Season 5

[gazzahk]

almost every detector would consider the find of a lifetime,

I will be interested if there other people that metal detector here that agree with you... From what I see they have found NOTHING of any particular significance or value.. Which objects on the table do you think metal detectionists would consider the "Find of a lifetime"?

 

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[gazzahk]

Anything and everything ever found on hoax island could have also been found on all coastal areas ranging from Canada to South America. Nothing unique......

You forget Rick Restall toy gun... That could of ONLY been found on OI. He did not loose it anywhere else.....

 

[skybolt]

You forget Rick Restall toy gun... That could of ONLY been found on OI. He did not loose it anywhere else.....

If still in the original box that puppy would sell for like $350 on ebay.

 

[gazzahk]

here is the basis of the next season I think

Rhodolite garnet: Gemstones like one on The Curse of Oak Island were once worn by pharaohs......Garnets were very popular with both the ancient Egyptians and the Romans. There are examples of pharoahs wearing garnet necklaces and the Romans traded them extensively, often using them in rings where they could be used to mark wax seals.

Source: https://www.monstersandcritics.com/...rse-of-oak-island-were-once-worn-by-pharaohs/

So was not the Templars after all it was the pharaohs... Who would of thought that other looney lady is also probably right then and the lead sinker WAS probably an ancient Egyptian goddess as well...

So I was wrong... They did find something this season... So looking forward to the next one....

 

[Tom Slikes53]

I will be interested if there other people that metal detector here that agree with you... From what I see they have found NOTHING of any particular significance or value.. Which objects on the table do you think metal detectionists would consider the "Find of a lifetime"?

you find coins from the 1600's in North America, I think you've found something very special.

 

[gazzahk]

you find coins from the 1600's in North America, I think you've found something very special.

Is that very unusual? (I know nothing about this so am interested)

 

[gazzahk]

Just thinking about the last episode and the Granite obstruction. It does show they are not digging in the right place if it is "virgin soil" as no one else has come across this piece of rock before. Thus it cannot be the original money pit. So no reason to clear out the hole..

Having said that I am pretty amazed that their chisel did not smash that rock to pieces. I imagine if they had tried longer it would of smashed. All rocks will eventually smash if they are hit enough times with over 40 tonnes of weight I would of thought.

They have shown either Chapels vault was either a) a myth b) a lie c) part of previous searches tunnels/shafts or d) has completely collapsed on itself and no longer exists.

My money would be on c)... I remember from season 1 where they thought they had located chapels vault and later found out it was just a previous searchers shaft. I guess Chapel just found the same thing.

After watching all these seasons and doing the extensive reading I have on the topic I have concluded that there is really no evidence that Chappel was digging in the original money pit when his drill came a cross what he called the vault. The stories all show the vault in the pit but Chapel also did not know where the actual pit was and was just drilling holes in the hope of finding it.

Whatever the true story is of the origin of the 'alleged' chapel vault it seems that it no longer exists. If it did the geo tech drilling would of found it...

 

[MikeN]

My money would be on c)... I remember from season 1 where they thought they had located chapels vault and later found out it was just a previous searchers shaft. I guess Chapel just found the same thing.

The first intriguing core came on S2E4. I could have sworn that they dated the wood and analyzed the rock / concrete sample in season 2 but I can't find it. Perhaps it was uninteresting.

Yes, the Chapel vault seems to be less and less likely. The "Vault" pushed out of the way in this season (H8?) was probably just another rock.

 

[b3y0nd3r]

im a big supporter of the show as some of you know. But this season was a joke. It's the History channel to blame for that.

As for the actual dig, I can't understand why they just dont remove a 100x100 foot area of dirt and start from there. It would be the only way to find what they are looking for, if anything is there.

 

[gr88bd]

Im a construction inspector in real life... I've worked with caissons a lot installing deep foundations . The caisson should have chewed through the granite boulder slowly but completely if the teeth were new or installed on the caisson edge correctly . What they struck is called a glacial erratic ... a scientific term describing a big ass rock in a place where it shouldn't be. Since no other large boulders were encountered that we know of (a boulder is classified as 18" or larger in diameter) and no known boulder field is at that depth, Im inclined to think the teeth were not changed before drilling or they just did a half assed job of putting them on...
then again , it might have been a left over from nolans cross

 

[MikeN]

Im a construction inspector in real life... I've worked with caissons a lot installing deep foundations . The caisson should have chewed through the granite boulder slowly but completely if the teeth were new or installed on the caisson edge correctly . What they struck is called a glacial erratic ... a scientific term describing a big ass rock in a place where it shouldn't be. Since no other large boulders were encountered that we know of (a boulder is classified as 18" or larger in diameter) and no known boulder field is at that depth, Im inclined to think the teeth were not changed before drilling or they just did a half assed job of putting them on...
then again , it might have been a left over from nolans cross

Thanks, that's great information. I suspect they got sloppy and based their preparation on previous experience at the site where they hadn't yet stuck such an obstruction. Do you think that the larger caisson would have required some other change to the teeth design to chew through rock?

 

[MikeN]

As for the actual dig, I can't understand why they just dont remove a 100x100 foot area of dirt and start from there. It would be the only way to find what they are looking for, if anything is there.

The big problem so far in removing large areas of dirt is how to excavate / reinforce the sides as it drops below the water table / ocean flood shafts. The only thing to count on is a flood, and that restricts the techniques used to shore up walls as it descends.

 

[b3y0nd3r]

The big problem so far in removing large areas of dirt is how to excavate / reinforce the sides as it drops below the water table / ocean flood shafts. The only thing to count on is a flood, and that restricts the techniques used to shore up walls as it descends.

A half moon steel coffer damn around the island would prevent water pressure from being a factor. It may cost some money, but they still would be ahead.

As for the water itself in the tunnels, if they do this in the dead of winter and flash freeze the water in the tunnels, they can just remove them like stones.

 

[gr88bd]

Thanks, that's great information. I suspect they got sloppy and based their preparation on previous experience at the site where they hadn't yet stuck such an obstruction. Do you think that the larger caisson would have required some other change to the teeth design to chew through rock?

No they assumed ( as I would have too) from the previous borings in the proximity there were no large boulders present. What they should have done ( hindsight is 20/20.) after finding the teeth in the spoil pile was stop, insert a smaller casing inside the 60" one with rock teeth on it , pull the 60" and continue with the smaller casing . I believe the rock was on a side of the big casing , not in the middle across the whole thing. They did that on a previous hole I believe, unless they were running out of $$$$$, or had to leave the island by a certain date. .. I have no idea why they just left it like that The picture is of a shaft I sank in 2011, the concrete secant piles were all drilled with caissons. the shaft is 33 LF in diameter , the total shaft is 185' deep. the caissons are 44" in diameter . we drilled 3 a day (10 hr day) . We encountered several erratics, but the caisson took care of them. We encircled the area with the caissons, creating a support of excavation, then excavated the center out without having to worry about the sides coming in . The center was drilled before excavation and high pressure grouted, sealing off any water from below . we went 185 feet deep in the dry

 

[Singlestack Wonder]

im a big supporter of the show as some of you know. But this season was a joke. It's the History channel to blame for that.

As for the actual dig, I can't understand why they just dont remove a 100x100 foot area of dirt and start from there. It would be the only way to find what they are looking for, if anything is there.

I believe Dunfield dug a massive hole just as you prescribe....once he figured out that the story was a hoax and couldn't get anymore investors, he filled it in.

 

[MikeN]

View attachment 1561051
No they assumed ( as I would have too) from the previous borings in the proximity there were no large boulders present. What they should have done ( hindsight is 20/20.) after finding the teeth in the spoil pile was stop, insert a smaller casing inside the 60" one with rock teeth on it , pull the 60" and continue with the smaller casing . I believe the rock was on a side of the big casing , not in the middle across the whole thing. They did that on a previous hole I believe, unless they were running out of $$$$$, or had to leave the island by a certain date. .. I have no idea why they just left it like that The picture is of a shaft I sank in 2011, the concrete secant piles were all drilled with caissons. the shaft is 33 LF in diameter , the total shaft is 185' deep. the caissons are 44" in diameter . we drilled 3 a day (10 hr day) .

That would be good way to get a 33' diameter hole excavated there. It seems they don't have too much extra money budgeted beyond what was spent this year. What would be the ratio of the additional cost to do a big dig like this compared to the 3 they sunk this year - X10 , X100, or X1000?

 

[G.A.P.metal]

I say Blast...and keep Blasting till... Gold coins fly out ...or the island goes under

 

[gazzahk]

What they should have done ( hindsight is 20/20.) after finding the teeth in the spoil pile was stop, insert a smaller casing inside the 60" one with rock teeth on it ..... I have no idea why they just left it like that....

I imagine it was because they realized digging any deeper in that hole would be pointless.. If that rock had not been discovered before from previous efforts therefore it could not be the original pit. Finding that rock proved that the hole they were digging was in the wrong place. So digging any deeper there would not have found the "buried treasure"....

It is poor that they did not tell the audience this...

 

[n2mini]

Unless it is actually the top of the Chapel Vault.. Not actually round like a rock but the home made concrete that someone on here said would actually get harder and harder over the years... I know it's not actually deep enough based on history but who is to say that with all the digging/back filling over the years and the current clearing and leveling of the ground so they can drill it, no one is really sure what ground level is/was back then compared to now... I know that is a looooong shot but hey anything is possible at this point...

 

[Singlestack Wonder]

Unless it is actually the top of the Chapel Vault.. Not actually round like a rock but the home made concrete that someone on here said would actually get harder and harder over the years... I know it's not actually deep enough based on history but who is to say that with all the digging/back filling over the years and the current clearing and leveling of the ground so they can drill it, no one is really sure what ground level is/was back then compared to now... I know that is a looooong shot but hey anything is possible at this point...

It’s been proven that a chapel vault never existed and the story was invented to seek more investment money...