with the Telegraph. When we got back the skipper of Moonshadow gave me another nice coin off the Hollandia as a swap for the telegraph. He then kept it in his shed for years and did nothing with it. One day I went to him and got it back. Here it is below all cleaned up and painted and on display at home.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1k7FTkb7nL-eJvSIzPoEnt2PeJ52ftxd3_XA3wopK0RrTueWyozllRNF51LBwCDh2nHsFpcF7rgXcjbbFjMzBSY8ltALNp9VNCaflIHm3ExdyqChxEavUASGt_yjjCLtD9LpiH3q--qZYyDvwRHwYq-RUj6v3bGuGibokybb-DzOHncCdgeV2K-eK/s1600/IMG_2879.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1k7FTkb7nL-eJvSIzPoEnt2PeJ52ftxd3_XA3wopK0RrTueWyozllRNF51LBwCDh2nHsFpcF7rgXcjbbFjMzBSY8ltALNp9VNCaflIHm3ExdyqChxEavUASGt_yjjCLtD9LpiH3q--qZYyDvwRHwYq-RUj6v3bGuGibokybb-DzOHncCdgeV2K-eK/s320/IMG_2879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-74834795816347600602023-03-10T04:25:00.004-08:002023-03-11T01:59:59.657-08:00Fight for the Schiller.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Z3i1idamQD8IqEsoz-TUIU5KT9f9VQ0dkDnG7iRLmUpYrZz_hNun1xfBXfgdW8vxZmySclmH4kF8o3Q64JcqaKjf8Epnh_zM9DGO3lWqbQZGysAC1S5bVN4vy4ysi_Ji24y0D7Sb670HXRjbEMGRCtY8pOGwmiIaR-XZOXzlrfQlqIRctGVz3N6k/s1600/IMG_2870.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Z3i1idamQD8IqEsoz-TUIU5KT9f9VQ0dkDnG7iRLmUpYrZz_hNun1xfBXfgdW8vxZmySclmH4kF8o3Q64JcqaKjf8Epnh_zM9DGO3lWqbQZGysAC1S5bVN4vy4ysi_Ji24y0D7Sb670HXRjbEMGRCtY8pOGwmiIaR-XZOXzlrfQlqIRctGVz3N6k/w640-h480/IMG_2870.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">A few artifacts I found on the SS Schiller Wreck. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The SS Schiller sank here in 1875. Its a very tragic story and there's a very good book about it entitled- 'The Victorian Titanic' A few of my artifacts appear in the back of this book. (More on that below.) I have gathered all sorts of things from this wreck over the years including portholes and some large gold coins like the ones in the picture above. This small collection has a long tale to tell. I found most of it while working the wreck with a guy named Dave Mcbride. When I surfaced with a few of the silver items Dave's face was a picture- he was clearly very disappointed that I did so well while diving with him that day. As a result of his obvious disappointment, I offered Dave all my finds as they had come from a particular spot he liked on the wreck. He told me to dig there and I'd had a lot of fun finding the items but I really didn't want to upset him so reiterated the offer. However, he again foolishly refused to take them and it clearly ended up festering inside. A few months later, I put the artefacts all on display in my local museum and went on diving the wreck from time to time, with everyone else, not thinking there was anything wrong with that. Not once did I see the exact spot again where Dave had been working. Its not that kind of site. There is no ship to to see to speak of. Its utterly smashed to smithereens and scattered among hundreds of large boulders. Hardly anything is recogniseable down there aprt from a part of the prop shaft. Its very difficult to tell where you are as a result of this. One just mooches among the boulders picking bits up as you go around. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmyCcwhXzwfppdzU6lAt4DUThrcGrkCmvPIQH9hCi1yUhvooAjmFXK5S1tA_HKuvbKyfFwNKyzFiiuLLrCHH4OIhhZSyk7wesp2lttFzlxiGK9I2nNBX8g2qrqpQfhfSgPcdoetnr-cLf1Om83XdXIGPKYUhKlNm10fSK-ir06XBPjUab4WYy9Wck/s1600/IMG_2878.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmyCcwhXzwfppdzU6lAt4DUThrcGrkCmvPIQH9hCi1yUhvooAjmFXK5S1tA_HKuvbKyfFwNKyzFiiuLLrCHH4OIhhZSyk7wesp2lttFzlxiGK9I2nNBX8g2qrqpQfhfSgPcdoetnr-cLf1Om83XdXIGPKYUhKlNm10fSK-ir06XBPjUab4WYy9Wck/w400-h300/IMG_2878.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Buckled Silver toast rack. (Bares the liners Eagle Emblem)</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Shortly after the items went into the museum, I got a letter from Dave,- (who actually lived next door to me at the time!)- suddenly stating that he was 'salvor in possession' of the wreck and that i was not to dive the site any longer. Consequently, I popped next door to confront him in an attempt put this silliness to bed. I knew this had always been a free wreck to dive, as everyone here was diving it at the time, even the local and mainland dive charters regularly put their customers on the site. Its what I call a "bus stop wreck" but one that occasionally gives up the odd interesting item. One of the other local divers that showed me where the wreck was told me that, years ago, he had also shown Dave where the wreck was too, so it was not like he had discovered it. On his door step Dave said </span><span style="text-align: left;">I was "Advertising" the wreck by putting the artifacts in the museum. To me, this sounded a bit paranoid but there was nothing to say to that in return other than that- I was sorry it upset him but it was too late now. The items had been declared and the action taken. Personally I could not see any harm. I then left knowing that I had now, unbelievably, fallen out with my neighbour over a few artifacts he had previously refused to take from me when they had been genuinely offered to him at the time!</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkxGeTfT9kXsgPU59zWzPQ2jG4ju8rkBpzU6F-pR2geI7b_5LmnuX3KB88PrRAiOmEABOz_SyZpGcGk5AjlB81WnNA9vmlkZjRlGjeLjcjWsdCLgp4LmmFVTbQEFlTAKs44L57fAbdQ7QioCqWnoEThXr1w5F5EuL36grl9nRZIuy0kL6uGiSP2c6/s1600/IMG_2877.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkxGeTfT9kXsgPU59zWzPQ2jG4ju8rkBpzU6F-pR2geI7b_5LmnuX3KB88PrRAiOmEABOz_SyZpGcGk5AjlB81WnNA9vmlkZjRlGjeLjcjWsdCLgp4LmmFVTbQEFlTAKs44L57fAbdQ7QioCqWnoEThXr1w5F5EuL36grl9nRZIuy0kL6uGiSP2c6/w400-h300/IMG_2877.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thimble with the name Elsa engraved in a cartouche.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A christening gift to Elsa who died in the wrecking.</div></div><p>I continued to visit the wreck with others from time to time amazed that someone would drop a friend for a few old wreck items-but theres nowt queer as folk! One day another letter arrived, this time from the self important Richard Larn OBE; it came recorded delivery through his expensive London solicitor. The letter basically claimed that everything I had from the wreck was his by legal right. He basically wanted me to take everything from the museum and hand it all over to him. I was also told- never to go out to dive the Schiller again without his express permission. And that he held legal sway over the site. Both statements were false but now the truth was emerging. I had previously been dealing with the oil rag when I needed to be talking to the mechanic. Thus, I went up to Mr Larn's house to talk to him instead. I asked Mr Larn if his actions were a bit over the top and tried to make him see sense that anyone can dive this free and open wreck site for all. Truth be known-I wasn't really that bothered with the Schiller but my brother and friends liked to dive it at the time. I could easily have walked away from the wreck but when I expressed the opinion that 'it wasn't his wreck to claim' - he got angry and said something like -"if you go out there again my solicitor will place an injunction upon you". </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHjosdv9xr4vDx1rKmprnvnDWa3sUXAllDxXkTtgJ5Axfxs10DV75QNY6IjGTJCVXT9vdVZv89m_P6ckcD5y0R_tujPCHnazHR_P1IfW2Msh4V8yi7qb9qSZCJqg84zGWxk44VjLq_vaVt_smYoiCeAEdSeVI0MZ1XGhvJgNU7NuMR-ABfQnPlwQ1/s1600/IMG_2874.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHjosdv9xr4vDx1rKmprnvnDWa3sUXAllDxXkTtgJ5Axfxs10DV75QNY6IjGTJCVXT9vdVZv89m_P6ckcD5y0R_tujPCHnazHR_P1IfW2Msh4V8yi7qb9qSZCJqg84zGWxk44VjLq_vaVt_smYoiCeAEdSeVI0MZ1XGhvJgNU7NuMR-ABfQnPlwQ1/w400-h300/IMG_2874.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Ornate silver travel sewing kit above and below it opened up</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Needles were kept in the bottom and cotton on the spools under the thimble on top.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcbtrv0Tk_ltUmBjSQkDFogTUzdKAPb5uU_jz8__v8AnNFJyNAC_3hvRudOG0II4Hmwug0GeOThzB5EbOb0jy9GB5KWwjK4JSPyf09uW7FR2HmRFAFu_RjQ3R7ljk6h1DCnDSZLtBsUvw8IBBWrn6megqmeI-zGxFXhe2xa8RRMLGWhcDPgaZg1ji/s1600/IMG_2875.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcbtrv0Tk_ltUmBjSQkDFogTUzdKAPb5uU_jz8__v8AnNFJyNAC_3hvRudOG0II4Hmwug0GeOThzB5EbOb0jy9GB5KWwjK4JSPyf09uW7FR2HmRFAFu_RjQ3R7ljk6h1DCnDSZLtBsUvw8IBBWrn6megqmeI-zGxFXhe2xa8RRMLGWhcDPgaZg1ji/w400-h300/IMG_2875.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well his threats were like a red rag to a bull. Instead of just caving in my east London gob opened and this came out- "Well crack on my old china, coz Im heading out there right now!" Well after that we fought over the site. Him to stop me and me just being bloody minded. To cut a long story short, the Receiver of Wreck also ignored Mr Larns claims to the wreck, and so too my artifacts, by taking the action of handing legal title to them all over to me. This single action broke his flimsy ill thought out "legal"claim to the Schiller, and everyone lived happily ever after. 😂</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3cXfnTNT1DvfUpDo9W1rpCZ1V-pfl_Jl046PGfH4I8tvxK5iE3w2kC9wcMo153Wfvjq3ErTOTmXm-wwZ8rieWXOll21PAa32KZOQNBMGsGt3FrbwaN6mAXSVbNs7GBO6rkzJ9UzXE1zZyGkrqMHTpKmnjPTpJeIO7WdSzue9UWgaXZuO1xgtV15b/s1600/IMG_2873.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3cXfnTNT1DvfUpDo9W1rpCZ1V-pfl_Jl046PGfH4I8tvxK5iE3w2kC9wcMo153Wfvjq3ErTOTmXm-wwZ8rieWXOll21PAa32KZOQNBMGsGt3FrbwaN6mAXSVbNs7GBO6rkzJ9UzXE1zZyGkrqMHTpKmnjPTpJeIO7WdSzue9UWgaXZuO1xgtV15b/w400-h300/IMG_2873.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Silver ware like spoons bare the initials NLB. (Becker family)</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Sadly the Schiller controversy didn't end there. The artefacts spent 15 years on display until the then curator of the museum, to my mind was a very stupid woman who should never have been given the job to begin with, decided to kick my other two displays- (HMS Colossus & Wheels Wreck)- out of the museum. I felt she was just being vindictive because she had recently lost one of my schiller gold coins then in her care. Naturally, I had complained to the trustees and the museum found me another coin as a replacement. Shortly after my other displays were given the boot-I took the Shciller items too, as I no longer trusted they were in the safest place to be. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>Silverware so far found on the site has either the owners initials upon them- NLB - or they carried the emblem of the German Liner company- an open winged Eagle over the letters DTDG that owned the Schiller. As below.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2hlS2KG5PIgyC8HYEQ1T58vzIGy-LGxaSX4Ocf4r1p58vmGcELVqljZ2u8GhzmOzaqvmOR9SjnBe5o78_QkVtr42Gs66K2wDtBC2hIHJYcuPUA9P8lwIFN3Hd2tDFk5pxkRyrV0oEnZaacfknA-fTGCQIBYyAwNPs9M8zF6z0FomAniAG0bwNqj1/s1600/IMG_2871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2hlS2KG5PIgyC8HYEQ1T58vzIGy-LGxaSX4Ocf4r1p58vmGcELVqljZ2u8GhzmOzaqvmOR9SjnBe5o78_QkVtr42Gs66K2wDtBC2hIHJYcuPUA9P8lwIFN3Hd2tDFk5pxkRyrV0oEnZaacfknA-fTGCQIBYyAwNPs9M8zF6z0FomAniAG0bwNqj1/w400-h300/IMG_2871.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-10297202800353756472023-03-05T02:12:00.002-08:002023-03-05T02:12:15.127-08:00Mud Shoes.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1PuN1KY2pH6-XmLDEAfX-bmxSTX81KPJiUA7IpW_IAgYYrcuTJyThrtRObxTtqneOZpAo-pKfUWKYKKvQmQ0B2Qkt2TKcWDUxjANGHrioXNQgB7lLl_qulrZa-GOnkfMDpJ40dHVHaIXjYOr7B8-8sujUrLLvyP6J7vxI21oVaOaUYWzBx7tJjfh/s4000/IMG_2852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1PuN1KY2pH6-XmLDEAfX-bmxSTX81KPJiUA7IpW_IAgYYrcuTJyThrtRObxTtqneOZpAo-pKfUWKYKKvQmQ0B2Qkt2TKcWDUxjANGHrioXNQgB7lLl_qulrZa-GOnkfMDpJ40dHVHaIXjYOr7B8-8sujUrLLvyP6J7vxI21oVaOaUYWzBx7tJjfh/w400-h300/IMG_2852.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As reported in an earlier post from a few months back, I made a return to that spot off Mersea Island where I have been finding Roman pottery. So far I have discovered 3 complete roman pots there as well as lots of broken pieces. Well the spot is about half a mile off shore and can only be reached at low tides. Well last time I was there I almost got into trouble by getting stuck in the mud. Now that kind of thing happens time to time and when I was a younger man I took it in my stride but now I am 60 years old its a tad more difficult to deal with. Its dangerous out there on the mud and even though I have a lifetime of experience larking off mersea, I still get into trouble. Well instead of not going, I decided it was time to change tack and make myself some mud shoes. (pictured above) Well I went back to visit my mum on the island recently and took my new shoes to try them out. They worked really well and gave me a lot of confidence to go most places. A tweak here and there to reduce the suction but on the whole a success. The only other thing I learned was how much my leg muscles hurt after using something new like these. I found muscles hurting for 24 hours afterwards that I never knew I had. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YGvUWHMCMSNnJxoRjOvJ1M2iGRAGxyLKt0lsc2aLXKotiaXSN-CdN73bj0RyY-JVjU0Y6PSAzSUS0nlk1ZbM5gt_CKMtC2W87UyD9UsQIoG_O3Mko46sAsOVH04e-2vFmBRigj7sUhz0bVzt4Uo9cSgnRCTwHIkheN42nRl1qkvWz7lne0J3ibzO/s3072/P4080123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YGvUWHMCMSNnJxoRjOvJ1M2iGRAGxyLKt0lsc2aLXKotiaXSN-CdN73bj0RyY-JVjU0Y6PSAzSUS0nlk1ZbM5gt_CKMtC2W87UyD9UsQIoG_O3Mko46sAsOVH04e-2vFmBRigj7sUhz0bVzt4Uo9cSgnRCTwHIkheN42nRl1qkvWz7lne0J3ibzO/s320/P4080123.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sadly I never found any more pottery, or anything else but the day was bright sunshine and most enjoyable just being out there and trudging around. The terrain where the potter was found had changed dramatically. Where there were gulleys in the mud where the pots were found, those gulleys had filled back in again. Maybe next year the gulleys will return for a while. Who knows! But I was surprised to see such change in such a short period of time since I was last there. The only man made things I saw were large pieces of aluminium from an aircraft that must have blown up overhead from during world war2's battle of Britain. Interesting but not really my kind of thing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway, all the pots have now been conserved and given to the mersea museum. The rules with such things is to inform the antiquities finds scheme of the items recovered-this I did with colchester before conservation but never got a reply. The pots were then immersed in deionised water for 3 months and this water was changed periodically about 4 times. The pots were then dried out slowly in a cool dark place before taking them to the mersea museum last week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpr8cWos7ZQrA97I24TJcAQXmSGukvNaOzrAibfrMe_q25QwoW47Lr7V0Yw-iESYw62fkKc15lUyRUrEjHfPQQrmJHJ7swfgS8dRAhao5RpbVHX_Kh66pvyAlZtDp4cozNLnqecS5qbDEbUlUE1LuqCfdqi-ZDxXcraBObyHe6gcMM8XBJHvaGl_h/s3072/P4080127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpr8cWos7ZQrA97I24TJcAQXmSGukvNaOzrAibfrMe_q25QwoW47Lr7V0Yw-iESYw62fkKc15lUyRUrEjHfPQQrmJHJ7swfgS8dRAhao5RpbVHX_Kh66pvyAlZtDp4cozNLnqecS5qbDEbUlUE1LuqCfdqi-ZDxXcraBObyHe6gcMM8XBJHvaGl_h/s320/P4080127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Above is an image of a Mersea Island sand bank. There are a few of these off mersea and these are safe places for anyone to walk on when the tide is right out. It was on these sand banks that I cut my teeth as a nipper inadvertently getting myself into mud larking and finding things. From that humble beginning I found diving and thus to shipwreck hunting. It all started on these sand banks. I have always loved it out there-and whenever I came home with an old bottle or clay pipe or bullets from the war my mum used to say things like-"thats lovely dear but dont bring the muddy thing in here" None ever understood my childhood fascination with finding things- but they do now tho!!<br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-66656448069009207292023-03-04T01:36:00.005-08:002023-03-04T01:39:47.490-08:00Gloucester Wreck<p style="text-align: center;">Gloucester Wreck</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWTB1vKCNC-bX3iutX8k9VMvCOVyvJmIh0kDVw9_tISZjHnO_GdrHvmfwnXRMJEIFTtAAvANOpgUffgKLIPaqoNDDt-uAY7K7huD4khUU_kkUBHNomKR3GFOFtWmW-Ur778L4z4in-rN0jvpHhCywYf64r0Z0O-zBf1X_rHKkKEvI7KCVOuY_eGni/s1600/IMG_2860.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWTB1vKCNC-bX3iutX8k9VMvCOVyvJmIh0kDVw9_tISZjHnO_GdrHvmfwnXRMJEIFTtAAvANOpgUffgKLIPaqoNDDt-uAY7K7huD4khUU_kkUBHNomKR3GFOFtWmW-Ur778L4z4in-rN0jvpHhCywYf64r0Z0O-zBf1X_rHKkKEvI7KCVOuY_eGni/w400-h300/IMG_2860.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sealed bottle. May have been owned by royalty</div><p> <span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Went to see the Gloucester shipwreck display in Norwich. The ship sank in 1682 and is just my kind of shipwreck-"a proper wreck" -as I always call them. The display was really good with a good fly over video of the site. There was also a nice video of how the divers searched for and found the site. So nice to see them getting the recognition they deserve-a rarity in todays world where archaeologists take over and usually cut the finders out by just writing a footnote like -"discovered by local divers" -a real cop out of a statement usually written by anyone with an agenda to push. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUS8GnSSDYUMkH6cw4zuI0JE-4cPEXIBBdX4C9gQnDKLE6Lz6oFXpfIMHDe-_jbT40J9rdlg4WBoeRUWXs8Usxo2nUvTTtjDUSuYABDyRnnOZjfTRUA5y8LqBq52oTYEsb72u_4HKBbxpFz1E6HcSydgfE65W7ze1Etyu3RNxm1SAQnOtp5dhnL7KR/s1600/IMG_2861.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUS8GnSSDYUMkH6cw4zuI0JE-4cPEXIBBdX4C9gQnDKLE6Lz6oFXpfIMHDe-_jbT40J9rdlg4WBoeRUWXs8Usxo2nUvTTtjDUSuYABDyRnnOZjfTRUA5y8LqBq52oTYEsb72u_4HKBbxpFz1E6HcSydgfE65W7ze1Etyu3RNxm1SAQnOtp5dhnL7KR/s320/IMG_2861.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: center;">Bottles being conserved in deionised water</div></span><p></p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Among the many old iron cannons the divers recovered many artefacts including 150 valuable wine bottles-some still containing wines or spirits. These are all the more valuable because the context is known and Royalty was aboard when the vessel sank. lovely!! It was nice to see that they use deionised water to conserve the bottles. This is something I always use as it stops the bottles from flaking. Only deionised water can disolve and flush out the chlorides that get inbeween the glass layers and force them apart if left there. I have found a few old onion bottles in my time but none are pre 1700 and the forms of bottles from just 20 years earlier are so different in form. They are a distinctive uniform shape in the 1680's whereas post 1690 they get more random in shape like the makers didnt care any more.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rWzbEDoSdpB_EKeP12LCMXhXgp2pVJFJ610EJFX8T9q7hc9ac0y6sNooRDynkb7wCU2eikGQO46e_yFvS1o8sFwW5O9UTFUW1vROPWYgWnywu3BwlXzx1YNCB_Djng4DaWcFj8_8IZtUCSvSy13m6WvJSpXY703t25YjxL66QfNZVo6PxGnZMxOY/s1600/IMG_2857.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rWzbEDoSdpB_EKeP12LCMXhXgp2pVJFJ610EJFX8T9q7hc9ac0y6sNooRDynkb7wCU2eikGQO46e_yFvS1o8sFwW5O9UTFUW1vROPWYgWnywu3BwlXzx1YNCB_Djng4DaWcFj8_8IZtUCSvSy13m6WvJSpXY703t25YjxL66QfNZVo6PxGnZMxOY/s320/IMG_2857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Another reason for visiting the display is that it is a wreck that sank within 2 years of my Wreck of the Phoenix and others Im diving for of the same period. It was nice to see similar artefacts and compare finds. I also learn more about my wrecks from such displays. I visit these types of things all the time, been doing this for years which is why I am able to identify and date objects like bottles, pottery, clay pipes and all manner of shipboard objects. Im always learning about dating anchors and cannons as its so useful when you find a new wreck. its going to displays like these and reading books and diving in general that made it possible for me to date and identify many of the wrecks i have found over the years...... and hopefully more in the future too.<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-40609796047129053722023-02-22T01:57:00.004-08:002023-02-22T15:17:37.663-08:00The Kentledge of broken guns<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoHD9EfL1_CWfGCwaRAmlG9lpgV1Lzu0WnyJ3srq3O_hNw0953GSXjTPre-IQxmh50lFH7MsI4Vpur-T7HHMWl-fUGBvEoTMd3ZWyf9d2IeyITQw__rIZkwsws2qXl9De44kLTcikpYhin56kMabakasj9r_WOEcC6NTnkbiLYHZaSWOjrQ3E24VB/s1920/Snapshot%20-%20179.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoHD9EfL1_CWfGCwaRAmlG9lpgV1Lzu0WnyJ3srq3O_hNw0953GSXjTPre-IQxmh50lFH7MsI4Vpur-T7HHMWl-fUGBvEoTMd3ZWyf9d2IeyITQw__rIZkwsws2qXl9De44kLTcikpYhin56kMabakasj9r_WOEcC6NTnkbiLYHZaSWOjrQ3E24VB/w640-h360/Snapshot%20-%20179.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> These are a few images taken by Ben Dunstan of what remains of the wreck of the Phoenix which sank here at Scilly in 1679. Ben is also the diver alongside the main pile of about 12 of the 16 broken guns that are down on the wreck. <br /><br /> So why are there no whole guns on the Phoenix site? <div><br /></div><div>The archives prove she was carrying these broken guns as ballast- "The Phoenix to sail with a Kentledge of broken guns" is how the East India Company described them. In the archives she is also described as a 30 gun ship- so where are all of her 30 main operational guns? Well these were either salvaged off the site just after she sank in 1679-or where never present to begin with- which I now believe is highly likely. This was not a vessel owned by the EiC. The Phoenix was only ever hired out to them by its Captain, whom was responsible for commissioning her to be built. When she was first constructed, Phoenix, would have been built to take operational cannon for protection- but an independent vessel didn't need to fight, and in most cases such ships could not get all the men needed to operate, in this case- 30 guns. They had too much competition, with regards to recruitment of men, from the Navy and from the EiC -whom both often resulted to the use of press gangs themselves. Therefore, Wildy, could probably only just about get enough sailors to sail his ship properly let alone man 30 guns.<br /><br /> This ship was not built as a fighting vessel, she was a trading vessel built for speed. Not only to get cargoes home quickly but also in order to evade any would be captors at sea. On her maiden voyage there is a report that she had an incident with a dutch ship aiming to capture her. Shots were fired and it is recorded that a few sailors aboard the Phoenix were injured. Captain Wildy was given a gratuity for any damage suffered and they were grateful that he successfully brought his cargo home under those circumstances. It sounds more like Wildy had simply set sail and made a run for it to evade capture by the dutch rather than having had a sea battle. The report does not say if Wildy ever fired any weapons. <div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifanNd2piELDgYpqSTHRMvJ_1Pk1Ve9s9SyV5tbfDVisNemCWZwATiCCLu8uBUWWIgyy3-U3plr09et-MWZP6Xe9X_CoBwHHQxGTJT8x5DqesjBBsDZqvMkgj6-Pu2DIMberY_to0SbzVbH9vquL05laqRwSm4tnuC1yYW1yqZJbDM-NR3df79skpL/s1920/Snapshot%20-%20183.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifanNd2piELDgYpqSTHRMvJ_1Pk1Ve9s9SyV5tbfDVisNemCWZwATiCCLu8uBUWWIgyy3-U3plr09et-MWZP6Xe9X_CoBwHHQxGTJT8x5DqesjBBsDZqvMkgj6-Pu2DIMberY_to0SbzVbH9vquL05laqRwSm4tnuC1yYW1yqZJbDM-NR3df79skpL/w400-h225/Snapshot%20-%20183.png" width="400" /></a><div><br /> At that time the Phoenix was brand new so was at her best. She was recorded as being the smallest ship to sail in that seasons trade fleet. Without operational guns she could carry more cargo than a normal to make up for her size. If she was owned by the EiC then she probably would have had a full accompaniment of guns and more crew to man them. But being privately owned this was not so easy to do and so unlikely that full gun crews were ever aboard. No trained gun crews would negate the need for guns. <br /><br />Another factor to look at comes in the manner and way that the EiC had commanded Wildy to sail her to and from the east. Wildy was told- 'to keep well out to sea to evade capture'- they also told him to- 'avoid the usual routes and keep well out of sight of the African coast line and to get to the safety of St Helena', and to- 'form up with other ships into a fleet for the rest of the journey'. This advice was heeded by Wildy outwards and back. Had she been well armed and well manned maybe there would not be a need for such advice? Maybe she was one of those vessels that had all the appearances of a 30 gun ship but never actually was one in reality. It was all a front and quite a normal occurrence- especially for independent ships like her. I have read before that it was something that was sometimes adopted by the EiC with its own faster vessels later on in history. So why not earlier too?<br /> <br />Why is it that in the list of items saved from the wreck -and the other odd references to salvaged items too- there are no mentions of guns having been salvaged when 30 guns are clearly missing? The cargo belonged to the EiC, whereas Wildy owned everything else. Therefore it was not up to the EiC to salvage the ships guns unless they were asked to do so. That particular salvage operation was up to the ships owner- Wildy. Furthermore, had the EiC salvaged any guns then they should appear somewhere-but they are not in the list of items saved from the wreck -and no records of charges for the salvage of any guns- or-receipts for payment from Wildy for them being raised- or - payments or receipts with a salvage man for his services, in company minutes or their letter books. Yet the records are quite good for this later 17th c period in EiC historic documents.</div><div><br /></div><div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkcIMaRoiDqD4CQqusLN4y_rmi_tPtiDLF3vIw8An21QeR8PA1PEt7-4UWV3hyGFGSMLprTFzLriqzziCPw-N47PQOc9usuOTnowboXW9zVEstcc9iyflCBe97CDMsHxW19QJi0W-RORf5jb_dpFLsxXmw5sd_gzUwnicEFB-2h5vtsIShIrhSb6G/s1920/Snapshot%20-%20191.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkcIMaRoiDqD4CQqusLN4y_rmi_tPtiDLF3vIw8An21QeR8PA1PEt7-4UWV3hyGFGSMLprTFzLriqzziCPw-N47PQOc9usuOTnowboXW9zVEstcc9iyflCBe97CDMsHxW19QJi0W-RORf5jb_dpFLsxXmw5sd_gzUwnicEFB-2h5vtsIShIrhSb6G/w425-h225/Snapshot%20-%20191.png" width="425" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> We know there was a local salvage man present on Scilly at this time in-Thomas Ekins. So either Wildy had paid for the huge expense of raising them himself with someone like Ekins- and Ekins miraculously managed to salvage every single one of them-or that salvage operation never happened.<br /><br />Lastly, even after heavy salvage, the majority of 17th century shipwrecks nearly always retain at least a few of their armament guns. This is because salvage was so primitive that far back. They fished them up from the surface only and unless the ship stayed perfectly upright, which is highly unlikely, then to get at those guns in the very bottom of the wreck was extremely difficult to do-hence we nearly always see the odd few guns remaining on such wrecks for us to find today. Over here Ekins salvaged the Golden Lyon and the Shaftesbury and the Princess Maria and on all those sites we know he failed to get all their guns up- and yet they were all salvaged from a similar depth to the Phoenix. The salvaged goods list proves somone clearly salvaged the wreck of the Phoenix-and Ekins was here at the time the wreck went in as we know he was here during the build of our first lighthouse in 1680. A local story that I have never yet proved with research either, is that proceeds from the salvage of the Phoenix went to build the first wooden church on St Agnes Island-(where Ekins lived and built the Lighthouse) Sadly there is not yet any evidence of guns ever being raised-and yet 30 guns are clearly missing. To me all the above circumstantial evidence points more towards there never being any whole guns on the ship to begin with.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxY_sq1HA2WbVI1JiIVruKU9PUhjgI4-ELKz8YM5HwbwWROFyMsemL4fJ9nYDJ3JcVJmLy9SsJx7LGF2LHv4ZaycuuNQkvYIUutP5IBYIT_TVd1qU9UInuGXP2xpyK3Z7TiybyDg6iJIU5t6f-_CqCBmH_4ozKGl80VKN8IXVJkww9MVs22BwROkbc/s992/image001.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="992" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxY_sq1HA2WbVI1JiIVruKU9PUhjgI4-ELKz8YM5HwbwWROFyMsemL4fJ9nYDJ3JcVJmLy9SsJx7LGF2LHv4ZaycuuNQkvYIUutP5IBYIT_TVd1qU9UInuGXP2xpyK3Z7TiybyDg6iJIU5t6f-_CqCBmH_4ozKGl80VKN8IXVJkww9MVs22BwROkbc/w400-h259/image001.png" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7jQp6YDc09fPbeGggrHd0d6ATfcJtSK9kVCNJk86TbNRVYYC7uyhaL6YNYAFCmJGysDTLJ3ynh_r0lCXdaHkhTZQJPIdBk66wGYfGwgQ9jws-jG87pSmzsdJv7bUJnLVrjP1ZKNFxB2zYFIQXspqdvkHMf5Cm6XW9b0LuwJoWya1WUbSvLNt3D-C/s864/image002.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="864" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7jQp6YDc09fPbeGggrHd0d6ATfcJtSK9kVCNJk86TbNRVYYC7uyhaL6YNYAFCmJGysDTLJ3ynh_r0lCXdaHkhTZQJPIdBk66wGYfGwgQ9jws-jG87pSmzsdJv7bUJnLVrjP1ZKNFxB2zYFIQXspqdvkHMf5Cm6XW9b0LuwJoWya1WUbSvLNt3D-C/w400-h384/image002.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">EiC Salvage list of the Phoenix</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thank you Ben Dunstan for the pictures. (Want to see some good entertainment -Check out Bens- 'Ben o Cam' - videos on Youtube<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><p></p><br /><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-24898531426940067902023-02-19T02:32:00.002-08:002023-02-19T02:32:35.737-08:00Shipwreck Artefact Recording.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57JV6cBZ8E_L-1-PLY2FUHt-nGVef-D6sSEW32v2ytCMljwShguA0MCH2EHf7KasgSSG0LW7ccEql9X3qGu2YT0czIy_71jAouLOtCbva0zZoTe6Ho4P_TrJIeemaSKstaW7v4Baco-J2rSJyT4sYJDhN7YA97yuYq9CCzzZO8YV64JSx0z02ivkI/s4000/IMG_2761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57JV6cBZ8E_L-1-PLY2FUHt-nGVef-D6sSEW32v2ytCMljwShguA0MCH2EHf7KasgSSG0LW7ccEql9X3qGu2YT0czIy_71jAouLOtCbva0zZoTe6Ho4P_TrJIeemaSKstaW7v4Baco-J2rSJyT4sYJDhN7YA97yuYq9CCzzZO8YV64JSx0z02ivkI/s320/IMG_2761.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The guys deep at work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In a post last summer I reported how an underwater archaeological team came to Scilly to asses my wreck of the Phoenix which sank here in 1680. Well that was done but it was only half the job. Two more professionals came over last week to finish the job and properly record all the finds I raised from the site. These included almost 400 gold and silver coins and well over 70 items of contraband gold jewellery. Also all the other artifacts like 3 pairs of dividers used by captain Wildy. I even had parts of his sword and numerous weights from the pursers kit. Its always a lovely thing to be able to touch things that you are pretty certain you know who previously owned them and were the last person to handle them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QGDa1N5M9sB4Abjtjz3il-0uKjKP0eODsVVbeJpCjrR_7INWXENPBIFKgbbh_2DzHI8NfzmxpxFEviTJCQe2wZx35D-Q9PTgcbSc2hbD8HJ0HUlfbKRjl5jamNOuchT0qBIonOar3FTrqnZ2TMOUe6m1QF226ZE7w4k8n8Miq6zbh0E962xk8tul/s640/IMG_2774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QGDa1N5M9sB4Abjtjz3il-0uKjKP0eODsVVbeJpCjrR_7INWXENPBIFKgbbh_2DzHI8NfzmxpxFEviTJCQe2wZx35D-Q9PTgcbSc2hbD8HJ0HUlfbKRjl5jamNOuchT0qBIonOar3FTrqnZ2TMOUe6m1QF226ZE7w4k8n8Miq6zbh0E962xk8tul/s320/IMG_2774.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Contraband Jewellery I found on the Phoenix.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Everything went well until they tried to go home and got fog bound here. Unfortunately we had guests taking up their rooms after they left and they had to go seek other accommodation. Luckily a guest house opened up especially and took them in-otherwise it was sleeping in our utility room on a blow up bed together. Not a good prospect and one im sure their employers-Wessex archaeology- wouldnt want for them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBgggOg5OEBXqD2o_xzHBbrK1grbWKXMHCi-By2SjOgYBax_rbUlMioYyfFrblcMNQrdlh-M-P54VIaEZXbiVbnAopZR49bklnvd_F979Vhf8DXWbYnNXEM4gobfdy-7RAEOOi0TEGAD9YxpOlg_7PO3k8MFQGWT_oeWN-laJAkm_aZW7rWl1Dx-V/s4000/IMG_2763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBgggOg5OEBXqD2o_xzHBbrK1grbWKXMHCi-By2SjOgYBax_rbUlMioYyfFrblcMNQrdlh-M-P54VIaEZXbiVbnAopZR49bklnvd_F979Vhf8DXWbYnNXEM4gobfdy-7RAEOOi0TEGAD9YxpOlg_7PO3k8MFQGWT_oeWN-laJAkm_aZW7rWl1Dx-V/s320/IMG_2763.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photographer left and coin expert on the right</div></div><p>One of the guys photographed every item and the other,who was a coin expert, had to write descriptions of everything. All very tedious stuff in my opinion but it desperately needed doing because the law states that the whole collection has to be sold at auction. That part is out of my hands as everything is currently held by the Receiver of wreck until sold. My understanding is that, now everything is recorded, it will all be taken by that office to London to be valued so that interested museums can get an opportunity to buy any of it at that valued cost-which i think is a bit unfair and not sure if its actually legal. I will consult with a solicitor about this as Im sure it can only be fair and legal to go to auction where the museums can bid like everyone else-otherwise those who stand to benefit from said auction could potentially loose out and im sure that is not right or proper. For those who dont know- the law is thus-if an item salvaged from a wreck is worth over £5000 it has to go to auction so that the secretary of state can decided what percentage cut of the proceeds to give to the Crown. See my earlier post called -'the duchy take' for my view on this. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoqRejESSe0BbpIyGYlsEmYTSK_BM-_kR8dHHY3T3TnR162z0j8TsAMd0MQi1SBo04ZNrSt-c-AWhzNIV9-hPuoJk1in3uiw-nA_NVhuaDfJIIno3W5h2N6WZ2rsBbgU_8-bs2vlw5K36h45I6R6O0sosyhPhK3y43ek10oh9JD7yXJd2-XiwdFK0/s1600/IMG_2359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoqRejESSe0BbpIyGYlsEmYTSK_BM-_kR8dHHY3T3TnR162z0j8TsAMd0MQi1SBo04ZNrSt-c-AWhzNIV9-hPuoJk1in3uiw-nA_NVhuaDfJIIno3W5h2N6WZ2rsBbgU_8-bs2vlw5K36h45I6R6O0sosyhPhK3y43ek10oh9JD7yXJd2-XiwdFK0/s320/IMG_2359.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some other items from the wreck.</div><p>Anyway, one day soon the final report on the wreck will be made. Then the authorities involved will decide what to do with the wreck site. I was told that it will likely get protected. I made my feelings known on this particular action. I cant see the point in it. All it does is make visitors to the wreck have to do paperwork and get a licence to visit the site. This is something unique to underwater finds as nonone has go through such things to visit land sites. You just visit them. To even get the chance to apply for a licence you have to be a qualified diver which already limits it down to a selective few who can go and see it. I have two other wrecks with protection orders over here on Scilly and I dont visit either of them because I cant be bothered with the paper work. Whereas if they were not protected I would still dive them time to time. It just makes me think they are protecting these wrecks from me!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz7a07Y7izt73TTt5YPVTkfYpY6h6-8PWneDHNc65pedGU3NC8HjP7xXLiJzTYP8v5Fi28XJAV30ExieqciidYnR7JDwFlbbG8WWKQYTLZATHvbwpNH9MIgtgtEhshRDvUz32kdvYBbNidDOlYIOBPdZCAleLKTSMov5g6klfo3HD1GnaZtchTUXi/s1600/IMG_2377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz7a07Y7izt73TTt5YPVTkfYpY6h6-8PWneDHNc65pedGU3NC8HjP7xXLiJzTYP8v5Fi28XJAV30ExieqciidYnR7JDwFlbbG8WWKQYTLZATHvbwpNH9MIgtgtEhshRDvUz32kdvYBbNidDOlYIOBPdZCAleLKTSMov5g6klfo3HD1GnaZtchTUXi/s320/IMG_2377.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>I am rather hoping to get back and keep some of the items in the final deal so that a small display can go in the local museum if they wanted it. However, as things stand Im sure they wont have room for it for quite a while to come as, last I heard, they are temporarily homeless. But I am talking in the future because one day they will be reestablished somewhere and when I get old I have stuff from other wrecks, like colossus, that I hope will end up on display with them again also. I only see myself as simply custodian of the best of anything I find for a short while. Sadly, the Phoenix stuff is already out of my hands- none of it can ever end up back in my possession unless I buy it at auction or can cut a deal for some items to return to Scilly.</p><p></p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-43975997921344612172023-02-15T01:14:00.002-08:002023-02-15T01:14:48.869-08:00Home from home<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sorry I have not posted recently but we have been away on holiday. Spent 3 weeks in Mahe in the Seyshelles. Like the Caribbean only better. Its friendlier without the crime. Bit like Scilly really and its heaving in nice beaches like here too. Did a lot of snorkelling and drinking of the local rum called Takamaka. Unlike Scilly they have huge bats instead of seagulls. We hired a car for the whole time we were there and found so many lovely beaches without a soul on them. You just park your bum under a nice tree in the shade crash and noone bothers you. Loved it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtSzXRvGi3Io2JN5jXTEfmq0_-6C8WFn8q5wyT5WRe-Bw0F-TmeGE2W1wLPIsjJrgkLGPdkr5MWXj8F6FG5Mw3lLxyJocU4LUTo9u_df6QH4G8tnDP3SCAinpNnkgVw9lhumf7_xSKtgAwZ3VGZfnQFvzaAQR_sTvibtsAlUbPsOAdqGec_RPcUG9/s1600/IMG_2760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtSzXRvGi3Io2JN5jXTEfmq0_-6C8WFn8q5wyT5WRe-Bw0F-TmeGE2W1wLPIsjJrgkLGPdkr5MWXj8F6FG5Mw3lLxyJocU4LUTo9u_df6QH4G8tnDP3SCAinpNnkgVw9lhumf7_xSKtgAwZ3VGZfnQFvzaAQR_sTvibtsAlUbPsOAdqGec_RPcUG9/s320/IMG_2760.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSU54cUukPGcKui3CrtxIng9zwZ0oJJBHf30TOihW6pkqqnLY6KAWsdCuK5A2IwUbeDZWV98KfUItlcB82yJ4c9vnnDC8Z9da29Oz8C1PpnsVUtlJXdZKXOzoT5KDr7-9SLC3u5xWdeici0enFHxchEDKh5eGegS7pASe9q1czEqQn0SZh1k60fAJy/s1600/IMG_2764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSU54cUukPGcKui3CrtxIng9zwZ0oJJBHf30TOihW6pkqqnLY6KAWsdCuK5A2IwUbeDZWV98KfUItlcB82yJ4c9vnnDC8Z9da29Oz8C1PpnsVUtlJXdZKXOzoT5KDr7-9SLC3u5xWdeici0enFHxchEDKh5eGegS7pASe9q1czEqQn0SZh1k60fAJy/s320/IMG_2764.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigS2yGmeH4pbGissO_JV4VYwoaiEp4ltA93xPYzVHt1W2TDMUPtSBinK0kS6ZRWfY0VyQmjncEP--ZdRhU_OAwTsqu2yDcxKxcJYBOh_t56CQrE157ftAKLiJy4j3Oqi97KKwBBDV__Vn48KLERZHovKq79UKmupY_uJ_56abwwbaDgalxy2YYPTVV/s1600/IMG_2782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigS2yGmeH4pbGissO_JV4VYwoaiEp4ltA93xPYzVHt1W2TDMUPtSBinK0kS6ZRWfY0VyQmjncEP--ZdRhU_OAwTsqu2yDcxKxcJYBOh_t56CQrE157ftAKLiJy4j3Oqi97KKwBBDV__Vn48KLERZHovKq79UKmupY_uJ_56abwwbaDgalxy2YYPTVV/s320/IMG_2782.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-69137082899848333762023-01-12T04:20:00.002-08:002023-01-12T04:20:33.646-08:00Tribute to Ed.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyvd-HWhvIeUrPavff8t205glgzJrLu3i6GmrsAazFjKnGn--jClqXq_1ROl68CMdjTKY21V1CSmVkLroksC7wfXVIiCZAYIK7Et_VhKxzGId61GEC-AQ8vYZA5fWZ822mftEQ1Y68mT_acfMdHvfrtPKidsDGA1usV_BgCBRG-o_rTvN-HghY5Gw/s461/ed1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="354" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyvd-HWhvIeUrPavff8t205glgzJrLu3i6GmrsAazFjKnGn--jClqXq_1ROl68CMdjTKY21V1CSmVkLroksC7wfXVIiCZAYIK7Et_VhKxzGId61GEC-AQ8vYZA5fWZ822mftEQ1Y68mT_acfMdHvfrtPKidsDGA1usV_BgCBRG-o_rTvN-HghY5Gw/s320/ed1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ed Cumming RIP.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It dawned on me recently that I had not made any personal tribute to the passing of a good friend Ed Cumming. I wasn't doing this blog when he passed so thought I'd like to do something now. Ed truely was a lovely man. He was a huge force behind the excavation of the Earl of Abergavenny wreck in Weymouth bay. When he moved to Scilly in about 2005, he and I teamed up and bought a boat together. We then worked together well on various projects during his time here. His research skills shined through on the wreck of the Nancy Packet shipwreck project where he unveiled the real story of that disaster. He taught me an awful lot about research. On that project I wrote the book and did everything to do with the light house and the facts behind the ghostly tale in the story- and Ed did a wonderful job uncovering the story of the Captain and Ann Cargill who was an illustrious passenger on board. Our collaboration was such that we published a small book about that wreck called 'Ghosts of Rosevear' and we won the adopt a wreck award for our work on the whole project. I did all the diving and he was boatman as he could no longer dive due to heart problems. We also worked together on our Scilly shipwreck reference book where again his skills in research and trudging through heaps of dross shone through. I researched everything from 1800 back to medieval times and he did from 1800 onwards. Mine was less material but harder to find- whereas his part was vast with much dross and modern inaccuracies to deal with. He was retired and had the time- whereas I was working full time. Evenso, he was relentless right up until he died. I dont like to mention the name 'Rich Larn' but I will and Ed Im sure would approve as he found him to be as difficult as I have. (see my page on Mr Larn) Mr Larn, the self professed -"Authority on shipwreck Research" - had the audacity to publish himself as such. He got an OBE for his work to 'Maritime archaeology.' Hmmm- is all I wish to say on that one! He was also given the Lloyds archive and paid a substantial fee to transfer it into book form. It should have been a very worthy project but sadly, for me, Larn has always seemed far too subjective in his approach for such an honorable undertaking- as Ed and I often found out when researching past publications for our own reference book.- Oh- and noone paid Ed or I to do our book! In fact we sold our reference book at cost price so we never made a penny from it. I could easily say that was Ed's influence but that was the way both Ed and I ultimately liked to work. We just wanted to get the information out there for all to read, for free, if at all possible. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDwCbUOvK9nK5VtOoGqlBEetj5Soi0jV0xszu-Trim5PvrZ0ASF10C7r-EtxZNYHR602UmRjzyZDXrZmRB0Vn5pLhonSGPM6O029wlaE8y_Xj6rMxgNcogrpuhvwuqbs2Ed7HF7SexwalrfZtvPW_L813tMExohi44xtULOMtOM1qBbMiLtukwNhC/s1654/1st%20find.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1654" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDwCbUOvK9nK5VtOoGqlBEetj5Soi0jV0xszu-Trim5PvrZ0ASF10C7r-EtxZNYHR602UmRjzyZDXrZmRB0Vn5pLhonSGPM6O029wlaE8y_Xj6rMxgNcogrpuhvwuqbs2Ed7HF7SexwalrfZtvPW_L813tMExohi44xtULOMtOM1qBbMiLtukwNhC/w400-h300/1st%20find.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="text-align: center;"> It was a pleasure to work with him. We became very firm friends.</span><br /><br /> Another example of Ed mind set was when he set up an internet site called 'Scillypedia'. It was a huge undertaking a fabulous ongoing archive of work. That site started because Ed had seen another internet site about Scilly Shipwrecks that charged people for research. This kind of thing made Ed angry and so Scillypedia shipwreck site came into being- and it just grew and grew into a site about Scilly as a whole. And while I fed Ed with lots of material for the site, it was he who again did all the day to day leg work. To my mind Ed was a far, far, better researcher than Richard Larn could ever hope to be. He was simply more thorough and always Objective rather than Subjective.<p></p><p>Ed was retired and lived on Scilly for about 5 years and we never stopped talking when together. My only regret is that I had to work, which meant that Ed had to fill his days elsewhere until evenings and weekends. He was a good boatman at Weymouth but not so confident to use our boat at Scilly alone. Too many obstacles and tides to learn about in his short time here. He so wanted to help the museum here but was unfairly thwarted there at every turn, which was so very sad as he had so much to give.. So, to fill his time, he set himself to research at home instead but you cant do the same thing all day, every day. There wasnt enough for him here- so in the end - he made a return to his beloved Weymouth- where he still had so many old friends and family. I missed him dearly when he left and was so very sad when I heard he had suddenly passed. Maybe he knew it was coming. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8HjTrvrdh4sk3lWAaznHqYiXfCZwgdKK3eSlC7RmGcIIeMm_qyCS4gDjweCmkKSTGSqwtJX-EdAfwX_ETj3eORWxKUIHQBhI6i_cf9Qik2ALHDXwpgsyhnmZN2PYG3zrmiXGnOU9qavyNPs7dYYQ_JeATRp4HrzHKtg3rrmEf1oNJIwuxCvpQRoZ/s1600/IMG_2758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8HjTrvrdh4sk3lWAaznHqYiXfCZwgdKK3eSlC7RmGcIIeMm_qyCS4gDjweCmkKSTGSqwtJX-EdAfwX_ETj3eORWxKUIHQBhI6i_cf9Qik2ALHDXwpgsyhnmZN2PYG3zrmiXGnOU9qavyNPs7dYYQ_JeATRp4HrzHKtg3rrmEf1oNJIwuxCvpQRoZ/w400-h300/IMG_2758.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> Ed and me.<br /> <p></p><p>As was typical of Ed, he was researching right up until the end. Just before he died he told me of an new branch of research he had uncovered and when I was writing reports to him about 3 new wrecks I had found for an update to our reference book, he said he had come up with 60 more pages of scilly shipwreck related material noone else had yet seen. That was Ed and he did it all for the love of it. If anyone deserved an OBE for his work to maritime archaeology it was ED Cumming. He did it all for nothing in return.</p><p> To the outside world he and I must have seemed an unlikely pairing but we just seemed to fit. It just worked. Put the two of us together and we just clicked. Rarely do you meet people in your life who are just right for you. Kindred spirits. We never stopped talking and thus learned a lot from each-other. In some way he made up for the loss of another dear friend. Not long before Ed and I met I lost, Francis Bliss, another dive buddy who I just fitted well with. It was like someone had sent me a replacement buddy in Ed. I do miss you both- Frank & Ed. Hope you two have met where ever you are now. I know you would get on famously. Thank you both for blessing me with your presence. Ed Cumming. RIP.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-57713429444060673282023-01-08T01:46:00.001-08:002023-01-10T02:10:01.144-08:00Iron Cargo wrecks<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Towing a magnetometer behind a boat for days on end nearly always yields results-but not often the results you wanted. Quite often the hits turn out to be rubbish but occasionally another wreck entirely from the one you are looking for shows up. In this case its ships with an iron cargo. These kinds of hits always gets the treasure hunters juices flowing. This is because you are looking for a similar size hit. An iron cargo mound will give off a similar sized hit as a decent cannon site. This has happened to me quite often and it always makes me wonder if I should employ a reverse psychology, by looking for these iron cargo ships -because then maybe I may find the actual cannon site wrecks Im looking for. Lets take a look at a few of these below. All are wrecks I have inadvertently found over the years. The first three images are of a wreck I found south east of the Crim reef. It turned out to be the Bassenthwaite lost in 1836. I found this one while looking for HMS Romney. At the time it was very disappointing. But in time it turned into quite an interesting wreck in its own right. I quite like diving this one now as you never know what it is going to reveal next. It is in 30+meters and has a very eclectic cargo surrounding a huge iron cargo. It was copper nailed and copper bottomed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The whole sea bed here seems made of iron<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHfrDfoUMVxmtiMBtZZMD3Laj5UZVugmS2CYtvOxj2Q36tCPmAcf96KL5gxqxgR9A0dvXlzQ07D1zp9O9HGB7qo0tNzX8bDX_raPd10mO9eT0LhFXvyTRfzytczvGY6C6ww2ZVkP2gmynyh2f8Iz3k8UE1MPcwoiqOjKijeLBtcXZmmoChDZsPvX4/s3618/IMG_1627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2783" data-original-width="3618" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHfrDfoUMVxmtiMBtZZMD3Laj5UZVugmS2CYtvOxj2Q36tCPmAcf96KL5gxqxgR9A0dvXlzQ07D1zp9O9HGB7qo0tNzX8bDX_raPd10mO9eT0LhFXvyTRfzytczvGY6C6ww2ZVkP2gmynyh2f8Iz3k8UE1MPcwoiqOjKijeLBtcXZmmoChDZsPvX4/s320/IMG_1627.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sWrS_eWiuWofjcNAQIJc8q1fb146yGMBBYBYfcY0qAaWFjefASRyZei14BrY7SSO2cLh2sONwSrFdvxaOYJtgtive1Du4K9t6-t4SOLXOUzNCsxuKKfAWiJxvFonmj5sNV0uTkWPPNU5cGM61tHR8RfK3qj6-WDGenyFWkN-ImrESPNxzhZXYJC2/s3669/IMG_1404.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2695" data-original-width="3669" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sWrS_eWiuWofjcNAQIJc8q1fb146yGMBBYBYfcY0qAaWFjefASRyZei14BrY7SSO2cLh2sONwSrFdvxaOYJtgtive1Du4K9t6-t4SOLXOUzNCsxuKKfAWiJxvFonmj5sNV0uTkWPPNU5cGM61tHR8RfK3qj6-WDGenyFWkN-ImrESPNxzhZXYJC2/s320/IMG_1404.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My torch picks out cannons on the Bassenthwaite</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMCqM88KjphfwDGDfZlxkEtyX16beNNk6VnnfS58BsQqi7X3GehtCsyeR3V8gX-tGaivZhmp_F9L7dUSncmxW1-qg80m__YK8FpMI0JGzaFlFz0l3xeYZkLyiFt8hKs382f0I_orYGPWUoiqEzDsMTQMl0_g8obLQF07rGu2hRZ613IFhTSGiZKn9/s3602/IMG_1403.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2654" data-original-width="3602" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMCqM88KjphfwDGDfZlxkEtyX16beNNk6VnnfS58BsQqi7X3GehtCsyeR3V8gX-tGaivZhmp_F9L7dUSncmxW1-qg80m__YK8FpMI0JGzaFlFz0l3xeYZkLyiFt8hKs382f0I_orYGPWUoiqEzDsMTQMl0_g8obLQF07rGu2hRZ613IFhTSGiZKn9/s320/IMG_1403.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> The next two images below is what I believe to be the wreck of the Padstow lost in 1804. I found this iron cargo wreck while hunting around the Spanish Ledges. The images look like rock but it is all iron items in a huge solid concretion. Again I was hoping for an old spanish cannon site but got this instead. I remember the first dive on it when my eyes told me what I wanted to see. It is in a very strong tidal zone in 20m of water. I wanted it to be a cannon site so much that in my excitement I had convinced myself I was looking at guns all concreted together and I said as much to a friend later that day. The second dive proved the reality of simple iron castings like rail tracking and pig iron and instead of a 17th century site it was an early 19th c or late 18th c at best. The anchors were of that period around 1800 and English. The debris trail was towards the Spanish ledge so she must have glanced off that reef and sank nearby.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A big conger lives under the iron mound.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gxmm_KzU6c07jIPgk24BJyDzWiCmm87JtJTpNJa17kkJMi_5YpFSajIFB-Lo0vm6H3Ur9NNQtUDgcYa0cCwwUIaO8KJ9AWXIU-dDueRn9QqEbeE9LTmrVMH40ulTDHzs-JeIhOHw4N_IaVLpT7vAOpki5bg1_i5bkb_J6b7mlKfbQmDagpc8KKBU/s4000/Padstow%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gxmm_KzU6c07jIPgk24BJyDzWiCmm87JtJTpNJa17kkJMi_5YpFSajIFB-Lo0vm6H3Ur9NNQtUDgcYa0cCwwUIaO8KJ9AWXIU-dDueRn9QqEbeE9LTmrVMH40ulTDHzs-JeIhOHw4N_IaVLpT7vAOpki5bg1_i5bkb_J6b7mlKfbQmDagpc8KKBU/s320/Padstow%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Padstows iron mound </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGwl0_2vDckKPcCXBoyjgujTZXSqO5C1BmpYfGOXVoZjzzxRrS5pIxVi858oWrOKchfAmKsfVYIQwqgKA-q5EKGSQuQyGzGTFZwmmEw5asKBiP1CM4OHHAqGOU_8zGllM7amSn5vsO1I0cg2-frZbHBPykY6dFH670eIaSZziIe7k4rXjQT9-OAQp/s3911/Padstow%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="3911" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGwl0_2vDckKPcCXBoyjgujTZXSqO5C1BmpYfGOXVoZjzzxRrS5pIxVi858oWrOKchfAmKsfVYIQwqgKA-q5EKGSQuQyGzGTFZwmmEw5asKBiP1CM4OHHAqGOU_8zGllM7amSn5vsO1I0cg2-frZbHBPykY6dFH670eIaSZziIe7k4rXjQT9-OAQp/s320/Padstow%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The two images below are of an unidentified site I believe to be the wreck of the Plenty. I found this one on my birthday in 2005. I had read a passage in a book written in 1852 regarding an indiaman lost in that area where the wreck now lays. I magged all day for the indiaman and got this juicy hit off little ganinick island. I thought it was going to be a cannon site and a fab birthday present. The wreck was another iron cargo vessel. This time it was carrying replacement mining equipment. There were numerous wheels on the site so I dubbed it the 'Wheels wreck.' as I had no positive ID of the ship then. Since then research I think has proven it to be the Wreck of the 'Plenty' lost in 1840. This is because a narrative placed its loss in 44ft of water just 1 mile away from St Marys. This wreck fits that description and date.. Its an interesting site but not my kind of wreck and certainly not what I was hoping it to be. To cut a long story short the site received a government protected order over it-this was as a direct result of a request by the Trevithick society in Cornwall and not anything of my doing. Not quite sure what it is being protected from though?, and as a result of the government order noone ever dives it. The trevithick society thought it was an important find and this was the result. Sadly, I have not dived it since as I cant be bothered with the unnecessary paperwork needed to visit it.<div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A couple of the many wheels found on the site</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcIx9ihhrCba2P58cji3tg-rSMSVrabxqSrbQvQr-VyFVstbleZVv_djaK5hObET8oPQi0bOcqGxEUWGNGNOc0sA1763KfQildrocA7QO8EcHMe3qCIH3ygh1FntBox5q49ZXNKKPswW0pbQY4-duuYxaygFVRaAQBYjxAC8pHl7yLs6rWovRwndP/s3378/Gorregan%20108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2898" data-original-width="3378" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcIx9ihhrCba2P58cji3tg-rSMSVrabxqSrbQvQr-VyFVstbleZVv_djaK5hObET8oPQi0bOcqGxEUWGNGNOc0sA1763KfQildrocA7QO8EcHMe3qCIH3ygh1FntBox5q49ZXNKKPswW0pbQY4-duuYxaygFVRaAQBYjxAC8pHl7yLs6rWovRwndP/s320/Gorregan%20108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My wife measures one of a few iron clack valves found on the 'Wheels wreck' site.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhRaoPGVfKIUcV4O6ezT64Rw8z4lfaWtcVSsfSooGhX5q6BSsZ6QdX6Nn1XorIICJtcj3EQ7TX7EfwQY3hzxlbC6RKRbADcbV4WYlrxN4y2dwM6-Vy1GyLhnqCUFW4PjN3Dv-L7lRapPhyL7UmQdyBSDKmNbizlo5xWPw3gfYL4Yl-Pj4n3g35VJc/s3234/Gorregan%20095.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3234" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhRaoPGVfKIUcV4O6ezT64Rw8z4lfaWtcVSsfSooGhX5q6BSsZ6QdX6Nn1XorIICJtcj3EQ7TX7EfwQY3hzxlbC6RKRbADcbV4WYlrxN4y2dwM6-Vy1GyLhnqCUFW4PjN3Dv-L7lRapPhyL7UmQdyBSDKmNbizlo5xWPw3gfYL4Yl-Pj4n3g35VJc/s320/Gorregan%20095.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-30959725188305285912023-01-04T12:46:00.008-08:002023-01-10T12:52:03.430-08:00Shipwreck videos.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A good friend of mine makes some great little shipwreck videos and he came over last summer and we made a couple featuring 2 Scilly wrecks for his channel. All the treasure and artifacts in this video is currently held by the Receiver of Wreck until its release and then will, as the law dictates, be sold off at a public auction in London. Enjoy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Phoenix?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i2YUuHDvRFM" width="320" youtube-src-id="i2YUuHDvRFM"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Custos or Douro?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ljKEJHswbdo" width="320" youtube-src-id="ljKEJHswbdo"></iframe></div><p><br /></p>Check out Bens youtube Channel- Ben o Cam. Hes a real thrill seeker. He dives old mine shafts and caves as well as a wreck hunter like me. He even flies a microlight. One time he flew from Lands End to Scilly. Then, when Bear grills did the same, and /bear thinking he was first to do it and published as much- Ben put him straight. Ha ha ha<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8619383319508957342.post-48908060635311885922023-01-03T01:33:00.004-08:002023-01-03T01:33:51.243-08:00Humpbacks & Finns<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp0u-UUOMBoNTr7WeC2lXqJ5COwPoRLvbuPPv0xglTp_-WHsqxtoojpfGf62fLzM98cKN4QYT5DPNrdmRDQS6LgdEhf0DyGDA0SbaEta5Mt8xu-62OdYSIancFIUDNsh7qSE-OcW3FWusDxMXXRXkjEiAWd68lXGW4mJ3HWX3XTyRXSU4S15QIZA1/s640/R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp0u-UUOMBoNTr7WeC2lXqJ5COwPoRLvbuPPv0xglTp_-WHsqxtoojpfGf62fLzM98cKN4QYT5DPNrdmRDQS6LgdEhf0DyGDA0SbaEta5Mt8xu-62OdYSIancFIUDNsh7qSE-OcW3FWusDxMXXRXkjEiAWd68lXGW4mJ3HWX3XTyRXSU4S15QIZA1/w400-h268/R.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> We have had Humpback whales and Finn whales about the islands over the last couple of months. The Humpbacks have been coming in close to shore but the Finns stay further out. Lots of Dolphins too. I aske how can you tell a finn from a humpback and was told that the finns water spout is much higher. Boy it is too. We were watching a couple about miles off shore and their spouts must have been going up 20 feet or more. We had not had many whales for quite a while here but when lock down occurred a couple of years back the Humpbacks must have seen it as a signal to come into the islands. One we could see from our lounge window just across the way. I was working at a house right by the shoreline at the time and it came within a 100m of the shore just off the Newman. It was also seen just a few meters away between the Woolpack rock and the garrison shore by a friend. I have dived in that gap and the water is not very deep there but there he was swimming through the gap so that people on the shore could get a good close view. At present they are hanging about just south of St Marys and between St Marys Island and the Gugh. Not sure what is kepping them here and coming back each year but it must be food. They seem to hang about in the very tidal areas here the most. Long may the sightings continue. <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0