What would be the best way to join a treasure hunting ship or crew?

[Aquaman01]

How do people join treasure hunting expeditions? What do people usually look for in a treasure hunter to join them? Or do people just set out themselves? Do some do this professionally? Anyways just a shot in the dark, I've always wanted to do something like this but don't know where to even start considering i have no experience or training in anything to do with this except for working as a deckhand on a ship here in the Caribbean.

Thanks a ton

 

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[U.K. Brian]

Either buy your way in or offer a skill. Could be diving but you would stand more chance as say a cook who can also dive. I don't think your experience as a deckhand would help much if it was on a cruise ship.

 

[BloodyBelle]

As a paramedic? Master diver. Money man. Dumb luck. And maybe list poker and drinking under hobbies. ;-)

 

[Old Town]

I've not been involved directly in this business but was born and still live in Key West. I knew Mel Fisher very well as did my dad. I still know his surviving children. From what I've heard of Fisher's operation and the doings of other salvage operators in the Keys, (many) the business is populated by drunken misfits of society. Very few ever make a dime and they do dangerous work. For every Fisher there are 30 failed operators who leave a trail of debt to vendors and workers.

It's a romantic notion to want to work on a salvage boat and shovel gold on board. Reality is that does not happen often enough to make such a career choice a viable option. Especially if you have half a brain to begin with and have some potential in the world.

Just my thoughts after watching these characters for decades.

Old Town

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hand them a beer and tell them about all the places you went to with other recovery teams.

 

[TerryC]

Today's treasure hunters and would be collectors of antiqueties are sent and funded by this museum and that university. They have oogles of letters after their names, announcing their abilities and you have to be invited to the party. I'll just stick with my detector. TTC

 

[White Feather]

Pour a cup of joe and relax.

Get together with a few friends and have fun just cruising about, snorkel, dive and metal detecting beaches and shallow water. I've been doing it for years and have no regrets. If you are out playing on and in the water with friends detecting it is just as much of an adventure as if you were in some high financed opperation. Low tech is good too.

For years I would take my boat around the Chesapeake Bay and dive old forgotten beaches, find sharks teeth along Calvert Cliffs, search the beaches and shallow areas off some state parks. We were just a bunch of friends who split costs on the days each one of us was there. Everyone chipped in a few bucks for fuel and brought some drinks or food, bait or ice. We always had a great time and sometimes even picked up a few little trinkets, coins or rings. The thrill of the hunt is still there and being with friends who are looking for fun and enjoyment is better than getting chewed out by someone who is getting behind with his investors or running out of money and getting grouchy with everyone. Nah, having fun with friends and enjoying our hobby is much better when the family can be along. You should see the look on one of your kids face when he/she comes to the surface with a prehistoric sharks tooth or even an old locker key and tag from an old beach locker. There's nothing like it. Leave the high dollar stuff to the big dollar backed types with their mini-subs and DSV's. I prefere my White's Surfmaster and some good friends to share the good times with. I know a lot of real treasure hunters and very few have ever really struck it rich. Most wouldn't tell you anyhow and I don't blame them. So, find a friend with a big enough boat or get one yourself and go out and have some fun. You never know what you'll find.

 

[Old Town]

Whitefeather, this thing you describe is exactly how I live down here in Key West. I have sailboat and a flats boat. Go slow and deep or fast and shallow. I grew up with Fisher's kids and observed that whole era first hand. No thanks. Horsing around the little islands finding lost anchors and old beer cans is great fun. Building fires with pals 50 miles from nowhere and drinking whiskey is not to be missed.

We find nothing valuable but the odd silver coin of US minting. Maybe some old penny the salt hasn't eaten up. We get tanned. We get tired. Nobody gets hurt in the wallet or anywhere else.

Glad to know somebody else has been doing the same thing.

OT

 

[Curious The George]

I understand for a $100,000 or so you can buy into one season with Mel Fisher's company and you receive some percent of any finds that season. Of course if they don't find anything you get the same share of that also.