And now for something completely different

[Spectre]

Oh... now that'll be cool!

And speaking of cool.. I love the sig change

 

[shellbird]

no offense meant. I meant to say... oh hell, I'll just shut up...

Matt, you know what I meant... RIGHT? I mean Correct?

 

[WreckWriter]

MSilvia once bubbled...
In the mean time, I've been doing some research on locations of wrecks, and hope to have some strong leads and hopefully a recon permit for next season.

You need a permit just to look? What sort of waters are they located in?

 

[raxafarian]

shellbird once bubbled...
no offense meant. I meant to say... oh hell, I'll just shut up...

Matt, you know what I meant... RIGHT? I mean Correct?

so now you are telling him to "do it correctly"? that would be "DIC" instead of "DIR"?

what are ya saying I thought you liked Matt

 

[notabob]

Hey, Matt. Whichever way you do it, just make sure you're having a good time doing it. Oh, and of course you gotta remain in contact cause we'll need a new t-shirt design in a few months . Good to see you back!

-Roman.

 

[gmbaker]

Matt,
sorry to hear about being laid off. These things have a way of working out for the better. Glad to see you are back on the board. just a thought, but you could always rent out the dive sherpa to the NELD winter divers

 

[Soggy]

Sorry about the job loss....

What does one need to have for a background in order to get a PhD in Marine Archaeology? A career change is in the back of my mind somewhere and incorporating diving into it somehow piques my interest.

 

[MSilvia]

WreckWriter once bubbled...
You need a permit just to look? What sort of waters are they located in?

If a wreck whose location is known has been determined to be of no significant historical value, and is not in a location in which recreational divers would be endangered by or disruptive to shipping, then it gets put on a list of "exempt" wrecks that can be dived at will. You could probably get away with looking at other wrecks as well, but since the wreckage I found is potentially of historical value, I want to go through the process on the off chance there are historically significant artifacts that should end up in a local maritime museum. If there are, I'll apply for the excavation permit. If not, I'll petition to have it added to the exempt list.

The waters are about a mile offshore, in an area formerly known to mariners as the Cohasset Rocks. Over the years (up to 1855 or so, when the permanent lighthouse was erected) more than 100 ships were known to have wrecked in this area.

http://mapserver.maptech.com/homepa...&type=0&icon=0&searchscope=dom&latlontype=DMS

According to State guidelines:

Under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 6, sections 179-180, and Chapter 91, section 63, the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources is charged with the responsibility of encouraging the discovery and reporting, as well as the preservation and protection, of underwater archaeological resources. Generally, those resources are defined as abandoned property , artifacts, treasure troves, and shipwrecks which have remained unclaimed for over 100 years, or exceed a value of $5,000, or are judged by the Board to be of historical value. The Commonwealth holds title to these resources and retains regulatory authority over their use. The Board's jurisdiction extends over the inland and coastal waters of the state.

No person may remove, displace, damage or destroy any underwater archaeological resource except in conformity with permits issued by the Board. The two types of permits are: Reconnaissance Permits -for the non-destructive inspection and identification of underwater archaeological resources and are characterized by minimum site disturbance; and Excavation Permits -to uncover and/or remove underwater archaeological resources through the use of disruptive investigation techniques. Permittees range from individual sport divers to corporate ventures. Permit requirements and standards are outlined in the Board's Regulations {312 CMR 2.0-2.15).

To deal with certain types of artifact discoveries, the Board's regulations provide an exemption from the permit process for isolated finds and exempted sites. In order to obtain title to an isolated find, an Isolated Find application form along with a map indicating the location of the find must be submitted to the Board. There is no application fee for an isolated find.

The purpose in creating an exempted shipwreck site is to preserve such sites for the continued enjoyment of the recreational diving community. Recreational diving activities, including casual artifact collection, on exempted shipwreck sites does not require a permit from the Board. However, any major disruption of the site is prohibited. The List of Exempt Shipwrecks is open to modification. The recreational diving community is encouraged to protect these sites for the continued enjoyment of all.

In addition, the Board may designate underwater archaeological preserves. The purpose of underwater archaeological preserves is to recognize and protect those resources of substantial archaeological and/or historical value. While access for recreational, scientific and historical purposes is guaranteed, collecting will not be allowed except for scientific or historical purposes, and the artifacts remain the permanent property of the Commonwealth.

If you would like a copy of the Board's Statute, Regulations, List of Exempt Sites, or Permit Applications, want to know the date/location of Board meetings, or have a question, contact:
Victor Mastone, Director, Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources EOEA, Suite 900,251 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114-2136
Telephone: 617-626-1141.
Fax: 617-626-1181.
E-mail: Victor.Mastone@State.MA.US
Web Site: www.magnet.state.ma.us/czrn/buar

 

[MSilvia]

AaronBBrown once bubbled...
What does one need to have for a background in order to get a PhD in Marine Archaeology? A career change is in the back of my mind somewhere and incorporating diving into it somehow piques my interest.

I'm not sure, but I'm doing a lot of reading and research in the hope that initiative and enthusiasm will make up for not having an undergraduate degree in an appropriate field.