The following is a factual account of the dives that took place today. While the names have been changed to protect the innocent, what happened, what was found and recovered are all true.
Several months ago while going over some minor unknown numbers, looking for a new snag or pile, something else was found. Todays dives were the result of several months of research and determination to dive under some of the worst conditions that the forces of nature can hurl at a rag tag group of REAL underwater explorers aboard the RV Lady Godiver.
Last fall while running down a bunch of low lying numbers, looking for the lobsters and fish, a bottom dragging hound named Capt Ztan came back with a odd looking piece of ceramic cup. The search we had started turns out to be in the vicinity of the John K Shaw, a wreck with a colorful past and most likely an even more colorful future. To be more exact, we were in the vicinity of the John K Shaw’s iron ingot pile. The Shaw is also known as the iron ingot wreck to some less educated. This wreck has recently become the focus of the New Jersey Historical Divers Association and is currently under investigation. For those who don’t know, the ingot pile is separated from the actual wreck with a large debris field between the two. Apparently the crew knowing the end was close decided to dump the pile over board before they sank. While this makes sense that we were just picking debris from the field of the stricken sinking ship, a few things did not match up. Having seen the Ingot pile first hand , I have a hard time believing the crew pushed that much stuff overboard in a panic but I guess it could happen. Anyway when we looked at the debris field on a plotted chart, one thing became more obvious. The area we were looking in, while close to the Shaw’s debris field, our findings were leading us on a total different heading away from it. This finding goes against conventional wisdom and the available documents available. As the facts emerged, it became obvious more investigation was needed. Then came that storm Sandy and everything changed for the worst. Much time and money was lost and the trail started to become cold. That was until a few weeks ago when Capt Howard and Capt Ztan came across a very large, now uncovered low lying piece of wreckage.
Captan Ztan did the first dive on this piece and after another two, returned with a large brass porthole and a few other really nice goodies. Ok now my ears perked up and plans were made for todays dive
Aboard the Lady Godiver were Capt Howard, Capt Ztan, myself and a relative newbe to heavy artifact recovery Hob Barris. Actually Hob Barris had no idea what we were up to but he soon was convinced to go. After a relatively short ride we were again on the numbers and my job was to tie and start working on removing another porthole. You see Capt Ztan had taken a swim around and found not just one intact porthole, not two intact portholes, but enough portholes for everyone on board and a few more to boot!!!!!
Let me pause here and say its funny how experience makes person more relaxed. Both Capt Howard and Ztan were cool and focused, I was swinging back and forth between cool and silly stupid and Hob was becoming more and more excited. Like I said, my job was to tie and start working on chiseling off the 15 bolts that hold these portholes on. I warned not to try and pry off the hole until all the bolts were cut or it would break the glass – DON’T BREAK THE GLASS - everyone would start there own and whoever finished first would help the others. I was like come on, are you sh-tting me, I got to cut 15 bolts by hand?, with a hammer and chisel?, this is going to suck, but one look from Capt Ztan was enough to shut my whining. I was reminded that we were here to work, this was not a lobster hunt and if I wanted to keep coming…… you know the rest…. OK fine..
OK, the water is 38 degrees; it was relatively flat and a bit of surface current. As I got down there was no surge and the light faded until it was dark, real night dark, Delaware dark for those of you who know – I was great, vis was about 3 foot and tons of snots like rain falling but not really falling , just hanging, and then there it was… BIG and metal and I tied barely ok. I soon saw where a porthole once was and the rest is covered by tons of growth and mussels. So I figured I would go around to the other side and get the other, after looking hard I was lucky and saw the hole was unlocked and a little open –cool,get out the hammer and chisel and get to work… I knew this would be easy. So I put my hammer on the ledge of the hole, balanced like, so half is in and half is outside the hole and go for my chisel. Next thing I see my hammer disappearing into the interior of the lump of metal and I am like just staring at where it was, Now what? So I get my light and like a window snooping pervert I am trying to see where it went, which was a waste of time, so I stick my arm through the hole and the port hole is swinging tight on my arm, pinching me,and it is not working at all. THIS SUCKS – ok well I guess I could just figure out how to get inside this crushed twisted sharp plate thing and get my hammer, so off I go and after a few minutes I find a way to squeeze in, and a few more minutes to convince myself it was safe? I could go in and find it – and that’s what is did, and there it was, very far from the hole. Turn around and back to square one - ok
I find a bolt and start hammering – I hear someone else hammering to –after like 9 hits I see the head almost off and my arm was tired. Start working on the second and miss and slam my hand with the hammer, now that one was off, and my finger is throbbing and my arm is falling off – keep going and when there was like only 4 left, I was like I am prying this thing off – Suddenly, I hear a little voice inside my head, like luke on starwars, its Capt Ztan and he is saying DON’T BREAK THE GLASS DO NOT PRY. Fine and I kept hammering and then there were none left - I could not believe it, so I take the chisel and put it on the frame hit it and nothing, hit it again nothing, hit it again and the entire hole falls off into the darkness under the plate where my hammer went – SILENCE!!! And I swear I can hear the begals cracking up - AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRHHHH – ok no biggy just go back in there and drag that thing out – like 50 lbs and that’s what I did – did a quick tie up and hooked up my bag and up we went – capt Ztan and Howard were standing by at ready and two of them hauled my prize aboard –
now before I left I took a quick peak at Hob Barris hole and he had set up a wreck real line to the hole. A safety line in case it fell in (typical newbee move, actually good idea) a nice work area with tools laid out, Who lays out tools in the dark? And I see he had tried to pry off the hole from the plate with like 4 bolts still on –typical rookie move, ( who am I kidding) but the glass was not broken – I was also told he wanted to do it himself, so I left it alone – I could tell this trip was starting to take on historic proportions and I didn’t want to rob anyone of their accomplishments
Back on board it was laying down – I was tired, cold and pumped to do it again – ok another meeting, more plans – Capt Ztan was to start a forth and when we were ready hob and me were to follow – I would finish the forth, tie it up, help hob or vice a versa and hob was to leave, I would send my bag and pull.
Well almost - I got finished, got ready to go – and go over to hob who was just finishing up – he is trying to get the hole off and I go over and use the Gypsyblood crew technique of throwing myself against what is stuck and it pops off and falls in -Hob goes crazy and tries to dive into the hole, grabs the safety line and pulls that brass lump right back out . Now he is very pumped – I am like ok, so the safety line worked, my way is more exciting - he is like packing up, trying to tie his prize and untying his wreck reel and somehow it all gets done -hob leaves and after like 4 minutes I pop the hook and away I go – get back on board and realize there is a big bag of tools and wreck reel still on plating 90 feet below – aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrhhhhhhhh – more time lost, back I go find the bag and return – all this by 1130 -
and everyone is going crazy!!!!! –
Phone calls are made, phone photos are taken, calls start coming in, there is stamping on holes in the brass that is speculated on and researched, who made what – a small additional porthole that was loose came up looking to be an even older type - that has to be looked into – how to restore these properly – power washing verse chemical baths – laughing all around – hand shakes – good timessss – thank yous to everyone – someone knows someone at the discovery channel or something like that and there is discussion about possible odyssey group having an interest in doing some research – I am like we need to arrest this site and all of the goodies( for research purposes of course lol) and I mean like when we get home - I am bushed
So there it is – 4 big holes – one smaller one – and I cant believe it – it is a trip I will never forget – more to come
I remain
The bartman –mosb
Maybe photos if Mo can post them - we will see
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