Anybody got the scoop on the Boca Grande wreck?

[Silvestri]

I live in Port Charlotte and have been hearing bits and chunks of news about that wreck..last I heard it was under salvage lease...but any other news?..Just curious...also that Dutch wreck in San Carlos bay off Ft. Myers..any new scoop on that one..I just like history...and knowing about these ships that we're tooling around here 400 years ago is just plain cool am I right?

 

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[surfin]

Your dutch wreck is still out there. I do know there have been alot of coins found in that area. I didnt not know it was under lease at anytime.

I would was thinking of doing a search for cions and gold in that area because I have some ideas but havnt yet done so. I think the wrecks in that area are in very shallow water and could be found between the islands. A ship coming in to hide from a storm would head straight for the islands and finds deadly seas in close instead of shelter.

There is a shop on Ft. Myers beach that has about ten of these coins in it on display. that was a few years ago I dont know if he is still there but he rents metal detectors to the tourists. He made the finds and will talk about them if your renting a metal detector. Of course how much of that is rental sales and how much is truth is up to the person listening.

Sorry I dont remember his name.

Ian

 

[G.I.B.]

Are the names of the vessels known? How was it determined that it is a Dutch wreck?

 

[ivan salis]

dutch items aboard her -- the dutch raided the spanish treasure fleets badly -- once a famous dutch commander (piet hyen) took the entire spanish treasure fleet off of cuba --

 

[stevemc]

The Dutch ship was/is under lease by Carl Fizmer and company. It is in very shallow waters of the Intercoastal waterway, right near the turn to go into the cross Florida canal West of Ft Myers. It is not in the dredged channel, but right near an island in very shallow water. It was salvaged(iron cannons) by Spanish salvors from Cuba, after anything of value was removed by the original owners, then the native Calusa removed anything else they could. I know they found a cannonball, and not much else. No treasure was ever found. There has not been much found near Boca Grande, a brick carrying ship sunk-enroute to Dry Tortougas to build the Civil War- Fort Jefferson, apparently. That was found by Carl Fismer, but nothing except bricks were of value. I am sure there is more out there, but with the shifting sands, it would be hard to find, since in the 1940s, there were quite a few cannons and anchors salvaged by a man from Pine Island, and they must have been shallow enough to find and salvage with the equipment of the time. There would not be much big iron left.

 

[barney]

The EENDRACHT was thought to have been lost in this area; background and search/salvage info can be found in my book "Shipwrecks of the Sunshine State."
Cheers,
Mike

 

[Silvestri]

Yes...the Dutch ship in the Caloosahatchie near Ft Myers is believed to be the Eendracht and I thought it was under lease but not sure...there is a group working it though...

 

[stevemc]

That is the one that Carl Fismer and group were working. I dont think they are doing anything with it, or havent for years.