SEASON 8

[MikeN]

This week's recap "Digging Deeper" episode set the record straight on Erin's meridian mis-nomenclature by popping up a quiz on the meaning of meridian. They used the correct definition on this quiz.

In this week's episode, the honeycomb drill pattern runs into backfill - of course now the drill target lies below the backfill because the Chappell Vault keeps sinking so they have to keep going through the backfill. If they're at 200 feet this year, how deep will they be by season 15?

This week's theory from GIS wiz Erin involves placing the lead cross aligned within a square to generate some more intersections and recreates the lost location of the stone triangle. And the lead cross turns out to be a protractor, accidentally dropped near Smith's Cove by the last departing Templar who used it to decide where to bury the treasure. She will combine her results with the work of Seafaring Historian Expert Zena Halpern to pinpoint the location of the Chappell Vault.

They discover a big rock feature in the swamp. Could it be that they have discovered a hidden wharf or platform used to transport treasure up to lot 15?

Then the 'fellowship of the Ring Bolts' sets off and is successful at locating a piece of an old cast iron ship stove from the early 1700s. However they didn't locate any more ring bolts.

Using a sophisticated sonar arrangement, they trawl off the shore and locate an 'old shipwreck' just off of 'Boulder Beach', and a wharflike structure in the water off the south side of the island.

 

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[gazzahk]

Thank for the summary Mike. Much appreciated..

So in other words they found nothing treasure related and just added some more wacko theories.

 

[Singlestack Wonder]

Tonight’s episode featured the most lame brained fictional theory of all........Erin is right up there with diana muir.....

Episode was typical....continuing rehash of previous episodes, intro of yet another fictional theory, and Rick still trying to convince the audience that he BELIEVES.....

 

[gazzahk]

In this week's episode, the honeycomb drill pattern runs into backfill - of course now the drill target lies below the backfill because the Chappell Vault keeps sinking so they have to keep going through the backfill...

I would assume that the whole money pit area is just backfill by now. I reckon it would be almost as hard to find virgin ground in that area as to find a credible expert that has visited the show.

If they had spent this much on looking for Opals in the Opal fields of Australia they would have at least some amazing opals to show for the effort.

(Great show - Outback Opal Hunters)

 

[gazzahk]

Rick still trying to convince the audience that he BELIEVES.....

No one associated with the show can believe any of the loonies they keep brining on. Rick stopped even hoping to believe at about season 5. The same time that Marty realized how much money they were making from the show...

Marty is the brains in that family...

 

[Al D]

I was soooo booored with this episode, all I did was count how many different ball caps were in the show

 

[OcdChaos]

I like watching the show, it’s still interesting to me regardless if its somewhat phony or not. The part that has started to frustrate me though, is that they never follow one lead to completion. It’s like a scattershot of exploration. Oh look, there a pine tar kiln, let’s leave it and go dig a hole over here. Now let’s go start poking in the swamp, but now let’s leave that and go dig a hole over here. That hole holds interest and a new clue, but let’s leave that and go sonar scan the water of the beach. There’s something interesting laying on the sea floor, but let’s leave that and go dig a trench over here. And then they chase new theories all the time, never fully exploring the last one they were chasing. How do they ever expect to find anything with this scattershot method of halfhearted attempts of uncovering the current thing they are looking at...

 

[MikeN]

I like watching the show, it’s still interesting to me regardless if its somewhat phony or not. The part that has started to frustrate me though, is that they never follow one lead to completion. It’s like a scattershot of exploration.

I see this also - for example, is the 'wharf' off the southern coast they found in this week's sonar exploration the same one found 6 or so years ago on a sonar exploration? And are they not allowed any further exploration of the seafloor items found 1 or 2 seasons ago?

 

[Singlestack Wonder]

I see this also - for example, is the 'wharf' off the southern coast they found in this week's sonar exploration the same one found 6 or so years ago on a sonar exploration? And are they not allowed any further exploration of the seafloor items found 1 or 2 seasons ago?

They are hoping folks don't remember the older episodes so that it will appear as new content...

Its become so cliché now for gawry to find one object (albeit meaningless junk) on each episode....

 

[Singlestack Wonder]

Maybe they will find more roman swords on the sea bed? Didn't the romans have a lost legion of templars?

 

[OcdChaos]

I’m really starting to think that yes, there was significant activity on this island a long time ago. But it was most likely a ship repair and docking facility. Ships could come there to get repairs, offload stuff along that stone pathway, and load ships up again. Or just use those stone roads near the swamp for transporting timbers and pine tar to repair ships. All the ox shoes and axes that Gary finds, were used to cut timbers and transport timbers to ships. The pick axes they are finding were used to bust up rocks to make the stone paths near the swamp, to transport repair timbers to and from ships. All the lost items they find like coins or jewelry, were probably dropped by people milling about while waiting on their ships to be repaired.... anyways, that’s what I’m leaning to at the moment, lol

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Yes. There has been significant equipment and structures placed on Oak Island since about 1897. And docks and wharfs before Dunfield put in the causeway road. All by searchers. They brought stationary engines and steam shovels over from the mainland on rafts and they didn't just push them off on the beach near the pit.

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[Oscar Goldman]

I’m really starting to think that yes, there was significant activity on this island a long time ago. But it was most likely a ship repair and docking facility. Ships could come there to get repairs, offload stuff along that stone pathway, and load ships up again. Or just use those stone roads near the swamp for transporting timbers and pine tar to repair ships. All the ox shoes and axes that Gary finds, were used to cut timbers and transport timbers to ships. The pick axes they are finding were used to bust up rocks to make the stone paths near the swamp, to transport repair timbers to and from ships. All the lost items they find like coins or jewelry, were probably dropped by people milling about while waiting on their ships to be repaired.... anyways, that’s what I’m leaning to at the moment, lol

Bingo!
I think that is consistent with the origin of the story of lights/fire at night the boys were drawn to the island say they saw, and what the man made features on the island appear to represent...But the Bone and book findings deep underground is puzzling.

 

[Singlestack Wonder]

Bingo!
I think that is consistent with the origin of the story of lights/fire at night the boys were drawn to the island say they saw, and what the man made features on the island appear to represent...But the Bone and book findings deep underground is puzzling.

You think it wasn't possible for folks to drop trash into the giant holes they were digging? As far as the bones, in the old days folks were sometimes buried near where they dropped as embalming wasn't available and if it was (i.e. mid 1800's) it was costly...

 

[franklin]

Yes. There has been significant equipment and structures placed on Oak Island since about 1897. And docks and wharfs before Dunfield put in the causeway road. All by searchers. They brought stationary engines and steam shovels over from the mainland on rafts and they didn't just push them off on the beach near the pit.

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Damn look at all the stones? Wonder what do they line up with? Could it be?

 

[Singlestack Wonder]

Damn look at all the stones? Wonder what do they line up with? Could it be?

As has been proven many times they line up with NOTHING...

 

[ECS]

Damn look at all the stones? Wonder what do they line up with? Could it be?

The Stones line up directly to Keith Richards' house in Connecticut!

 

[MikeN]

Bingo!
I think that is consistent with the origin of the story of lights/fire at night the boys were drawn to the island say they saw, and what the man made features on the island appear to represent...But the Bone and book findings deep underground is puzzling.

However if you were 'those boys' back in the day, you would have first explored the area by circling the island by boat. An active seaport would explain lights anywhere on the island at night without any mystery.

 

[gazzahk]

I’m really starting to think that yes, there was significant activity on this island a long time ago. But it was most likely a ship repair and docking facility. Ships could come there to get repairs, offload stuff along that stone pathway, and load ships up again. Or just use those stone roads near the swamp for transporting timbers and pine tar to repair ships. All the ox shoes and axes that Gary finds, were used to cut timbers and transport timbers to ships. The pick axes they are finding were used to bust up rocks to make the stone paths near the swamp, to transport repair timbers to and from ships. All the lost items they find like coins or jewelry, were probably dropped by people milling about while waiting on their ships to be repaired.... anyways, that’s what I’m leaning to at the moment, lol

The Laginas do not want to find answers and explain what happened. That would kill the goose that is laying them Golden Eggs! They happy to bring on any Wacko that has a theory about Knights Templars, Aztecs, Shakespeare etc when there is ZERO evidence to support them but will not bring on J.Steele (She is a local historian that has done extensive research on the island/legend. Her book Oak Island Mystery Solved is an excellent read.)

She has put forward a very reasonable and plausible theory about Oak Island being a naval stores operation run by the Jesuits using slave labor. Even when the Laginas find heaps of evidence to support her hypothesis.

Pretty much everything they have found pre 1795 is consistent with her theory.

I think after season 5 when they did the pattern drilling of the area they knew for certain that nothing of value existed under the ground in the money pit area.

The digging up of Smith Cove was interesting as it supported the naval stores/ship repairs theory. The dating of the wood to be mid 1750s from there also is not supportive of secret treasure operation as there was a community in the area at the time.

I am so disappointed that they are making no effort to answer what actually happened on OI. They could solve the mystery but are only interested in keeping it 'unsolved' to sell their TV show.

The dishonesty is a shame....

 

[Singlestack Wonder]

However if you were 'those boys' back in the day, you would have first explored the area by circling the island by boat. An active seaport would explain lights anywhere on the island at night without any mystery.

Mystery of what the mcginnis boys saw that night finally solved!