Questions:

[Peg Leg]

I have a question that is directed to anyone who has a answer.
As most of you know I am looking a for a wreck,
This wreck is buried in some deep mud. The water is almost black. A underwater camera is useless. A side scan sonar is almost useless.
O.K.
How would an Archaeologist go about plotting this ship. You cannot measure anything or take a picture of anything.
I have been told that there would have to be a coffer damn built and the water pumped out and then the mud removed. This will cost several million dollars and to be honest the State of Florida does not have this kind of money.
So what would they do? Contract the project out for a per cent or put a HANDS OFF and forget it.
There is no way it can be measured or anything else at its present location.
OR would they put a bardge on the site and reassemble the ship on the bardge. Again this would cost a few million dollars but would be cheaper to do this than building a damn around the ship.
Just trying to think ahead.
Thanks
Peg Leg

 

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[Peg Leg]

I think that I may have come up with a solution.
What if you used a blower when the tide was going out. This would carry the mud and silt away from the site. The tide in this area takes the water level down about 4 to 5 feet in a very short time. But the same thing happens in reverse when the tide comes back in with the exception or returning all the mud and silt.
Peg Leg

 

[aquanut]

Would a Sub Bottom Profiler work on this project for a preliminary inspection for location ,size, makeup and shape?
Aquanut

 

[Peg Leg]

I believe it would.
BUT they are very very expensive.
Since I know nothing about these I really have no idea.
I guess what I am asking is how would the State of Florida approch this?
Peg leg

 

[Peg Leg]

I understand how this can be done on dryland or even underwater but the water has to be veryclear. The vis here is 0 and I mean 0. I have seen where an underwater camera would only show 1" from the bottom but how can you take one layer off at a time. This is MUD with a capital M.
I would think that you would have to blow somekind of a hole I also think that after you blow this hole that a side scan sonar might just show what is there. I know that a sss only shows what is above the mud but if the mud is blown away would this not expose parts of the ships structure and then you might measure or scale what is there from the recordings of the sss.
I did this with one of the scans already and was able to measure a few objects to with a few inches. But in order to do this you must have something in the scan that the measurements are known.
I am thinking out loud as you can see.
You have been a great help.
Thanks
Peg Leg