Positive Palm Beach Post Newspaper Article about Jupiter Wreck

What do you all think of the idea of using the sand for beach restoration as the Jupiter article sug

  • Why shouldn't you be reimbursed if it is performing a public good.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Be happy you can still dive for treasure and forget about helping the environment

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Do you expect the government to be innovative or actually make sense..

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capt dom

Hero Member
Nov 9, 2006
995
287
Jupiter, Florida USA
Take a look at this positive article about how undersea exploration and shipwreck recovery should benifit the present and future:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2007/06/11/a11a_edletters_0611.html

Let wreck salvage firm help out with work on dunes
Listen to this article or download audio file.

Monday, June 11, 2007

For the past 20 years, my company, Jupiter Wreck Inc., has been investigating what is Palm Beach County's earliest recorded maritime event, a ship laden with treasures that met with its end in 1660. We secured our rights in federal courts to this historic shipwreck and, since 1991, have been working with the Division of Historical Resources and other state and federal agencies to solve the enigma of where the main cultural deposit of the shipwreck is. It is a requirement for us to apply for and attain dredge-and-fill permits so we may dig holes to search for these significant cultural remains.

A byproduct of digging a hole is the material that was in the hole. This site is just 300 feet south of Jupiter's Inlet. This material happens to be beach sand - quite a lot of it. During the past 20 years, we have excavated more than 5,000 holes within this area. We have found more than 15,000 artifacts to date, mostly coins; however, the main cultural deposit has eluded us. What we have found, however, is a major inventory (more than 300,000 cubic yards) of the highest-quality beach sand, and we have developed and permitted very efficient ways of moving this sand, which is a practical matter for us.

For years, my dream has been to take this sand and transport it to an upland area, where it vould be utilized for dune restoration and/or beach nourishment. This would turn the sand into the "treasure," as we can move it for a much lower cost than trucking or importing it from any significant distance. At the very same time, we will be uncovering a beautiful, original, on-shore hard bottom reef estuary structure and marine life habitat that inadvertently was buried during the 20th century because of a basic lack of understanding by government officials about how our shoreline process is suppose to work.

In a recent beach renourishment meeting at the Aquarius condo on Singer Island, which all the various regulatory agencies attended, I made the point very clear that we had dredge permits in hand and that, with only slight modification, could allow pumping the sand to a controlled, upland area where it could be de-watered and used as the county saw fit for dune restoration and/or beach nourishment. This is the sand that has just washed off the beach. Nobody listened. Want to know why? Because if we "laymen" happen to be right and can contribute to a better solution to beach restoration that can be compatible with major environmental issues, less tax money will be spent in the future by these same blind agencies who are shoveling against the tide at all of our expense.

Capt Dom

Jupiter

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Beach renourishment is a wasteful, costly subsidy

From time immemorial, the beaches of the planet have existed in one form or another. People with common sense understand that the forces of nature, ocean currents, waves and tides dictate how beaches evolve and move year in and year out. Any attempts by local, state and federal officials to dictate how and where beaches must exist is the costly work of fools - a learning exercise that most involved refuse to understand and a fact that calls into serious question the intelligence of beach renourishment advocates ("Work starts on beach restoration in county," May 30).

For all of those moaning, complaining beachfront property owners, here's a reality check. No one forced you to risk your physical and financial security by investing in ego enhancement property situated in harm's way, and nowhere is it written that the rest of America's taxpayers are obligated to finance survival as a result of your poor choice of location.

Unfortunately, a century of repeated experience with beach erosion has failed to convince government that permitting oceanfront development is a costly no-no, yet we keep electing fools who finance consultants who believe otherwise - for financial gain. Proof positive that the human race is the ultimate cancer on the planet.

VAL MARTIN

Port Salerno
 

Capt. Dom,
We have had our differences in the past but I am 100% behind what you have said here.
Peg Leg
 

Hi Peg Leg!

I'm trying to figure out why the posting isn't showing up in the shipwreck column.... Maybe i should have posted it as a poll ???

There is one miss-print in the article... It should have said, "our shipwreck"... it is not mine.... Editors of newspapers reserve the right to make changes in copy. This was one of their changes; but at least they published it with support within the opinion column.

Capt Dom

p.s. Whoops... there it is now up on the board...
 

capt Dom,

nice article,but theres still a problem with moving the sand.it cost money.true the sand is pretty much a by product being it has to be moved somewhere to find treasure.but why put it up on the beach for free,you would just be doing the state a free service and saving tax payers alot of money an you get nothing in return cept to everyone you would be the man that did it.how about this.move the sand to the beach or wherever.you dont charge for your service.but instead the state doesnt get its 25% of the treasure you find.and they pay you back for whatever it costs you for this extra sand dredge equipment you have to buy.everyone wins.the public gets a tax break,the public gets to see more treasure and artifacts.the beachfront property owners wont be washed away.and the best part you make more money off treasure found.but of course the state would never agree to anything like this.
 

I never suggested we are willing to do it for free. As much as diving for sunken treasure is a passion for us; after 20 years of operations -we also understand the diresct costs involved.

Our actual proposal was to have our costs covered for pumping the sand to a contained upland area in the parking lot. Placing it there it will not interfere with turtle nesting, the material can be closely scrutinized for artfactual material and "quality for dune or beach nourishment and only then be re-distributed by the County as i9t sees fit of dune restoration or beach nourishment.

After all additional costs it probably will come in beyween $15.00 to $20.00 a cubic yard to place this high quality beach sand within the County's reach but thats a lot better than the $35.00 to up to $75.00 a yard it is costing the taxpayers to "import" / truck sand in from another source.

But like my letter states... this just makes too much business sense, or I am sure there are others out there who don't like me as aperson in general and will probably brand me an "opportunist" by attempting to profiteer off of this natural but unscheduled storm event...

A good friend once said to me, "If you are going to take the front of the line... expect to get some eggs thrown at you"...


Capt Dom
 

Capt Dom.
When you move the sand today where does it go?
I suspect it goes right over other places you intend to dredge.
No matter what type of detector you use you will never locate everything-like emeralds or other precious stones or even many coins. What size dredge were you planning to use because even a 6 inch dredge can move several thousand cubic yards of sand in a day and that will add up to you making some serious money and it WILL leave one hell of a mess where ever you put it and it WILL distroy any parking lot it is dumped on.
Good concept except it was designed with YOUR PROFITS in mind.
I suggest you go back to the drawing board and get more involved with SAVING the Tax Payer money then your concept may get some serious looks.
Peg Leg
 

Our pump is a 6 inch pump.

One would only use it at its peak performance when moving sterile overburden. Once coins and artifacts start to appear - the movement of sand has to be slowed dramatically.

Actual sand movement at that time may be reduced to 5 to 10 cu yards an hour.

I find no difficulty with the concept of a profit motive. Free enterprise and innovation along with free will is what made our country great in the 19th and 20th century.

I feel sad for those who don't honor the concept or discount others while they sit back - looking how they may speak ill of others without always assessing there own words or position.

Capt Dom
 

Here are some photos of us testing our 6 inch sub bottom sediment dispersement device (Dredge) I hate to use the d word...

It takes an experienced & dedicated professional crew of 6 to 8 people to operate at this level. They deserve to be fairly compensated and have suffecient insurance in place - as the work can be hazardous.

Take a free look and enjoy the photos!

Capt Dom
 

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Capt. Dom
Actually I do not see all that much wrong with what you presented but it could be improved on.
There would have to be some modifying of the equipment you are now using. These mods would justify the cost you are going to charge at $15.00 min. per cu. yard.
Question:
If the material being dredged ends up on the beach and artifacts are recovered does this mean that the State does NOT get their 20% since the items WERE recovered from the BEACH?
I do see the potential of making some good money off this project and recovering a large number of artifacts.
This will be based on the Presentation and the wording of any agreement.
Remember that any AGREEMENT will have to be approved by the Counties involved THEN the State. Also you must approch the PROPERTY OWNERS FIRST.
Show the property owners how this will save THEM money and improve the beaches.
As we all know people living along the beaches THINK the beach belongs to them ;D ;D.
Peg Leg
 

PEG LEG!

Thank you for this reply ...

As you may be well aware - with your many years at this, the system does not want the world to take us seriously.... This has been the institutionalist archeologists ploy for over 25 years,,,

If we actually do some recordable public good... well they loose the foothold regulations may have given them.

The "people" are the upland land owners not the county. And we - you and me - are the people!

Our problem is one of the prime "fallacies of logic" argumentum et baculum,,, "attack the person instead of the idea".

Capt Dom

Capt Dom
 

Here is something that I believe no one has considered of even thought of.
IF you make a deal to replenish the Beach sand by dredging would you still be forced to get a permits from the State to recover artifacts-I DO NOT THINK SO.
AND chances are very good that you would not have to give ANYONE a percent of what you recover.
BECAUSE you are NOT Treasure Hunting you are replacing the Beach Sand-PERIOD.
This goes along with my thoughts a while back of CLEANING the Beaches.
Of course you could still use the same size pipe (6") that you are using right now. I would also suggest that you do away with your SLUICE BOX design. This is way to slow.
You can then put the material through a seperator located on the beach. The seperator will have a number of holes to let the water out.
This operation could become an ON GOING PROJECT with the Gross profit being around $800,000.00 a year AND this does not cover the items that you will recover.
You are replacing THE BEACHES WITH CLEAN SAND and not the trash from some barrow pit from some swamp or mash somewhere.
Might be a project worth thinking about.
Peg Leg
 

I've been thinking about it for the past 20 years!
That was what my letter to the editor stated...

The problem is it makes too much sense...

There are vested interests that are in place that really are quite satisfied with the status quo...

Periodic distruction and replenishment of the dune and the beaches is BIG BUSINESS - and a money machine one way or another for all the current players. Playing on the fears of the people who rely on the system to solve a problem - that if it were not there,... well maybe some of the budgets of these specialists may be reduced or cut...

Get it???

Capt Dom
 

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