Going back to look for lost loot from 6 years ago

White Feather · Jan 5, 2011

Several years ago the wife and I were traveling aboard our 36 foot sailboat. We had stopped in a favorite anchorage and anchored for a couple of months. The wife took a job as a waitress in an up scaled restaurant. One night while heading home we were loading supplies in the dink and she dropped her tip purse overboard. The bottom was soft mud with a solid sub structure about a foot under the mud. The change purse had four or five hundred dollars in it with a lot of clad that weighed it down. When it hit the bottom it went into the mud. I did not have my underwater detector with me at the time so I just did a few free dives and gave up after about 30 minutes. I figured on waiting until I had time to get my detector and go back. Well, we took off and it has been almost 6 years. Now I find we are going to be heading back to the same area in a few months. Now we will see if a lost treasure can be recovered years after it was lost. If nothing else it will be an adventure with a possible reward at the end. It was a good leather purse and may even have held together. We'll see. Maybe it dissolved and the paper cash went away. I figure a lost treasure is up for grabs. Unlike some treasure claimers, if it was found I wish the finder all the best. I hope it did them some good. If not found I will give the lat/lon out when I give up looking.

normdiver · Jan 5, 2011

If its leather it should be intact. The only thing that should have moved it would be a strong storm. The bills also should be there unless some sort of sea life ate them. When searching you need to set up a search pattern and stick to it. Use a jack stay pattern and go all metal unless you dropped your drink cans overboard at that site. Should be able to just use your hand when you get a signal to reach into the muck to find the item detected. Check out www.ucidiver.com/ and look under tactics and then jack stay search pattern. This is what I did for 14 years before I retired. Good luck and do some research before hand.

Da Sand Crab · Jan 5, 2011

Good luck and who knows what else may have been dropped in like fashion through the years.

TexasDigger1 · Jan 5, 2011

Hope you find it, the paper money should be ok, I once found a wallet lost about 5 years with ones in it, they were ok. Good luck and let us know how you do. HH

White Feather · Jan 5, 2011

I've been doing underwater recovery for about 22 years all over the Caribbean and from the Chesapeake Bay to Belize. I recovered a lot of boats and many other things along the years. I just did not have the time to remain there to recover the change purse at the time. I knew that I would return and find it when I had more time so I was not worried about leaving it. Now we find we are heading back. I will do a circle search with a ground stake and work out in a circle from where I think it is. I don't think it moved or was found. It is a well protected anchorage and the area where it hit the water is even better protected. The bottom would need a major hurricane to even stir it up. We will see when I get there. I'll be sure to get pictures and video if I can. Pictures, pictures, pictures!

cntrydncr1 · Jan 5, 2011

cool story. can't wait to hear the end! good luck

davest · Jan 5, 2011

good luck, I think that's a great thing and keep us posted.

BTW. my wife dropped a gold earring on a reef in Antigua and she was told that she had to come back to find it. Could you save me the trip? :dontknow:

Blind Squirrel · Jan 5, 2011

Good post

Keep us in the loop, and good luck!!!

mlayers · Jan 5, 2011

Good luck keep us posted.....Matt

Les West Central Fl · Jan 5, 2011

Good luck, I hope to hear a great ending to this story!

Reverend B*IKE* · Jan 5, 2011

Coooool Story !!!When can we expect an update?

dpitt8 · Jan 6, 2011

Reverend B*IKE* said:
Coooool Story !!!When can we expect an update?

well the first post said a few months till they went back so i think its gonna be awhile. But i look forward to the pics and such from the trip no matter what the results are.