Nantucket Lightship

I thought I heard a blurb on the television about the divers that found the Nantucket Lightship wreck are being charged by the Feds for removing artifacts from a 'gravesite'. Anybody have more info?

LobstaMan

Yup. The Coast Guard is suing several members of the Boston Sea Rovers, according to page three of today's Boston Herald.

Here's the story.

Coast Guard vows fight over `Nantucket' graverobbers
By J.M. Lawrence
Saturday, March 12, 2005

Federal prosecutors are suing six deep-sea divers who defied the Coast Guard and took relics last year from a sunken U.S. Lighthouse Service ship disintegrating off Nantucket since 1934.

The government claims the divers with the Boston Sea Rovers plundered the Lightship Nantucket and desecrated a gravesite last year when dive team Capt. Erik Takakjian led a team that took a 1,200-pound bronze bell, the ship's helm, telegraph and other artifacts.

``They have got a brass set of you know whats,'' said Marty Krzywicki, 69, who founded an association for Lighthouse Service sailors, a predecessor to the U.S. Coast Guard. ``What they did was illegal. They went down on a grave ship.''

But Takakjian's lawyer yesterday said the government ought to be thanking the team for finding the ship in 1998 and undertaking a dangerous dive to bring back artifacts memorializing the 17 sailors aboard the Lighthouse Nantucket (LV-117). The ship was accidentally rammed May 15, 1934, by the Olympia, a sister ship to the Titantic.

``They're being threatened with felony prosecution when they should be writing them checks for having done this work,'' attorney Peter Hess said.

Hess told a federal judge yesterday the divers will hand over the relics within two weeks to federal marshals while battling the lawsuit. He contends the ship was abandoned by the government and the men should receive a salvage award.

Other divers named in the government's lawsuit are Sea Rovers President Dave Morton, Steve Gatto, Tom Packer, Tom Murray, and Steve Scheuer. The suit also names Takakjian's Research Vessel Quest.

This is sure a can of wroms. I recently read an article by Mr. Kohler on this subject and there are so many opinions. I like finders keepers for personal reasons but can see the other point of view also. Not to say that the Rovers won't have a dog in the fight but it is a US Governement ship so different laws apply to abandonment. I hope that cooler heads prevail and both sides can come to an understanding for the sake of all of us who have a stake in these things.

These cases have bad optics to the public. I don't even tell my dad when I dive wrecks anymore; as a Navy veteran he doesn't understand why anyone would even dive near one and tends toward rage against divers. I don't expect that he's alone.

I'll ask my maritime law guru about the odds on the suit.

I'd expect the governement to pursue this on principal with more zeal than usual-- which is scary. This could be ugly and bad for diving.

Yeah... and if the Govt. suit is successful, I think it'll go a long way toward making sure that recovered artifacts end up in attics instead of museums. It sure as hell isn't going to keep anyone from wreck diving.

MSilvia:

Yeah... and if the Govt. suit is successful, I think it'll go a long way toward making sure that recovered artifacts end up in attics instead of museums. It sure as hell isn't going to keep anyone from wreck diving.

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Don't be so sure. Note they're going after the boat here.

This is a test case under a new law in which USCG, NOAA and DOJ zealously lobbied for meaningful sanctions. The same DOJ that proposed the penalties will be prosecuting and they love to tie scalps on their belts (they're permitted these kind of artifacts, so to speak).

On the other hand, maybe you're right. Maybe some divers may be willing to risk ruinous fines and real jail time and the loss of their boats to take artifacts.

I never buy the desecration of a graveyard bit. It's okay when "scientists" and "historians" go down on a wreck for "research" but everyday common joe can't? Total BS! As long as nobody is bringing up body parts or bones I see nothing wrong with bringing up souvenirs or potential museum objects. If divers don't bring the stuff up it'll just lie down there to deteriorate.

DSDO

Alan

I believe that any military vessel remains property of the goverment. If that is the case they can regulate salvage/removal. I don't believe thay can keep you from diving on it though.

DivePartner1:

On the other hand, maybe you're right. Maybe some divers may be willing to risk ruinous fines and real jail time and the loss of their boats to take artifacts.

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I was thinking more that divers would be a lot less inclined to be public about their finds if offering them for display might open you up to prosecution. If no one but your buddy knows you took artifacts, you're a lot less likely to be penalized for taking them.

I'm concerned that the message they're sending isn't "Don't do this", but "don't get caught". Either way though, it means the likely loss of any historical knowledge that might be gained from the wrecks, unless the proposal also has some way of ensuring that legitimate archaeologists will get to these sites.