Lets nail down this Woods Hole thing. According to the report
from a letter from Richard C. Nieman of Beta Analytic, the company that did the C-14 test
"the sample was physically obtained by David Tobias from Smith's Cove behind an old board wall (first section North side) and spent the last 20 years or so in the island museum as sample 'S-2'."
Results of the test; date received September 30, 1993/ date reported October 6, 1993
calibrated age one sigma 1168- 1282/ two sigma 1036- 1298 there is of course still a minor error posibility.
It has been identified as coconut fibre at least 4 different times since 1937 including the Woods Hole team and the Lagina team. The Lagina team also C-14 dated their own sample of the material to a similar period, 50- 100 years later although as yet they have not provided confirmation of this (perhaps History Channel constraints).
Experts have shown in several different reports that coconuts did not appear anywhere in the Atlantic Basin, which includes all of the Caribbean and Mediterranean, until they were brought to the Atlantic by the Portuguse in 1499.
It is a known fact that coconuts were being manufactured into coir (packing, rope and other products) in India before the period in question.
It is also known that the Middle East, Cyprus, Egypt, Constantinople and other Eastern Mediterranean countries traded with India and China.
Of course Western Med. countries also traded in the same area, but Western Med. countries also kept very good records concerning trade and exploration, and none of them sent anybody to North America until 1492.
It is also a fact and well documented that the Knights Templar (a Catholic Order) was based on Cyprus in 1300, traded in the Eastern Med., and traveled back and forth from France to the Middle East.
In 1307, the Grand Master of these Templars, Jacques de Molay was ordered to France by Pope Clement V and asked not to bring any of his knights with him because he had plenty to attend him in France.
Against the order of his Pope, de Molay sailed for France with 60 Knights and their attendents including horses and equipment, also bringing much of the Templars treasure from Cyprus.
The Order learned of their pending arrest at least a month before it happened on October 13, 1307 and according to a documented testimony by a Templar leader escaped in a large number of vessels.
The vessels were never found and neither were several high- ranking members of the order, including Gerard de Villiers, Master of France, who became the most wanted man in France after the escape.
The Knights Templar had the vessels and the experience to sail great distances over open water, were the only ones who could have sailed to Nova Scotia with coir in their holds during that time period, and had a good reason for doing so.
A few small factoids; The Templars in Scotland lived and worked among the Scottish Norse population. The Scottish Norse knew the way to what would become the Canadian shore. Carbon dating is not effected by sea water, what is effected is the dating of plants and animals that lived in sea water. The Vikings did not trade in the Eastern Med. during this time period. If Tobias, who himself did not accept the Templar thing did produce a bogus sample, he must have looked for examples, had them tested in some other lab. until he found an example to suit his needs (I don't think so). Woods Hole took him at his word and he had witnesses.
Cheers, Loki