Queen Anne's revenge

[Captain Morgan]

As an added bonus this season, for those of you who like c-cards, participants receive a distinctive specialty diver certification: Heritage Awareness Diver. This specialty, recognized by PADI, NAUI, and SSI, was designed by the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, Florida Public Archaeology Network, and NOAA Keys sanctuary, and adapted and expanded by the NC Underwater Archaeology Branch and DiveDown instructors for NC historic shipwrecks, specifically QAR.

It just keeps getting better! I want to thank all of you for sharing the experience and dexterhd1 for introducing me to the possibility. I just can't believe I haven't heard about this.

The sessions planned for 2008 are currently full, although there is a waiting list. There are plans for a DiveDown 2009 but no schedule or plans have been made as yet.

As soon as I catch wind of the DiveDown for 2009 I'll be making my reservation.

 

[rawls]

Whatever Chris says....Listen to him!!!

Chris...Do you run the megladon expeditions off of Wilmington? I was signed up for last May and the conditions were bad...not unlike a big portion of this season Lee Moore organized it via Discovery Diving, where I also teach. Still want to get down that way and do the dive...

By the way...Do you recognize the plate I found? I don't know if it was anything connected or something someone threw overboard and just happened to land on the wreck.

 

[chadd7881]

I will be there for 2009

 

[ChrisSoutherly]

...Do you run the megladon expeditions off of Wilmington? I was signed up for last May and the conditions were bad...not unlike a big portion of this season

Bobby ... Aquatic Safaris and Cape Fear Divers both run trips out to the ledges where the megaladon teeth are. AS has been having transmission problems with their 48' and have cancelled some trips on people a couple times. I don't know the status now. I can't say for sure but rumor is that the crew has their own sweet spots and often hit those, coming back with teeth when paying customers don't. For a fee you can get a "guided" tour to a sweet spot. Or so I've heard. CFD doesn't do that but the drawback is it's a slow boat. Nice ride but slow boat. 3.5 hours one way. To balance it out they usually make it a long day and 3 tank dive ... two on the meg ledge and one on a wreck on the way back in. They do require all meg ledge divers to have some kind of reel and safety sausage.

...Do you recognize the plate I found? I don't know if it was anything connected or something someone threw overboard and just happened to land on the wreck.

Linda C-M, our consulting ceramics specialist identified it as a common late 19th century ware-type. It fits with the other intrusive materials we have discovered from that period ... ginger beer bottle for one ... and likely indicates one of the times the channel passed over the wreck site and it may have been partially exposed. Here's where coastal geology and history fill in the archaeology questions.

Chris

 

[rawls]

Chris...

I can't tell you how much I appreciate that information....PM sent

 

[dexterhd1]

I hope to dive the site next summer. I would love to find some artifacts that would make my day.. dive safe

 

[rawls]

I hope to dive the site next summer. I would love to find some artifacts that would make my day.. dive safe

Just don't touch

 

[Briny Liney]

How much of the ship is actually left? Is there anything to see? Are there pictures?

 

[rawls]

How much of the ship is actually left? Is there anything to see? Are there pictures?

Caroline

There is alot of the ship left, it just doesn't look like one. It looks like a debris field. Just remember this wooden hulled ship has been under water since 1718. There is still however plenty to see. The archaelogists and conservators have spent countless hours on recovering, protecting and restoring many artifacts. There is a huge debt of gratitude owed them. If you are interested in diving the site I would suggest that you read some things written about Blackbeard. Robert E. Lee's book (not the General) Blackbeard the Pirate...A Reappraisal of His Life and Times is a good one. It will make the dive all the more meaningful.

As far as photos...Underwater photos at the site are challenging because of the vizibility. The day I was fortunate enough to dive on it the visibility was zilch. When I found a piece of what I know now, from Chris Southerly, was "intrusive" pottery I had to do out and backs to make sure I could find my way back to the piece once I found the staff...who were excavating only a few yards away. At times...I have heard...the viz is better...

I would encourage you to go to the QAR website The Queen Anne's Revenge Shipwreck Project - Archaeological Investigations of Blackbeard's Flagship You will find a...forgive the pun...boatload of info. When you get there you can click on "Archaeology" then click "View site map." That will give you a sketch of the layout of the debris field. Go back to the home page then click on "Artifacts." There is a schematic (Or whatever you call it) of many of the artifacts found. Click the headings...cannon, pottery, etc... and photos will appear. Click on the photo to get an enlarged version of the artifact. I haven't visited the site in a couple of months so I had to get a bit acclimated to it again. Just tour around the site and you will be amazed at what the project is about.

Perhaps Chris will catch your question and provide you with some places where there are decent underwater photos as well as other info.

One little treasure I found....From the homepage click on QAR Project, then Staff and Support, then QAR Project(Staff)...You will find a photo of Chris Southerly. He is almost as good-looking as Wendy Welsh.........NOT

 

[ChrisSoutherly]

How much of the ship is actually left? Is there anything to see? Are there pictures?

Caroline, as Bobby said the project website will give you lots of information, including the revised artifacts section that highlights some of the finds. For UW shots and such we rely on a professional videographer friend of ours Rick Allen who owns Nautilus Productions. He has some "stock footage" of QAR stuff on his website Nautilus Productions - Queen Anne's Revenge/Blackbeard

There are also some others that he posted to you tube about a year ago ... YouTube - flange50831's Channel

Chris