Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odysseys treasure hunting ship

[FISHEYE]

Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cult...ey/Explorer/elpepucul/20071016elpepucul_1/Tes

You will need to use a web translator to read this.its in spanish.Spain is overstepping its bounds.

 

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[jeff k]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

So what's new!

 

[wreckdiver1715]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

Not at all unexpected. Any odds on Spain finding anything on board to support the theory that Odyssey was doing anything wrong?

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

seems once she cleared the 3 mile "limit" the spanish frigate called to odysseys vessel give her postion -- she replied in "international waters" -- the frigate said "correction your in spanish waters-- prepare for boarding " and wanted to board her -- the weather barred the spanish from phyically boarding her but under threat of attack she was forced to go to a "spanish" port for inspection *all the reporters recorded proof of the event was taken to prevent them from showing the bully boy tactics used by spain --- both algiers and giabralter are protesting saying they have a a 12 mile "limit" which should allow open passage to the atlantic ocean (high seas) unhindered -- spain says no its only a 3 mile "limit." --- thus their within spain's territorial waters thus spain can board the vessel legally -- something they could not do easily on the "high seas" legally --- by the way I had no problems reading it --- knowing spanish comes in handy while researching old archive notes and such plus help keep me up to date on stuff like this too. --- seems spains claiming the 500,000 silver coins were not legally gotten -- their trying hard to "prove" it -- looking for "clues" and "proof" but coming up "empty" handed --- they did this once before to another one of odyssey's vessels and after a bit had to release the boat and crew --- it just more of the "same" shake down type moves by spain who's hoping they can find something / anything to use as legal "leverage" on odyssey --- no surprize there. (being odyssey's vessels are panamain flagged (foc) theres not going to be much done to stop the harrassment by the spanish govt - the american govt has been none to freindly with the treasure hunting folks so switching out the "flag" would most likely not help that much and the money cost and rules that you have to follow from "re flagging american" would be much higher) Ivan

 

[jeff k]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

wreckdiver... If you knew the police were going to search your house would you leave anything incriminating laying around. Not a chance!

 

[FISHEYE]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

Being on a ship or boat theres not too many places you can hide something.unless you flush it down the head.then its in the holding tanks for the spanish to sift thru.A sh*&y job but just perfect for them.Odyssey should re reg its ships in the USA.

 

[wreckdiver1715]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

Being on a ship or boat theres not too many places you can hide something.unless you flush it down the head.then its in the holding tanks for the Spanish to sift thru.A sh*&y job but just perfect for them.Odyssey should re reg its ships in the USA.

No, I would take "it" to the airport and put it on an airplane. LOL

Think they need to charter a cargo jet, again!

 

[Peg Leg]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

These Odyssey people knew what was coming so if the Spainish were to find anything it was planned for them to find. Spain has no idea how this game is being played
Peg leg

 

[jeff k]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

TV Appearances...

TV Feature:

Wednesday October 17, 2007

Odyssey Marine Exploration will be featured on the Today Show on NBC . 7:17 am (EST)

Odyssey Marine Exploration will be featured on CNBC .
between 2pm and 3pm (EST)


* Scheduled appearances may be postponed or cancelled due to news events beyond Odyssey's control. This page will be updated as we receive additional information.

P.S. I wouldn't be surprised if we see video of the arrest.

 

[Moe (fl)]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

The news article also says that several English, German, American, and Spanish reporters were on board the ship along with the Odyssey's attorneys. It says that the Spanish police took the memory cards from all the reporters' cameras. At the end of the article it says that although Spain does not expect that this search/arrest would help recover the 500,000 gold/silver coins it would help deter future treasure hunters in the area.

The article mentions that the ship was believed to be from the 19th century and that there are hundreds of Spanish shipwrecks in these waters (Algarve coastline).

Moe

 

[jeff k]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

Odyssey Marine Exploration will be featured on the Today Show on NBC .
8:20 am (EST) * NEW TIME

 

[jeff k]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

Gibraltar Chronicle...

ODYSSEY SHIP AND CAPTAIN ARRESTED AFTER GUNPOINT ENCOUNTER AT SEA
Dominique Searle reports

‘Odyssey Explorer’, the flag ship of the treasure hunting sea archaeologists Odyssey Marine Exploration (OME), has been arrested along with its captain by the Spanish authorities following a dramatic gunpoint encounter at sea three miles south of Gibraltar. Some 19 international journalists, who joined the vessel for its departure from the Rock which had been signalled to the Spanish authorities, were removed from the vessel with crew at Algeciras and had all photographic equipment including chips from mobile phones removed.

The journalists included reporters from the New Yorker, El Pais, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and French and German press.

At around 7pm Captain Sterling Vorus, a US citizen, was arrested for refusing the Guardia Civil permission to board. At no time was he warned that arrest would follow this action, OME said yesterday. The US Embassy in Madrid was contacted.

“At this point we are awaiting word from the Spanish judge about the inspection. We had again invited Spanish officials to inspect the Explorer in advance of our departure and they chose not to take us up on it,” Greg Stemm, Odyssey Co-Chairman and Co-founder told the Chronicle last night.

“We are sure that the Spanish Government is now well aware that the ‘Black Swan’ was not in Spanish waters and that the disposition of the coins is now subject to US Federal court jurisdiction, so we’re not sure what the inspection of the Explorer is meant to accomplish,” he said.

Odyssey Explorer has been berthed at Gibraltar’s British naval base since May under threat of arrest by Spain after 17 tonnes of silver coins worth an estimated $500m were flown out from Gibraltar, which OME said had been taken from an as yet unidentified wreck in the Atlantic codenamed ‘Black Swan’.

Spain believes the treasure could be Spanish and is engaged in a legal action against the treasure salvage company at the Admiralty Court in Tampa, Florida.

In July the sister ship ‘Ocean Alert’ was arrested by the Spanish authorities and it was searched. Electronic items were seized from the ship and from the crew and two journalists.

Yesterday morning the ‘Odyssey Explorer’ left port at just after 9.30 am and was challenged by the Spanish authorities who had shadowed the vessels out of the demarcated British waters with a Spanish Navy corvette and a Civil Guard patrol vessel.

Ali Nessar, the OME representative on board, speaking as the vessel sailed to the Spanish port of Algeciras under escort of the two Spanish ships and a Spanish Guardia Civil RIB, said that the rough seas had made it impossible for the authorities to board ‘Odyssey Explorer’. Instead the vessel blocked their path and they were told that if they did not come voluntarily force would be used.

The encounter at sea took place at 11am.

”They kept repeating that they were following the orders of a judge and insisted that we were in Spanish territorial waters. We refused them permission to board and told them we were in international waters. We were told that force would be used if we did not comply and they then blocked our path with the warship,” said Mr Nessar.
In the event the weather was too rough for them to board and it was too dangerous, said Mr Nessar.

“We were forced at gunpoint to come to Algeciras. They have weapons on board. They did not show them. The corvette blocked us and at the same time they threatened us that we must obey or they would use deadly force.”

When the vessel arrived at Algeciras there was a stand off for a couple of hours as the authorities were refused permission and Odyssey lawyers demanded the presence of the judge. But in the afternoon using a gangplank the Guardia Civil boarded and put all the persons on board to one side of the vessel before letting them off one by one for processing.

It was only after considerable discussion that they agreed to allow engineers to stay on board for safety reasons. “Even the Captain was kicked off the ship” said Mr Nessar.

Later the Spanish Opposition party PP welcomed the arrest of the vessel and its Culture spokesperson Beatriz Rodriguez expressed doubts about OME intentions.

 

[jeff k]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

Panorama Gibraltar News...

Another vessel gets intercepted by a Spanish warship in what Britain and Gibraltar consider to be international waters


The treasure-hunter Odyssey Explorer left Gibraltar yesterday with advance information to the Spaniards and in the full knowledge that, as happened earlier this year to another Odyssey ship, a Spanish frigate and the Guardia Civil launch would be intercepting it.

As the vessel sailed out of the 3-mile limit, there was communication with the Spanish:

- We are a Spanish warship, do you know you are in Spanish waters?

- We are in international waters (the Odyssey gives its position)

- Correct your position, or we will be obliged to board you.

And so, the spectacle was about to be repeated.But what is of particular concern is that the Spanish were again exercising military action in what they consider to be Spanish waters in the Bay of Algeciras and what Britain and Gibraltar consider to be international waters.

It is one thing to state a claim. It is another to take action. Yet, Britain as the guardian of Gibraltar's security does nothing to ensure that what it regards as international waters are respected as such.

Early next month, accompanied by the Chief Minister, a UK foreign office official will again join a Spanish foreign office official for supposedly friendly negotiations in the tripartite forum as if nothing had happened.

Part of the problem is that Britain has never claimed on behalf of Gibraltar the 12-mile limits it is entitled to. So, the Spanish take advantage of it.

And so, the treasure-vessel gets intercepted by a Spanish warship, setting a precedent that could affect others on the future.

The Oddysey vessel was escorted to Algeciras, and now it will be searched. It happened before to the other vessel. And it is all to do with Odyssey having found a treasure off the Portuguese coast.

A Miami court is considering the matter, but international law states that the finder of a treasure normally keeps most of it, while claimants are considered for some payout.

We all know that and we all also know that the Western Mediterranean is a graveyard of sunken galleons of days gone by.

There is also HMS Sussex, of great value to Britain apart from the American company. To what extent is all this being jeopardise by current events?

Sussex is said to have been carrying bullion worth over £2 billion today. It is said to be sunk in waters which Britain and Gibraltar consider to be international waters.

The Odyssey vessels are clearly under instruction to resist Spanish moves. They object to stopping when asked to; they resist Spanish officials boarding at sea or at Algeciras. What they are doing is showing resistance, so that they can put a hefty claim against the Spanish Government for allegedly interfering with their operations.

 

[Darren in NC]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

I assume the last paragraph in bold is yours, Jeff? Thanks for the update.

 

[jeff k]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

Darren... That's correct.


NBC Video...

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=431658ea-2df5-40be-8d18-a1843c1c0a82

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

seems once she cleared the 3 mile "limit" the spanish frigate called to odysseys vessel to give her postion -- she replied in "international waters" -- the frigate said "correction your in spanish waters-- prepare for boarding " and wanted to board her -- the weather barred the spanish from phyically boarding her but under threat of attack she was forced to go to a "spanish" port for inspection *all the reporters recorded proof of the event was taken to prevent them from showing the bully boy tactics used by spain --- both algiers and giabralter are protesting saying they have a a 12 mile "limit" which should allow open passage to the atlantic ocean (high seas) unhindered -- spain says no its only a 3 mile "limit." --- thus their within spain's territorial waters thus spain can board the vessel legally -- something they could not do easily on the "high seas" legally --- by the way I had no problems reading it --- knowing spanish comes in handy while researching old archive notes and such plus help keep me up to date on stuff like this too. --- seems spains claiming the 500,000 silver coins were not legally gotten -- their trying hard to "prove" it -- looking for "clues" and "proof" but coming up "empty" handed --- they did this once before to another one of odyssey's vessels and after a bit had to release the boat and crew --- it just more of the "same" shake down type moves by spain who's hoping they can find something / anything to use as legal "leverage" on odyssey --- no surprize there. (being odyssey's vessels are panamain flagged (foc) theres not going to be much done to stop the harrassment by the spanish govt - the american govt has been none to freindly with the treasure hunting folks so switching out the "flag" would most likely not help that much and the money cost and rules that you have to follow from "re flagging american" would be much higher) Ivan

 

[FISHEYE]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

now its on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/10/17/spain.ship/index.html

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

My error bahamain flagged not panamain flagged ---odysseys vessels--- again however its another (foc) type country-- kind of the absentee land lords of the ocean -- with little to no international clout to enforce its rights and insist that other countries respect it status.

 

[FISHEYE]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

If Odyssey had its ships regged in the USA,they could request to be escorted out of port with USA Navy ships.Due to Spain waiting offshore with thier Pirate activities.

 

[rayredditch]

Re: Spanish Coast Guard arrests Odyssey's treasure hunting ship

Spain, like most of the EU countries in the South, chop and change regulations to suit themselves. I bet if you went anywhere near the spanish coast with anything, Spain would have a 200 mile offshore limit.