One of the Franklin Expedition Ships is Found

[boulderjohn]

What wreck would elicit that kind of reaction here?

Finding the USS Monitor.

 

[Mike]

Another might be when Mel Fischer in 1985 announced that they had found the motherload for the Atocha. Within a year treasure was being sold on the one of the shopping channels. There have been others like the Central America but none that seem to or would generate the excitement that the Franklin expedition seems to have generated.

They are still working that wreck aren't they? I think you can still pay Mel to come work the wreck for him.

The museum in Key West is interesting through. The treasures on display are beautiful and very interesting, as is the store attached to it where you can purchase some of the gold and silver ingots, coins and other things. Of course the gold carries quite a premium as I recall, something like 10X it's value that would be calculated by weight.

 

[covediver]

They are still working that wreck aren't they? I think you can still pay Mel to come work the wreck for him.

The museum in Key West is interesting through. The treasures on display are beautiful and very interesting, as is the store attached to it where you can purchase some of the gold and silver ingots, coins and other things. Of course the gold carries quite a premium as I recall, something like 10X it's value that would be calculated by weight.

Yes, you can dive the Atocha for a couple of thousand dollars, which includes the house in the Keys. A little more than I have, but the temptation is always there. Guess it would be the ultimate fantasy. Atocha is symbolic, it represents the good and bad of treasure hunting. I have almost every book written on the Atocha. It is an interest of mine. I also have a small medallion on a chain, a replica piece of eight made from one of the number bars of silver. Goes nice with my Doxa dive watch.

I was diving wrecks in the Pacific Rim National Park in BC Canada back about 25 years ago. Parks Canada rangers (not sure if that is the right word) came aboard, asked us questions, check us out. All very friendly and professional. I have been down the Inside Passage and dived on a few wrecks. Not quite sure I want to do it in the Arctic Ocean, if the site is ever open to the public, but probably would. I think access will be restricted to archaeological professionals for many years so I hope to experience the work through telepresence to use a concept advanced by Ballard in the Titanic.

I have dived wrecks in California, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior, as well as wrecks as reefs in Australia. A good management plan is the key. I think Parks Canada will do just fine. This is a super cool find. Just a week ago I was reading an article on line about the challenges of doing surveys in those waters. While I have reviewed those types of surveys in the Alaska waters, I have not had a chance to go out on one. Lots of mysteries in the Arctic, like the wrecked whaling ships on Alaska's northwest coast that were trapped in the ice and abandoned in the 1870s. Pretty exciting stuff.

 

[Jared0425]

I remember these ships being in a Clive Cussler novel named Artic Drift. Are the vessels intact?

 

[PatW]

I went to primary school in Canada. The search fit the Northwest Passage was a very big deal. At first, they were looking for a viable trade route to the orient. It quickly became a symbolic thing. The Franklin Expedition had all sorts of mystique .... The arctic, the passage and finally the mystery of what happened to them.

 

[covediver]

I remember these ships being in a Clive Cussler novel named Artic Drift. Are the vessels intact?

From the CBC report that I heard, the deck is largely intact. From the sidescan, it appears that she is dismasted.

---------- Post added September 10th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ----------

I went to primary school in Canada. The search fit the Northwest Passage was a very big deal. At first, they were looking for a viable trade route to the orient. It quickly became a symbolic thing. The Franklin Expedition had all sorts of mystique .... The arctic, the passage and finally the mystery of what happened to them.

The search for the northwest passage drove a lot of explorers, including Captain Cook's forays into my part of Alaska. Ironic that the northwest passage may now become a reality with climate change. A few weeks ago the Coast Guard did need to rescue someone attempting the passage from Alaska to Canada. I recall talking to one mariner in Seward who planned to do it. He said he would overwinter in the port at Barrow. He seemed a little disappointed when I explained to him that there was no port at Barrow.

 

[AngloFish]

Initially read that as USS Minnow
Need more coffee

Finding the USS Monitor.

 

[Jared0425]

They found the wreck in 36ft of water. I thought the ice would have crushed the ship into a board pile. Here in the lakes, ice has been known to go down 30ft in the worst winters. I'm ready to dive them!

 

[NorthernLights]

When you say ice is 30 feet, that is not ice thickness, it is because a sheet of ice has been tipped due to wind. It usually does not get more than 3-4 feet in thickness.

Lake Superior had 20 foot waves this last week, usually only seen during November gales. I hope that is not an indication of what the winter holds for us.

 

[mikeycanuk]

More info: Ship from lost Franklin expedition found | Toronto Star