wow well this turned out to be long winded......
Atilla, good idea for a job but that wouldn’t allow me to do what I’m looking to accomplish, being able to run a full time operation on the 1715 fleet.
To have the best probability of finding treasure you have to work it full time. The more ocean bottom uncovered the odds increase exponentially to find treasure.
From my experiences there’s people with money and people with time. Few are the people with money and time to take on such an endeavor.
When I was heading to Florida to fulfill a life’s long dream of hunting for treasure a great friend who worked as a State Trooper poised this question, “If there’s all this treasure down there and they’ve been finding it for 30 some odd years , how come everybody doesn’t go down there and find it?”
My answer was in two parts. “I said that not everybody knows about this. You wouldn’t know about this if it wasn’t for me. I’ve been a treasure wreck enthusiast since I read a story in elementary school about the Hussar plus others like Treasure Island and Oak Island.
Also it takes money to do it. Not everybody has the expendable money to do it. Then there’s people like you that could do it money wise, but is the State going to give you 5 months off to go salvage treasure? Are you willing to risk that occupation for the chance of finding treasure? There’s no guarantee that it will be profitable. There’s no guarantee you won’t “lose” money. For me I look at it this way. I am in the position of having the money and time. When I go on a dive charter I’m paying $45-$75 dollars for a day’s dive. With the operation I’m going to have I can spend that kind of money and have the possibility of finding sunken Spanish galleon treasure!
(As a side note, when I did move to Ft Pierce I ended up next door to a born and raised Ft Pierce native who was in his mid-60’s. He grew up working in the commercial fishing family business. He told me that they heard all the stories then saw the guys working the wrecks in the years when salvage started. “We used to drive right over the wrecks” , but they never salvaged. They just more or less chuckled about those guys. Heck, he was a childhood friend of Tommy Gore!! But he never salvaged… He moved away and became an engineer, then retired back to Ft Pierce and still never salvaged.)
My old partner runs a boat for two guys because they have the money but not all the time. It’s a continual pattern.
So back to the present time, for me it’s a paradox. An illness has resulted in my not having the funds but at the same time it provides me with the time since I lost my business that took all my time . So I’m one of the “I have time but not all the money persons.” So even though I’ve found treasure and know there’s plenty more left I can’t just go do it. But that can work out for people that have the money but not all the time.
I was 30 yards or so away when Greg Bounds found his first gold coin while working for John Brandon on the Endeavor.
Funny true story…
It was about the end of the day. We just happen to look over at the Endeavor (I guess to see if they were pulling up too.) We saw Greg on the ladder and John was heading to the helm. John came back to Greg and we saw a camera flash! So of course we went to the radio and hailed them. “Endeavor, Endeavor, Au Dreamers… How big is Greg’s Escudo? John; Greg’s escudo? Me; Yeah, the escudo Greg just found, what size is it? John; What makes you think Greg found an escudo? Me; Cause you just took his picture on the ladder and we know you’re not taking his picture for a piece of eight! It has to be his first escudo!
I say all that because, we all know what Greg has accomplished since then. He’s living proof that by utilizing the latest technology, doing your homework and doggedly working a full time operation with persistence what can be accomplished.
So I’ve wanted to get back to salvage since I left it. Now it’s just a matter of time to put together the right people with the combination of money and time to GET ER DONE!
Like others are doing out there it is win win for those that couldn’t otherwise put together an entire operation themselves.
Plus i get gasoline out of it too.An it doesnt have any alcohol in it to mess things up!The only engines i have left thats not diesel is my 10hp honda 4 stroke and my 35hp OMC navy seal jet drive outboard.
