Author: David Howe

We got one full day and two half days of work at Lewes, but the seas were too rough to work on the other days.  We finished the small area left over from 2007, found two sites in the outer harbor, confirmed two others that appear on the nautical chart, and disproved two more on the chart.  We also confirmed a dozen charted wrecks in the Chesapeake and the Delaware en route to Lewes, including (I hope) the schooner Mary A. deKnight that foundered in 1870 near Annapolis.

On Wednesday, 14 October, we tried to bring Roper back to Maryland, but it was too rough for a safe trip so we turned back and will leave her there until the weather eases.

Once again, Adventure Scuba Company (Tom Black and Ron Miller) will be
conducting its Black Water Training – Self Rescue Course on Sunday,
December 13.

There will be a brief (~ 1 hr) class portion at the shop beginning at 3pm,
and the confined water training will be conducted at Oak Marr Pool. The
pool session runs from 6pm to 7:45pm. Directions to the pool will be
provided.  Tanks and weights will be provided if you need them. You do need to bring
a weight belt and standard scuba unit set up. If you need to rent any
gear, you can do so at the shop before heading to the pool.

The cost for the course is $100 and this includes a tank, weights and the
Black Water Training Specialty C-card.

They have room for 10 students.  This class does fill quickly!  For medical and liability forms or any questions, please contact Todd Plaia at 703-263-0427 or todd@scubava.com.

The annual SHA conference will be held at Amelia Island Plantation, Jacksonville FL, from January 6 to 9, 2010.  This is the biggest national conference in our field.  I hope you will consider attending.

The preliminary program is posted at
sha.org/documents/SHA2010PreliminaryProgramFINAL_003.pdf

IMH will have good representation at the conference, including the following:

Thursday, January 7, 2010
SYMPOSIUM – Interdisciplinary Archaeology: Coastal Environments and Adaptations in the Americas
Presenters include Dr Stefan Claesson, president emeritusof IMH

Friday, January 8, 2010
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Topic 1: Archaeology on the Web (RL4)
Leader: IMH’s David Johnson, Professor of Digital Media at American University, who built the first Web site for INA and TAMU and produced what Yahoo called the first “virtual shipwreck excavation.”

Saturday, January 9, 2010
PANEL – Strategies for Developing Volunteer Teams for Underwater Archaeological Projects
Organizer: IMH’s Dr Raymond L. Hayes
Panelists: Dr Paul Johnston (Smithsonian), Tane Casserley (NOAA), Victor Mastone (Massachusetts), Dr Brian Jordan (Maryland), IMH president Dr Samuel Turner, Dr Gordon Watts, Dr Lawrence Babits (East Carolina U.), and Lillian Azevedo-Grout.

SYMPOSIUM – Battles for the Potomac: Terrestrial and Underwater Investigations of the Campaign to Control the Lower Potomac River, 1861-1862
Chair: John H. Haynes, USMC Base Quantico VA
Presenters include IMH’s William Utley, Dr Raymond Hayes, and David Howe

As you may know, Adventure Scuba has been offering training through SDI in addition to NAUI and PADI.  Although we traditionally promote the buddy system, one of the courses that I believe can be of great value to IMH divers is the SDI Solo Diver Course.  SDI has successfully promoted solo diving as an option for experienced divers engaged in certain activities. It is a program that is not suitable for every diver because divers must be willing to make the necessary commitment to train and equip themselves to manage the added risks independent diving involves.  The program teaches divers how to dive independently, deal with self-rescue situations, develop a greater sense of self-awareness and utilize redundant breathing systems (e.g. pony bottle) in addition to other valuable skills. 

The training consists of classroom (2 hours), confined-water training (1-2 hrs), and than 2 open water dives (Millbrook Quarry).  If a person is not able to make all of the dates, we can make alternative arrangements within reason.  Butch Spadotto (butch@diveva.org), SDI IT, will be instructing this class.

Class dates:

Classroom at ASC OCT 5, 6pmPool training at Cub Run OCT 8, 9-11pmOpen Water dives at Millbrook Quarry OCT 10, 1pm

The total cost for the training is $210.  This includes the tuition and training materials and c-card (IMH members are receiving 10% off the training materials in this price).  ASC is limiting the first round of this class to 6 divers.

Required equipment: full scuba unit, personal gear, and a redundant scuba system (min 13cu ft.) not SPARE AIR.

We will do harbor and near-shore reconnaissance at Lewes from Sunday 27 September through Saturday 10 October.  The targets date from colonial and Rev War through early 20th century.  On the weekend of 3 – 4 October we will be pierside for U. Delaware’s Coast Day and Lewes’ Boast the Coast.  We might also do a field school.  Free dorm rooms might be available at Cape Henlopen State Park.  If you are interested in participating please use the contact link or email david.howe@maritimehistory.org.

 

Our first field school in low-viz reconnaissance was held on 15-16 and 22-23 September.  Nine students attended.

The course included a day and a half on shore to cover basic material and to practice site mapping techniques, two and a half days on the water to run sidescan sonar search lanes and map several wrecks, and completion of a Maryland Historical Trust site report on one of the wrecks.

Videos by Captain Bill Toti are posted at
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9JUKI-F0B4
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE72sct-mTk
   and
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgsDUNi6Rt8

Photos by Cynthia Dowdle and McKinney Edwards are posted at
   http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16660&id=1270853568&l=9741eb7b65
   and
   http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=2033168&id=1443696120&ref=mf

Two of the wrecks we mapped need more work.  We intend to return there over the fall.  One of them is a small, heavily corroded steel wreck of unknown age and type, and the other is a small wooden vesel, probably a workboat or crabber, lying near Historic St. Mary’s City.

Thanks to all who participated as students, instructors, or safety divers!

We will offer another field school at Lewes DE between 27 September and 10 October if enough people (six or more) want it.  To sign up or get more information please use the contact link.

 

Geert van der Kolk, a friend of IMH, had a traditional Haitian fishing sloop built at Ile la Vache last year, sailed her from Haiti to Florida, displayed her at a museum in Palm Beach, then brought her to DC for display at American University, all to publicize the plight of the Haitian people generally and the boat people specifically.  She is now at Tall Timbers, pending donation to a maritime museum.  Pictures and story at http://web.mac.com/geertvanderkolk/iWeb/homepage/English.html