Sounds good,
J.W.(Billy Ray) Moriss is one of our guides, and I thought he had mentioned something about this.
He heads up some of our most important archaeological trips for dive travel of the next level.
Thanks for the reply.
See the trips, and check out our guides at
He will probably get a copy of this if involved as the archeo contacted me and I have released the story of it to her and copied the others involved (Jackson, Govreau, Williamson, etc.) today.
Subject: Re: Bayport
Thank you, Nicole. Nice to meet you and re-unite with Virginia Jackson.
I came across the surgeon's account in the Orlando Public Library in 1986 which led me to McCauley's history and the rest of the Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron activities, as well as an earlier survey in the 1840's. I met with Virginia Jackson to see if she had any materials or knowledge. I began searching for the wrecks in 1987 with Lt CMDR Louis Govreau (Ret) and with diver Larry Williamson in 1988 unsuccessfully. In 1989 I took my Whaler Montauk over to the harbor alone and started searching in a grid pattern with mask and snorkel and came across the steamer wreck with a Marine Patrol Officer standing by to keep boaters away while I searched. From there I was able to locate (the or some) remains of the schooner underneath the rubble piles at the Bayport pier. Sporadic wood could only be seen from the channel side at that time.
After finding I met with Virginia Jackson and she had me meet with some others (I can't remember their names but she does) on a project to raise parts and put them in a building at Bayport, or some type of museum. Everyone had high hopes, but no money at that time and the search for the remaining sloop was draining mine so everything was dropped and I documented the wreck with photography and sent it all to Roger Smith and he came down to video in 1991. I showed him where the old hotel was located, the boiler tubes, the wrecks (he didn't want to dive the schooner as I recall since we had no protection from the fishermen), the battery location, where the cemetery was (totally overgrown now but the headstones are still readable), Hospital Hole, and the Crystal River sites and Yulee Mill.
I had also been hired by Gary Ellis to find/show/map paleo sites in the Homosassa River about that time and relocated a wreck off Greenleaf Key there.
That was the extent of my involvement with Bayport. Hopefully you will have/find the funding to do something with the steamer wreck as it is unprotected (currents wash out any mud) and in need of protection 20 years ago.
I have copied Virginia Jackson (also has the same underwater tape) in case I am unavailable, and Dan Dewitt (columnist) who has expressed interest in the current expedition, Louis Govreau and Larry Williamson, the original divers helping me in the search.
Sincerely,
Matt Mattson