2008 Expedition Log

2008 Expedition Log

July 19, 2008 – Saturday – Disco Dave | July 19th, 2008, 9:41PM

I am the cook aboard the boat and spend most days listening to music on my Ipod. My nickname is ‘Disco Dave’, but more about that later…

July 18, 2008 – Friday – Exposing the Black Rock Wreck | July 18th, 2008, 9:41PM

It is late afternoon on the last day of the second week of the expedition. Grant and I are on the sun deck of the Explorer pounding a quick-disconnect fitting into a tight, non-collapsible dredge hose.

July 16, 2008 – Wednesday – 20 Square Inches | July 16th, 2008, 9:41PM

For the next three hours my entire world is condensed into the size of a dinner plate. Twenty square inches is the size of the lens on my mask and with my face 6 inches away from the worksite

July 14 2008 – Monday – Mystery Wreck at Drum Point | July 14th, 2008, 9:41PM

On East Caicos we have relied on a number of high tech and low tech methods to find sites. We started in 2002 with helicopter over-flights.

July 13, 2008 – Sunday – How much does a 27-foot Boston Whaler cost? | July 13th, 2008, 9:41PM

When we arrived yesterday to East Caicos the large rollers coming in from the east made me shudder as I thought how difficult it was going to maneuver our survey vessel across the face of these waves that could easily deposit us on top of the exposed reef if we weren’t careful. I cringed at the thought

July 12, 2008 – Saturday – Maritime Archaeology on Spin Cycle – Part Two | July 12th, 2008, 9:41PM

That afternoon, Don swapped places with Toni Carrell, and the two of us picked up where the morning’s work had left off. Upon entering the water, it rapidly became apparent that conditions at the site had deteriorated drastically; the two of us had put over 20 lbs. on our respective weight belts as “insurance” against the surge, to little effect.

July 12, 2008 – Saturday – Catching Air | July 12th, 2008, 9:41PM

After an uneventful passage from Grand Turk, Tuesday evening we set out to look for a good path past the reef to the wreck site. After several exciting sorties through the waves in the inflatable boats,

July 12, 2008 – Saturday – Crossing Over | July 12th, 2008, 9:41PM

The Explorer, tied to the dock on Grand Turk, comes to life about 5:00 AM. Captain Chabot wants to get an early start so we can get to our mooring off East Caicos and get to work as soon as possible. I appreciate his aggressive attitude. One third of our charter time is behind us now

July 11, 2008 – Friday – Maritime Archaeology on Spin Cycle – Part One | July 11th, 2008, 9:41PM

The first step towards understanding any historic shipwreck is to document, as accurately as possible, the archaeological material (artifacts, hull structure, etc.) that comprises the site,

July 10, 2008 – Thursday – Using a Sat Phone to Update the Website 101 | July 10th, 2008, 9:41PM

An important part of this project is sharing it with you, our friends, colleagues, supporters and interested visitors. The big problem when working offshore is getting internet access. Our live aboard has just about every amenity, but internet access is not one of them.