Seafarer Interim Report 2015 Redacted

Interim Report 2015
Presented to:
Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research
For Permit:
MB 514 Melbourne Beach Site
Presented by:
Seafarers Quest LLC
Prepared By:
James J. Sinclair, MA, Primary Investigator,
Consulting Archaeologist, Seafarers Quest LLC
Sea Rex Inc.
15 Brigantine Ct
St Augustine, FL 32080
239-218-1622
Executive Summary
Seafarers Quest LLC has been working through this past season investigating magnetic
anomalies on site MB514, a site suspected to hold the remains of an historic period shipwreck.
Seafarers Quest utilizes 3 vessels for this effort. To date there has been 94 days spent on site.
There is one vessel, the Iron Maiden, equipped to excavate utilizing a water induction dredge.
The other vessels used are maned by dive teams whose job is to investigate anomalies through
diver reconnaissance.
Overview
Seafarers Quest LLC is a corporation affiliated with Seafarer Exploration Corp (A publicly traded
company) based in Tampa Florida whose business model is to research locate and recover
historically and intrinsically significant historic period shipwrecks. Seafarer Exploration has held
a number of permits with the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research (FBAR) in other areas
off the coast of Florida. Seafarers Quest was formed by Seafarer Exploration (SFRX) to address
a business model that included an agreement with Heartland Treasure Quest (HTQ) Holders of a
large permit area off of Brevard County Florida. The agreement between these two entities
portioned and area for investigations by Seafarers Quest.
In May 2014 the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research issued a permit (MB-514) to
Seafarers Quest to conduct exploration and preliminary testing of the southern area of the HTQ
permit that had been agreed to be sectioned off of the larger HTQ permit exclusively for
Seafarers Quest activities. This particular phase of permitting, is an amendment to an
Exploration Permit as detailed under the Florida Administrative Code 1A-31.
This years work has also served to further
Seafarers Quests Research and
Exploration Contractual requirements for
the State of Florida. Time consuming and
extensive surveys, research, exploration,
dig and identify searches have been
conducted by Seafarer and others in this
area since 2000. The current work
depends on the results of surveys and
investigations utilizing state-of-the-art
remote sensing survey work and diver
investigations. Artifacts found in previous
years reflect strong evidence of an
association with the Spanish 1715 Tierra
Firme (South America) and New Spain
(Mexico) fleets, or other unidentified
period and/or nationality salvage vessel
or vessels, or even ships involved in
official or illicit salvage, sunk by tropical
storm activity or other strong weather
event in the interval between the year
1715 and the 19th-century. The artifacts
were located and recovered while
remote-sensing surveys and target
verification were conducted in the area under an Exploration Contract issued by the FBAR, and
permits issued by the FL FDEP and US ACOE.
Seafarers Quest acknowledges FBARs active participation in assisting, providing guidance,
advice, and cooperation with HTQ and others in this research design and survey efforts over the
past years work.
Completed Work
Seafarers Quest LLC, working under the 1A-31 permitting has undertaken investigations that
are sensitive to the nature of finds underwater and also the idea of in-situ preservation. All
objects so far investigated have been left in-situ. This is due to, 1. Their origin from time periods
not associated with the target vessel of our investigations, 2. The lack of diagnostic qualities of
the investigated objects, 3. The fragility and/or problematic nature of the conservation process
for large multi-component objects (large structural fragments as an example). We have found it
much more effective, less time consuming and cost effective to record most of the objects
encountered on the seabed.
The three areas 1, 2, and 3 that are parts of the whole MB514 area are being investigated,
however, excavation or the dig and identify modification has only been applied to area 2.
Therefor excavation that utilizes any more than diver investigation (i.e. circle search, hand
fanning and the like) such as water induction dredge technique has been only used in area 2.
A number of objects (pins, through hull fittings, dead eye strapping and nails have been seen.
Also found were a number of relatively large sections of structure. One was still articulated
others single timber pieces, with nails or fittings and also treenails. These objects seem to be
forming a trail of material that we hope to follow once the dig and identify modifications for
area 1 and 3 are in place.
Timber fragment with through bolt and eye

Attached is a list with accompanying coordinates of the anomalies that have been checked this
year. Also attached are maps showing the anomalies as well as a map of the objects with
believe may be from our target vessel.
Map of potential time period objects:
Targets checked in 2015
ID LAT LON FINDING VESSEL DATE
918 2804.3499 -8031.6624 NO FIND IRON MAIDEN January 20
919 2803.7483 -8032.3911 MODERN NEPTUNE January 20
A-424 2803.5502 -8032.7097 EO-IN SITU NEPTUNE January 20
A-439 2803.5792 -8032.7084 MODERN NEPTUNE January 20
916 2804.3372 -8031.5850 NO FIND IRON MAIDEN January 21
A-360 2803.6751 -8032.4004 MODERN NEPTUNE March 18
A-549 2803.9009 -8032.2213 MODERN NEPTUNE March 18
A-22 2803.7524 -8032.3469 SPIKE W/WOOD-IN SITU NEPTUNE March 22
A-363 2803.7234 -8032.4111 NO FIND NEPTUNE March 22
A-366 2803.7483 8032.3911 MODERN NEPTUNE March 22
A-368 2803.7372 -8032.4271 NO FIND NEPTUNE March 22
A-367 2803.8295 -8032.4218 NO FIND IRON MAIDEN March 31
A-531 2803.8499 -8032.4087 MODERN NEPTUNE April 2
516 2803.8923 -8032.3978 MODERN IRON MAIDEN April 20
A-525 2803.8923 -8032.3978 MODERN IRON MAIDEN April 20
541 2803.6621 -8032.3229 NO FIND IRON MAIDEN April 21
A-528 2803.8754 -8032.4311 NO FIND IRON MAIDEN April 21
A-704 2803.6663 -8032.4667 NO FIND IRON MAIDEN April 21
518 2803.7959 -8032.1502 MODERN NEPTUNE April 22
520 2803.8943 -8032.1021 ROUND SPIKE W/WOOD-IN SITU NEPTUNE April 22
IRON SPIKES/WOODEN FEATURE-
A-85
2803.8549 -8032.0345 IN SITU NEPTUNE April 22
A-222 2803.4669 -8032.6597 MODERN NEPTUNE May 20
A-443 2803.4707 -8032.5780 NO FIND NEPTUNE May 20
A-435 2803.4915 -8032.6574 EO-IN SITU NEPTUNE May 22
535 2803.6976 -8032.5511 MODERN NO LIMIT June 10
A-14 2803.4655 -8032.2798 IRON PIN W/WOOD-IN SITU NO LIMIT June 10
A-369 2803.6200 -8032.3893 NO FIND NEPTUNE June 10
A-481 2803.8302 -8031.9468 MODERN NEPTUNE June 10
A-97 2803.8203 -8031.9124 NO FIND NO LIMIT June 10
534 2803.7415 -8032.5722 TIMBER-IN SITU NO LIMIT June 11
455 2804.0762 -8032.3962 NO FIND NO LIMIT June 12
551 2803.6361 -8032.4695 NO FIND NO LIMIT June 12
2 2803.5957 -8031.4130 MODERN NEPTUNE June 16
402 2804.3746 -8032.7088 NO FIND NEPTUNE June 16
A-233 2803.4910 -8032.6581 DEAD EYE-IN SITU NEPTUNE June 19
A-252 2803.4725 8032.5778 MODERN NEPTUNE June 29
A-261 2803.4875 -8032.5702 TIMBER/IRON PIN-IN SITU NEPTUNE June 30
A-145 2803.4408 -8032.7783 MODERN NEPTUNE July 3
A-383 2803.5701 -8032.7929 NO FIND NEPTUNE July 3
586 2803.5146 -8032.5860 MODERN NEPTUNE July 8
409 2804.3629 -8032.4463 MODERN NO LIMIT July 13
R-13 2804.2191 -8032.1345 MODERN NEPTUNE July 13
R-25 2804.3723 -8032.2747 NO FIND NEPTUNE July 13
728 2802.8900 -8032.3860 MODERN TRASH NO LIMIT July 14
759 2802.7527 -8032.1626 NO FIND NEPTUNE July 14
A-307 2802.8987 -8032.3795 NO FIND NO LIMIT July 14
A-622 2802.8968 -8032.3820 NO FIND NO LIMIT July 14
A-567 2802.7282 -8032.1135 SPIKE_WOOD/WM/ 3' pin-IN SITU NEPTUNE July 15
WOODEN STRUCTURE/MULTIPLE
A-317
2802.7228 -8032.1698 PINS;SPIKES-IN SITU NEPTUNE July 16
A-200 2802.6092 -8032.3594 BEAM-WOOD-MODERN-IN SITU NEPTUNE July 20
A-241 2802.7022 -8032.3029 MODERN NO LIMIT July 20
770 2802.7262 -8032.4764 No Find NO LIMIT July 21
A-332 2803.2925 -8032.1245 SPIKES/2-PINS-IN SITU NEPTUNE July 22
A-562 2802.7298 -8032.1079 IRON PIN NEPTUNE July 23
A-667 2802.7739 8021.4101 MODERN NEPTUNE July 23
623 2803.3665 -8032.6758 MODERN NO LIMIT August 4
A-392 2803.3575 -8032.7046 MODERN CABLE NO LIMIT August 4
619 2803.3303 -8032.5435 MODERN NEPTUNE August 5
A-16 2802.7328 -8031.9840 MODERN NO LIMIT August 5
A-583 2802.5824 -8032.2048 NO FIND NO LIMIT August 10
790 2802.5696 -8031.4956 EO IN SITU NO LIMIT August 12
791 2802.5108 -8031.5826 EO IN SITU NO LIMIT August 12
A-21 2802.6265 -8031.9182 NO FIND NO LIMIT August 12
348 2804.4548 -8031.7755 FLAT FORGED OBJECT-IN SITU NEPTUNE August 12
796 2802.5555 -8031.6617 IRON PIN-IN SITU NO LIMIT August 13
341 2804.9263 -8032.1691 NO FIND NEPTUNE August 13
795 2802.6179 -8031.6785 3 PINS / 2 SPIKES -IN SITU NO LIMIT August 14
828 2802.4296 -8031.7495 NO FIND NO LIMIT August 14
797 2802.6268 -8031.7585 PIN-IN SITU NO LIMIT August 15
750 2802.7072 -8031.5085 SPIKE W/WOOD-IN SITU NO LIMIT August 20
758 2802.7176 -8032.1749 2 SPIKES W/WOOD-IN SITU NO LIMIT August 22
869 2802.8279 -8031.6416 NO Find NO LIMIT August 22
296 2804.6522 -8032.6307 MODERN STEEL CABLE NEPTUNE August 22
364 2804.5636 -8032.6951 DEAD EYE STRAP (?)-IN SITU NEPTUNE August 22
R-74 2804.6454 8032.6351 NO FIND NEPTUNE August 22
702 2802.9624 -8032.0066 Modern Sheet Metal NO LIMIT August 24
705 2802.9519 -8032.1074 MODERN HTC/NO FIND NO LIMIT August 25
706 2802.9373 -8032.1276 SPIKE-IN SITU NO LIMIT August 25
707 2802.9194 -8032.1204 MODERN WELDING ROD NO LIMIT August 25
385 2804.4610 -8032.9618 MODERN TRASH NEPTUNE August 25
668 2803.1406 -8032.5070 MODERN TRASH NO LIMIT August 26
Wooden feature w/3 spikes-IN
730
2803.0101 -8032.5009 SITU - Possible Forelocked Eye Ring NEPTUNE August 26
736 2802.9614 -8032.5194 NO FIND - 36' NEPTUNE August 26
Conclusions and Recommendations:

It appears very clear that there are the remains of historic period vessel(s) in the area under
investigation. The presence of previously recovered items that the State retains title to makes
this clear. Further investigations have revealed a number of other objects, all of which have
been left in situ that confirm that the highly scattered remains of at least one historic period
shipwreck are present.
Recommendations for the remainder of the season are to continue investigations focused on
the apparent track lines of dispersal. This would be done through diver recon as well as
focused excavation on those areas where targets are unreachable by unassisted means. As
always only the minimum excavation to identify the target is undertaken and when utilizing the
prop wash deflection method a staged procedure using only as much down flow as necessary to
reach the target will be used.
Area 1 &3 targets

It is the intention and my recommendation that we proceed to investigate the debris tracks
that lead into Area 1 and those coming out of Area 3 or the southernmost and northernmost
portion of the overall site MB-514. This is the next logical steps in the investigation of the wreck
site(s). This will require a ground truth modification (dig and identification) to the current
permit. Per the provisions in 1A-31 we are providing a list of the targets in areas 1 and 3. The
first column in the list below shows which areas the targets are in. We will work the targets in
the order that they are listed.
The following is a list of targets that Seafarer Quest, LLC intends to investigate once the dig and
identify modification is made to the exploration permit. After identifying the below listed
targets this year, we will create a new priority list of targets for 2016.
Area Target Lat Long Extent Type of Excavation Justification
1 584 2803.4292 -8032.6377 60ft X 60ft Basic Hand Fanning but may require some form of dredging Further Site research
1 731 2802.9845 -8032.4625 60ft X 60ft Basic Hand Fanning but may require some form of dredging Mag target was not found during dive.
1 A23 2802.5116 -8031.8474 60ft X 60ft Basic Hand Fanning but may require some form of dredging Further Site research

Seafarer Interim Report 2015 Redacted

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Interim Report 2015

Timber fragment with through bolt and eye

Conclusions and Recommendations:

Area 1 &3 targets

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