Shipwreck Hunting, Still Realistic??

[carsonobrown]

Hi all,

Carson here, a country boy from Montana turned treasure hunter. I am seriously interested in locating and excavating early Spanish galleons, and other early shipwrecks with "treasure."

Unfortunately, it seems that the golden age of treasure hunting is almost over. Nearly all countries that have history of galleons and other treasure rich vessels from the 1500s to 1700s have now ratified the UNESCO agreements, effectively ENDING the Wild West of treasure concessions with private companies.

What I want to know is, which countries in central or South America still let you treasure hunt, with possibility for treasure concessions with the government?

Can anyone recommend a country with wrecks, that isn't UNESCO, that would make a good candidate to start the process of permitting and research for finding old valuable wrecks to salvage?

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly, greatly appreciated. If any of the "OG Treasure Hunters" on this site would be open to mentoring me, I would even love to have a partnership agreement for their coaching and support.

All the best.

Carson

 

[AU Seeker]

Whichever countries would be of interest I'm sure the established treasure hunters are lined up 3 deep to find those ships, so you would have stiff, better equipped and more experienced competition!

 

[carsonobrown]

Whichever countries would be of interest I'm sure the established treasure hunters are lined up 3 deep to find those ships, so you would have stiff, better equipped and more experienced competition!

Good things in the world are always competitive and I'm more than happy to beat out the competition.

Whichever countries would be of interest I'm sure the established treasure hunters are lined up 3 deep to find those ships, so you would have stiff, better equipped and more experienced competition!

Good things in the world are always competitive and I'm more than happy to beat out the competition.

 

[vpnavy]

...from Montana turned treasure hunter. I am seriously interested in locating and excavating early Spanish galleons, and other early shipwrecks with "treasure."...

1st - Welcome Aboard! Take a look at FORUM: MONTANA for information (i.e., clubs, etc.) directly related to your state.

2nd - I moved ya from HELP! over to SHIPWRECKS for more exposure.

NOTE: Forum HELP! contains guides tutorials on how to use the new TreasureNet.com software.

 

[Mackaydon]

Asking your potential competitors for free advise on where there is still 'open season' for shipwreck salvage may be a stretch.
Treasure hunting is a 'team effort'. What part would you play? What would be your contribution? Capital contributor, legal advise, government liaison, provider of the salvage vessel, provider of the equipment nexessary, researcher, etc.?
Your enthusiam is noted; I hope you can maintain it as you encounter each hurdle in the treasure hunting process.
Don in SoCal

 

[mrwiskers]

...old Maritime Law: basically, "finders - keepers". Logical.

These newer "laws" are nothing but an asset grab for the upper 1% rich & influential, who do nothing toward the perilous recovery of said "treasures".

Returning said treasures to the country who lost it is absurd, as said country plundered those riches elsewhere to begin with. Why no concern to return that booty to the ancestors of the indigenous inhabitants from where the treasure was taken? (rhetorical question ... )

Government entities serve their wealthy masters, not we, the common folk.

There's a well-known "sonian" institute that regularly sends representatives to very wealthy individuals, offering for sale, treasures that are in the institute's care ( possession ). What gives them the right to do so? I know this as fact, as, in my area (Memphis TN), certain of these individuals have openly & publicly displayed these treasures. Most of the stuff is from other countries: Europe, Asia, South & Central America ... no one is "repatriating" this stuff to the countries of origin. Neither the "institute" nor the possessing individuals recovered these items, or were the "original owners", nor were involved in the making of these artifacts.

What a farce, these laws ...

 

[Colombiapictures]

There are numerous listings of shipwrecks that can be found online.
So you want to become a treasure hunter?
Shipwreck lists are not a bad start.

1. Take a list, verify if the shipwrecks listed are real.
2. Select a few interesting shipwrecks.
3. Are they salvageable?
4. Have they already been salvaged?
5. What is today's value? How do you intend to convert the salvaged goods into cash?
6. Is the technology available to do the salvage?
7. Who owns the shipwreck?
8. Can you make a salvage agreement?
9. Can you afford to make the salvage and take the risks?
10. Do you have the know-how and experience?
11. Do you know where and how to find the funding, know-how and experienced people you are going to need?
12. There are about one hundred points on this to do list. Start with that. If you find it exciting, continue on the next step.
13. Ah yes, this is one page from Harry Rieseberg's book "I dive for treasure" This book was the starting point of most of the famous and succesful 20th century treasure hunters.
    
    

 

[Crow]

Hi all,

Carson here, a country boy from Montana turned treasure hunter. I am seriously interested in locating and excavating early Spanish galleons, and other early shipwrecks with "treasure."

Unfortunately, it seems that the golden age of treasure hunting is almost over. Nearly all countries that have history of galleons and other treasure rich vessels from the 1500s to 1700s have now ratified the UNESCO agreements, effectively ENDING the Wild West of treasure concessions with private companies.

What I want to know is, which countries in central or South America still let you treasure hunt, with possibility for treasure concessions with the government?

Can anyone recommend a country with wrecks, that isn't UNESCO, that would make a good candidate to start the process of permitting and research for finding old valuable wrecks to salvage?

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly, greatly appreciated. If any of the "OG Treasure Hunters" on this site would be open to mentoring me, I would even love to have a partnership agreement for their coaching and support.

All the best.

Carson

Hello Carson

Just a few questions

What is your primary motivation?



A: To make money and become rich?
b: Always broke but have amazing adventures?
C: Just a Masochist?

Free advice from a raggedy old treasure hunter that search for mines, sunken ships, and lost treasure all over the world.

To succeed in being a treasure hunter, you have to be a treasure hunter in every aspect of your life. Make the best out of every opportunity and learn from mistakes. Never let ego give you cognitive biases. Never leave yourself open for incrimination. Be prepared to research and work towards goals. Never narrow down your options. Realize it is a numbers game, knowing when to hold and when to fold. A calculated risk taker. And know there are absolutely no guarantees in life. Be prepared for the long game as treasure hunting is not get rich quick trip. It's a long, arduous journey with no guarantees of success. It can be a lonely, thankless journey. You're despised by the government at best, at worst, pushed under a bus for your efforts. Friends can turn on you, and it can destroy relationships. And where there is treasure, my friend, evil is never far away. Treasure hunting is not something you jump into; you progress into it over time after building up skills. And patience and self-discipline that is almost superhuman when you have suffered all things unimaginable, and lady luck might feel sorry for you enough that luck might shine on you.

And when you do, you learn not to leave yourself open to criminalization as you now have more to lose than to gain.

There is an opportunity down in Florida for a business arrangement regarding Spanish treasure, but it's no free ride. Which may or may not suit your desire to search for Spanish treasure on the coast of Florida. But that comes down to money, time, commitments, and expectations.



Crow

 

[newnan man]

It makes one wonder how much of the 1715 fleets treasure remains to be found. It has been searched for and recovered basically since it sank. Enormous storms over the centuries have surely scattered it far and wide. I have a friend who regularly walks the beach here in Indialantic which is 15 miles north of the Treasure Coast. She has found 2 silver Spanish coins from the 1715 fleet way up here. I've surf fished south of Sebastian Inlet and have seen treasure boats anchored just past the breakers searching on their leases. Occasionally but not very often you hear of a substantial find. Maybe the searchers are just keeping their finds quiet, I would.

 

[Bocaj]

The modern "Western" world has suffocated itself with all their laws. Its impossible to do anything adventurous without a million lawyers advising you. In some countries if you cross a street in not by the shortest distance you can get a fine.

Welcome to the "Third Pirate Round" - we go where (almost) no one has gone before

 

[cocos1821]

Hi all,

Carson here, a country boy from Montana turned treasure hunter. I am seriously interested in locating and excavating early Spanish galleons, and other early shipwrecks with "treasure."

Unfortunately, it seems that the golden age of treasure hunting is almost over. Nearly all countries that have history of galleons and other treasure rich vessels from the 1500s to 1700s have now ratified the UNESCO agreements, effectively ENDING the Wild West of treasure concessions with private companies.

What I want to know is, which countries in central or South America still let you treasure hunt, with possibility for treasure concessions with the government?

Can anyone recommend a country with wrecks, that isn't UNESCO, that would make a good candidate to start the process of permitting and research for finding old valuable wrecks to salvage?

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly, greatly appreciated. If any of the "OG Treasure Hunters" on this site would be open to mentoring me, I would even love to have a partnership agreement for their coaching and support.

All the best.

Carson

The South China sea has quite a number of uncharted wrecks from 17th century to late 18th century.
Research old sailing routes you will find interesting reading in the East India trading companies.
Good luck. Kevin

 

[UnderMiner]

Shipwrecks are often buried for decades, even centuries, and then "appear" after storms - often being found by people who have gone over the area countless times for their entire lives and never knew it was there until then. You also have to remember most old shipwrecks aren't actually "ships" anymore they're just the cargo and ballast which is often scattered due to dredging or anchors dragging through them creating debris fields. Also most of these artifacts will be sunken deep under the sand and silt. There is a British shipwreck off the coat of Montauk in Long Island, the HMS Culloden which ran aground there in 1781, it can be visited simply by diving off the beach, the wooden planks of the lowest section of hull are often visible still as are the numerous iron cannons - though the site is protected by the State of NY so you can't legally take anything from it.

 

[Red_desert]

It makes one wonder how much of the 1715 fleets treasure remains to be found. It has been searched for and recovered basically since it sank. Enormous storms over the centuries have surely scattered it far and wide. I have a friend who regularly walks the beach here in Indialantic which is 15 miles north of the Treasure Coast. She has found 2 silver Spanish coins from the 1715 fleet way up here. I've surf fished south of Sebastian Inlet and have seen treasure boats anchored just past the breakers searching on their leases. Occasionally but not very often you hear of a substantial find. Maybe the searchers are just keeping their finds quiet, I would.

For myself, I have studied only one of the 1715 lease maps. The deep edge I was told is only an average of a 15 foot depth. It shows were gold has been dug in red and blue for silver. Two places the trail of dug gold is more like a line of them, runs up into the beach. Gold was more a random pattern while silver heavily concentrated around the cannons. From center line (north/south) of lease to waterline appears to have been heavily worked by salvage crews. I suspect the deeper half of lease has more sand to blow holes in (which would slow them down) and not impress investors who fund the operation. Also, they depend a lot on mag hits that work better with less sand overburden.

 

[PTid]

Hi all,

Carson here, a country boy from Montana turned treasure hunter. I am seriously interested in locating and excavating early Spanish galleons, and other early shipwrecks with "treasure."

Unfortunately, it seems that the golden age of treasure hunting is almost over. Nearly all countries that have history of galleons and other treasure rich vessels from the 1500s to 1700s have now ratified the UNESCO agreements, effectively ENDING the Wild West of treasure concessions with private companies.

What I want to know is, which countries in central or South America still let you treasure hunt, with possibility for treasure concessions with the government?

Can anyone recommend a country with wrecks, that isn't UNESCO, that would make a good candidate to start the process of permitting and research for finding old valuable wrecks to salvage?

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly, greatly appreciated. If any of the "OG Treasure Hunters" on this site would be open to mentoring me, I would even love to have a partnership agreement for their coaching and support.

All the best.

Carson

Carson...I have experience dealing with other countries. The big question for you, do you have funding available for a search and salvage, the survey only or both survey and salvage? If you do, let me know asap. I can put you on a project right now....today. $3 billion estimate.

 

[Red_desert]

1715 leases you need a contract

 

[rickertmork]

I know someone that found 30k worth of white gold on the beach in Miami, he didn’t have to work for ten years. I would agree with others the treasure would be spread all over the dam place by all kinds of factors, buried and unburied by hurricanes. I can imagine trying shipwreck diving in so cal, and giving up because it’s too deep and you would get sucked into currents and die.

 

[Red_desert]

I know someone that found 30k worth of white gold on the beach in Miami, he didn’t have to work for ten years. I would agree with others the treasure would be spread all over the dam place by all kinds of factors, buried and unburied by hurricanes. I can imagine trying shipwreck diving in so cal, and giving up because it’s too deep and you would get sucked into currents and die.

Treasure is on the beaches, no doubts about it