Need help salvaging Spanish beached wreck, or how I can go about doing it.

awol_dlk

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Apr 16, 2015
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About 40 years ago my grandpa worked for a construction company. As they were building they learned of a wreck sitting on the land the were building on. They worked for a day or two on it but as they dug the tide just filled up the hole. They got a drill and the drill pulled up blackened wood. And bits of metal. He told this story as long as I can remember. It is known who's treasure it was and there's roughly a half a million gold coins in the ship. Problem is u huge company owns the land. I fear it will sit forever I would love to see it unearthed in my lifetime. Is anything possible to help get this done?
 

Darren in NC

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First of all, remove this post as soon as possible, as many gov't entities watch this site for violations.

Secondly, if it was wrecked on land with that much coinage, you can rest assured it's already been salvaged by another crew sent out or other pirates. Don't let gold fever waste your time or money.

-Peace.
 

OP
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A

awol_dlk

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Apr 16, 2015
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First of all, remove this post as soon as possible, as many gov't entities watch this site for violations.

Secondly, if it was wrecked on land with that much coinage, you can rest assured it's already been salvaged by another crew sent out or other pirates. Don't let gold fever waste your time or money.

-Peace.

Not trying to do anything illegal buddy. Relax
 

OP
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A

awol_dlk

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Apr 16, 2015
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Also it has not been salvaged by anyone. It was found and buried in the spot it lays today. The pirate was hung before he could return for it
 

Darren in NC

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I am very relaxed. I never accused you of illegal activity. You misunderstand my post. You don't have to be doing anything illegal for the gov't to step in and claim all your hard work as theirs. I was trying to protect you, not accuse you.
 

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awol_dlk

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Apr 16, 2015
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I am very relaxed. I never accused you of illegal activity. You misunderstand my post. You don't have to be doing anything illegal for the gov't to step in and claim all your hard work as theirs. I was trying to protect you, not accuse you.

Understandable. I'm pretty sure the gov knows about it if I do. There is very little on the internet on this wreck I am not the only one who knows it's location. I just know more because my grandpa was there.
 

ARC

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IS your grandpa still with us ?
 

kcm

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Thread Title: Need help salvaging Spanish beached wreck, or how I can go about doing it.

If this is the question being asked, and if the land belongs to a corporation that currently has a building sitting on top, then I'm afraid you're out of luck. If the building wasn't on top, you might could approach the corporation through proper channels, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
 

austin

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Everyone will hate this, but since you really have no claim or hope of doing this, I'd give the information to a University with a top rated program and maybe they can salvage it. Might name something after you. You also have the right to write a book describing the wreck and the recovery. I'd buy a copy. The college will only write a scientific paper describing the recovery process. Good luck on future hunts. Good book might make you famous. Dedication should be to gramps...
 

G.I.B.

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Kinda all depends on what country it's in.
 

seekerGH

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Jan 25, 2016
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This is certainly an interesting story, although a bit confusing. Is it a Spanish wreck or a Pirate wreck?
As Darren stated, a beached wreck, that was not recovered?
You mention a Pirate that could not return, what about the rest of the crew?

40 years ago was about 1976, a construction company is excavating where the tide would fill it up?

Shoring for a building near the water would have been with driven piles? They brought in a drill that brought up pieces of wood and metal. What was the purpose of the drill? One would assume that the drill was used for construction.

Obviously, if the property is commercial, you would contact the owner, as in reality, they own the wreck. I guess you could buy the property.

As you stated, the wreck is well known, perhaps if you divulge that identity to this board, folks could help you out a bit on the likelyhood of this treasure.
 

Peyton Manning

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you don't own the land you can do nothing
 

Jolly Mon

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No offense, but the story as described makes little sense.

In any event, if the ship or portions thereof lie below the mean high tide line, the huge corporation may not own the site. Ownership of submerged lands depends on the state in question.
 

Oddjob

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Everyone will hate this, but since you really have no claim or hope of doing this, I'd give the information to a University with a top rated program and maybe they can salvage it. Might name something after you. You also have the right to write a book describing the wreck and the recovery. I'd buy a copy. The college will only write a scientific paper describing the recovery process. Good luck on future hunts. Good book might make you famous. Dedication should be to gramps...

You sound like this one History Professor I had at UTSA back in 86.

I brought some items in to her because I trusted her words greatly. These items came off of one of our families cattle ranches. She brought in 2 more professors, they all said what I had and then she said I should allow UT to come out and take a closer look. Of course the other 2 professors said that may not be a good idea, but she was pure city and very innocent and could not understand why not.
 

1percenter

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We run salvage efforts on the treasure coast legaly with the state. Private message me and I might be able to help you but do need some info. Thanks.
 

TXPIRATE

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First welcome to the forum. ? Have you been to the site to see whats there now. Or at least goggle earth the site. First step before spending a lot of time and money.
 

kcm

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Had posted this in another thread by mistake - now it can finally get where it was intended.

Being the "typical American" that I am, you might want to consider "supersizing". Use a large, powerful pump to make a very large suction dredge with suitable nozzle. Lower the suction nozzle into the hole using a crane or excavator - something that is safely away from the sinking ground. Someone would have to radio directions to the operator. This way you're moving material as quickly as possible (hopefully faster than groundwater seeps in) and nobody is down in the hole - no risk of injury or need of rescue. Suck the items up, run them through a large sluice or screen - something to separate the muck from solids.

THEN look for the goodies. :thumbsup:
 

Denniss

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Edna Buchanan was a crime reporter for the Miami Herald and later became a fiction writer. In one of her early non fiction books she describes the construction crew finding pieces of eight and wreckage of a spanish ship when they built the Fountainbleu hotel on Miami Beach back in 1954. It sounds similar to the scenario that the OP's grandfather went through. It's about one paragraph in the book, but it is about a spanish beached wreck getting covered by construction. I figure the only way to excavate it is, wait for a hurricane.
 

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