fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,810
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

well heres a bit of news seems that a batch of "highly" trained divers (their wet suits had large numbers of special type dive "patches" on them) were seen diving -- one of 24 --- 1810 to 1816 era british lumber ship wrecks that I have IDed by the copper bottom sheathing,bronze nails and english green edged pattern plate shards (popular from 1810 to 1830 -- from the shaffordshire crockery making area of england)-- the one they were first spotted at was the chart "marked" shipwreck of off main beach on amelia island --- its a nice work ship wreck but no high dollar treasure ship to speak of --- they were poking around elsewhere -- tonight my sources say that a slew of state archies were seen traveling this way in "marked" vechiles coming outta tallahassee --- humm I wonder if their looking at my wreck site area -- I think I best check up on it .
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

well these guys had all the specialist type patches for the various styles of diving (deep water type special mixtures and such-- not your local diver types -- real pros -- several of them) -- the other report was of several "marked" archie mobiles traveling in a group coming this way from tallahassee --- humm very odd -- got me to wondering whats going on? --- Ivan
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

Soooo, what happened today? and where did the heat come from???
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

I've been diving in South Texas, so they aren't looking for me....this time. :D Keep us posted Ivan.

Jason
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

humm still looking into this --
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

If they were state, then they won't be diving for long, as their budget will be used up fast (especially for that many), what with the budget crunch coming. (That or they're using up last year's budget....)
Could be military out for a training mission too. That'd be more likely....
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

How about an Archie training group?
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

Most likely they are on contract from the dredge companies to do UW survey work before they dredge.Its required by thier state contracts.There was a group just like you described in sebastian about 5 months ago.They were keeping thier boat at fins marina.When i saw very pro looking divers and equipment i had to ask why they were here.They said they were diving off the treasure coast an were only there for 2 weeks,then moving north to do more UW surveys.
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

The FBI said to watch out for this sort of thing....definitely has the mark of Al Qaida. LOL
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

thanks fisheye ** now that you say it dredging outfitsurvey guys seems very likely -- they were doing some dredging in that area recently -- I'll check on that angle because that makes good sense to me. -- I just get a bit spooked when I see commerical diving type folks in the area nearby were my wreck that I'm working on getting legal rights to harvest. ( I'm sure you can understand why)-- plus the archies might be checking up on the dredgers digging to see if they "damaged" anything --- heck they may have "found" the marked wreck (on the charts) --- the main beach wreck (just off shore) ----and might be be trying to figger out what I already know -- that its a 1810 to 1816 era british lumber trade ship ( the clues to who and what it was werecopper hull sheathing , brass nails used to hold on the sheathing (with english markings) and lots of british green edged plate shards from the shaffordshirearea in england of a pattern that was highly popular from 1810 to 1830 era which often used as trade goods (the british traded heavily locally for lumber which they took in trade back to england from amelia island ---the big time trade "era"was from1810 to 1816 -- there are at least 24 historically recorded or "known" english wrecks that occured on / around amelia island at this time in this time frame --- basically that would be a loss rate of one every 3 months for 6 years --- the closing of american ports due to the embargo act pushed alot of stuff in via "spanish" fernandina making it into an important port -- during the embargo days it was a big time smugglers haven -- goods were brought into "spanish" florida and sold to locals who then smuggled the goods into "america"--- some ships used the direct approach and anchored in the river in no mans land and traded illegally during the night -- it was quite common and many of the local big wheels --- most all of the local old "name" / old money families wealth came from doing the smuggling ----

my spy network of eyes and ears works well ( I hear and gather lots of information from my "friends")-- they told me they were there but didn't know who they were - said they were not chatty types -- when they approached them they just kinda walked away . so I was not there in person to look them over but just got reports of the two events from my spy network --I was trying to sort out whats was going on -- from the info gathered by my "network" of freinds and with fisheyes added bit of info (thanks fisheye) think I know who they were and what they were doing in the area --- P.S. there was dredging work done in the past near the lower end of amelia island -- most likely thats why they they may have been there "checking up" on its status-- makes good logical sense. --- Ivan
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

there were recently a few federal contracts to review the conditions of the shipwreck sites after the hurricanes, and make assessments.
There are also a few teams in the area still working on the recovery of the damaged oil platforms.
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

Know matter where there going, and who they are: there most likely wasting taxpayers money again.
and if there going to: SO CALLED " Aquatic-preserve" around Amelia Island: again, wasting are tax's dollars.
what Jack A@## came up with aquatic-preserve: need to be " keelhauled " on that area!

Good luck Ivan, Sapper
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

They maybe going to help those little beach mice ;D Sorry Ivan ..I couldn't help myself..Don't let them rape and pillage that 1769 wreck.. ;D -- Keep us posted
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

well my 1769 wreck* is called that because thats the date on the map that I found which "shows " the wreck site -- the actual wreck itself must of course pre date the map -- it had to have sunk before the map was made (nov of 1769) to be on the map in the first place. --- since it was not an "add on" or after the fact mark but was part of the map when it was made -- simple logic tells me that its older than nov of 1769 --- there are (2) historical documents which match up nicely about a 1715 era vessel lost in the area --- ones english and reads "about 40 miles to the north of st augustine"--- the other is spanish -- it reads "15 leagues (league was 2.6 miles --so *39 miles) to the leeward " of this port (st augustine)--- so in the 39 to about 40 miles range area north of st augustine there was wreckage reported (to both english and spanish govts) along the shore line at or very near the amelia island / nassau sound area in 1715 -- about the rough area where my 1769 wreck site is at --- funny thing **its the only wreck site "noted" on the whole map by the way and its an "english" map (the english knew that a spanish 1715 ship wrecked here but did not bother with it since it was in "spanish" waters in 1715 and they did not wish to stir things up at the time ) the spanish were too busy with the kings main 1715 fleet lost down south to bother with one lost "minor" treasure vessel that had no survivors and was not even "offically" carrying any of the kings personnal treasure at the time --- and so there it sat ---- until the english gained control of florida in 1763 and sent men to explore and exploit what they could in florida including the man who mapped out amelia island in 1769 thus marking the wreck upon his map ( he most likely using the old sea charts of the area to aid him in making his "new" ones a very common practice --- however being it was over 54 years after the fact (1715 to 1769 is 54 years) those who knew it was a treasure vessel that wrecked there in 1715 and that this was what that the "mark" on the old chart meant were all long dead and gone ---so by 1769 the mark on the map meant nothing but a normal shipwreck mark as far as the 1769 map maker knew when he "transfered" it to his "new" map thus showing its "location" -- Ivan
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

I know Ivan..I was talking about the tax dollars at work sometimes..They have spent millions of dollars on that beach mouse in fla.Just seems they could find something better to spend it on.. Goodluck
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

Ahoy mates!

tha state know verywell all tha wrecks found in tha amelea island port. if gold/silvr booty wes in tha 1769 ship the fisherrs would be there diggin becaus all tha 1715 lost ship on east coast fall under thier legel claim.

tha scube dive mates in tha area are state archs with third party company.
good day mateys! ;)

V
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

vulcan007 said:
the fisherrs would be there already diggin becaus all tha 1715 lost ship on east coast fall under thier legel claim.

I have heard this claim before However, how can anyone have a legal claim to a shipwreck not yet found? Other than the wreck being inside an active search lease.

Just a thought!
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

I talked with taffi fisher awhile back on exactly that subject -- seems the fishers have legal claim
on all the 1715 fleet vessels found as of their court win date* (and rightfully so I might add since mel fisher had to fight the us grabberment tooth and nail for it) plus any loot from them in what ever direction it may lead from their main claimed wrecksites in that area --- however totally differant lost wrecks in a completely differant area --- nah --- if I can crack the permitting dead log thats got things tied up however they said call em and you can bet I will , plus I'm very sure that local amelia island group would love to take a shot at her too being its a fairly shallow water wreck thus the amelia island vessel would be perfect for the job. --- Ivan
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

I understand that they have the rights to the six ships of the 1715 fleet that have been found to date, and that is as it should be. However, there still remains the five other ships of the fleet that have not yet been accounted for. I don't think that it is possible for them to have legal a claim on these shipwrecks unless they lay within there current search and or recovery leases.
Say for example; Shipwreck Salvor Snuffy has a search lease from the State of Florida, and he discovers a wreck within the boundary of his search lease, and the state grants him a salvage permit for the wreck. During excavation, Salvor Snuffy and the state archaeologist uncover evidence that clearly delineates this wreck as one of the five missing ships of the 1715 Fleet.
Salvor Snuffy has invested a large sum of his own money, and money from a handfull of investors to search for, excavate and recover this shipwreck. Would he now have to hand over his 80% of the treasure recovered to Taffi and her team?

I don't think so!
 

Re: fla state archies on the prowl ? seems "special" divers seen in the area

In working at the fisher museum in Sebastian this summer, I inquired about this as well. There is some legal precedence set, but I never got all of the details. I believe they laid claim to the 1715 as a fleet in court, as opposed to just the wrecks they had already found. I'm not sure what the deal would be if someone NOT sub-contracting for them found a vessel.

However, for most of us...meaning those who do not have a proven track record with the state, it would seem logical to me to work WITH the Fisher family to avoid many of the obstacles preventing new salvage leases these days. When was the last time you heard of a new salvage lease being awarded?? They simply aren't doing it right now, Roger smith and the state that is. However, under the legal umbrella set up by Mel, if you did find another 1715 wreck site, you would stand a MUCH better chance of getting your salvage permit by working with the already established and trusted Fisher family.

In my dealings with them, I always found them to be more than fair to anyone who treated them with the same sincerity. So if i was Ivan, having found a wreck believed to be a 1715 vessel, the first call I would make would be to Taffi. By showing her a little friendliness, and asking for her help in securing the contract, I would bet that a person could get a better deal on a new vessel (say 20% to the state, 20% to the Fishers who would conserve and certify everything for you, and 60% to the salvor who found the wreck). If you look at it logically, this would actually save you money both in legal fee's and conservation alone, not to mention the increase in artifact value that comes with a Fisher certification. I'm sure that Taffi would give the finder exclusive rights to the wreck area for a good length of time too. By having friends like Taffi in the business, dealing with the state becomes a MUCH different game. Otherwise you'd better be a world class salvager with a sparkling reputation, impressive legal team, and unlimited funds and time to back it up...how many people on this board have all those things?
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top