Treasure off Marblehead ???

[MSilvia]

I don't Matt... you may have a hard time convincing anyone there's anything to see at sites that haven't been combed over by a bazillion divers already.

I like occasional random sites... pick some rocks and see what's there! I had a couple of nice dives off Harding's Ledge last year, and have even found wreckage when diving for lunch while out sailing.

 

[matt_unique]

....it just blows my mind that this cannon was found relatively close to Halfway Rock...and I dive there more often than any other site.

Maybe start with diving near some well known ledges that may have sunk some ships in the past....

--Matt

 

[ScubaNorth]

Hey Johlar; I've changed jobs and have been working into the evening. I lurk once in a while but not as often. That'll all change now that the nice weather is upon us.

There IS treasure in the waters around all of MA. Off Brant Rock there was a pre-colonial wreck that was sort of salvaged in the 60's, in the Marblehead area there is the Margaret that had a shipment of China (not worth risking life and limb over 300 years ago but do you know what one dish would be worth today), even most of the islands around Boston harbor have had wrecks that at the least would contain a strong box for crews wages, provisions and such. Most colonial and pre-colonial wrecks had gold and silver on board as in that era a lot of supply places didn't take Visa or American Express, a few took MasterCard if I remember my history correctly. Yes agreed the strong boxes went before the women and children but often entire crews were lost and the ships were beyond salvage (they didn't have native divers in New England like in the Bahamas). A good storm in the winter or fall will kick up some real suprises. Of course you will not get a lot of lobsters if you are treasure hunting. Everyone loves a good treasure story and dreams of finding anything of value in the ocean. The real story is 90% of the find is in research and 9% luck and 1% diving and recovering. Anyone ever wants to go exploring count me in, I can't catch a darn lobster to save my life so I may as well drain a tank on looking at sand and rocks.

OK this just got longer: The wreck in the harbour was the the Freemason and it had cannons, another ship with cannons sunken but not recovered was the Macklesfield around halfway rock area. Both could be canidates but the area they are supposed to be in is a bit off. Of course that would be expected. The cannon looks to be iron so it could be 300 years or less. A lot of ships in that period had iron and brass so a really sweet brass cannon may be waiting out there for them to find.

 

[ScubaNorth]

Here's more: http://www.alliednews.com/statenews/cnhinsall_story_142232531.html

Lucky *******.

The claim looks to be wide open to me. Unless they went to court and did this the right way there is no way to keep someone off the site. In a way the story is sort of sad, as they have no idea what they are doing (not that I would either). Someone with more knowledge or money will step up and these guys will be out. Not wishing it on them just being a realist. If a ship was in trouble a mounted gun could go over and the ship could go down a long distance away. It is a sweet find but I hope these guys go in eyes wide open and don't quit the day job. Loaded guns were kept by piratres and anyone else trying to keep their boats from the pirates, oh yeah and the military. I don't know the area but an armed ship blew up in the harbour back in the day could a 110 pound cannon fly that far?

 

[MSilvia]

The claim looks to be wide open to me. Unless they went to court and did this the right way there is no way to keep someone off the site. In a way the story is sort of sad, as they have no idea what they are doing (not that I would either).

Actually, they did do it the right way, according to the story I linked to. The MBUAR is the legal authority in Massachusetts when it comes to securing salvage rights for shipwrecks and sunken treasure. If you're interested in how the process works, write to Vic Mastone and request information... he'll gladly send you a nice fat packet of reading material, including all the paperwork you need for filing for reconiassance and excavation claims, as well as rules pertaining to both types of claim, a list of claims in effect, info on wrecks that are exempted from the permiting process, etc. I've read through it myself, and despite what you might assume, asking the court first is not the way to go about it if you want to keep what you find.

The decision to go public followed a letter from Victor Mastone of Peabody, director of the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, conceding that the find belongs to him and McGrath.

"We didn't want to tell anyone before," Noyes said, out of fear someone would jump his claim. Even now, he warns that relatives on Marblehead Neck are keeping watch on the site.

State regulations mean 75 percent of anything found will go to the two men, Noyes said. In addition, they'll have to follow strict regulations about recovery.

 

[ScubaNorth]

Actually, they did do it the right way, according to the story I linked to. The MBUAR is the legal authority in Massachusetts when it comes to securing salvage rights for shipwrecks and sunken treasure. If you're interested in how the process works, write to Vic Mastone and request information... he'll gladly send you a nice fat packet of reading material, including all the paperwork you need for filing for reconiassance and excavation claims, as well as rules pertaining to both types of claim, a list of claims in effect, info on wrecks that are exempted from the permiting process, etc. I've read through it myself, and despite what you might assume, asking the court first is not the way to go about it if you want to keep what you find.

Not to show my ignorance 100% because in a battle of wits I go unarmed but anyone within reason can lay claim to the wreck and if they have the resources put these guys under. I agree they did start out right but to go public this soon is asking for trouble. Is this an American ship? If it is 300 years old it certainly is not American. Is it a war vessel? If so then you could have Federal laws over riding state even within the state waterways. I was far from encouraging anyone to attempt to jump the claim. They found a cannon not a ship wreck (i know a lump of coal could be enough but...). I am ignorant as to how far out the claim extends but as I said wrecks tend to travel longish distance from the point they dip below the surface and a small cannon may have been an early loss. I wish them luck and hope someone honest and with good intent steps up to guide them and not take advantage of them. The laws on ship wrecks are a mess even within State waterways. Most are 100's of years old and vague compared with current standards and therefore open to all kinds of nonsense.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

You guys didn't think I'd really tell what was in that hole in the ground did you?
I recovered the booty and pitched that worthless old cannon into the ocean far from me casa !!!

 

[Harshal]

Hows the Water out there whats the temp and vis ? I would love to go trasure hunting or work for a salvage company, I think would be fun and exciting.

 

[MSilvia]

Hows the Water out there whats the temp and vis ?

The water's green, the vis is 15' on a typical day, and the temp is between 50 and 60 degrees for what the 7mm wetsuit divers typically consider "dive season". In the winter, the water's still green, but vis almost doubles and temps are right around 40.