[ Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Craig Rich-MSRA
Category: Shipwreck Research
Date: 05 Jan 2007
Time: 03:39:37
Remote Name: 24.11.108.138
Bill: That's a generous offer regarding supplying the materials for moorings. I will submit your offer to the rest of the group. The divers we work with have installed a few submerged moorings over the past 2 years but nothing really permanent. Doing it right will require not only installation of quality materials, but maintenance and oversight by someone on a regular basis.
Plus, we've beeen given crap by the USCG in the past about establishing unlicensed moorings in shipping lanes. I think we'll use the "don't ask, don't tell" method in the future)
By the way, none of the MSRA board members is tech-certified. We have never dived to the Michigan. Ever. We are not doing this for us. I regularly dive the fire boat, the Ironsides, the NorthShore and the Ann Abor #5. But, I have never been within 275 feet of the Michigan or 230 feet of the Hennepin. My self-imposed limit, barring further training, is 180 feet. Don't go putting up false arguments. You are mistaken in your assessment of the situation.
We HAVE worked with a couple of very qualified divers in the area, but they are not MSRA board members. There is really no ego or greed involved. I am jealous of them. :-)
Bob Underhill, Jeff Vos and Todd White have done extensive survey work on the two vessels in question. Yes, there are artifacts. We are under no false belief that they will stay there forever. I've been diving for 35 years and have seen it happen. It's not the artifacts inside the vessels that we're worried about. If they get stolen, they get stolen. It really is the structure/artifacts located right on the decks. They will be destroyed by the first dive boat to drop a hook unless they know the exact layout of the wreck as we do.
And, by the way, we DID find the H. C. Akeley and we DID release the numbers. We were members of the SWMUP group at the time but, as you know, most of the core members of SWMUP (Valerie van Heest , Jack van Heest, Jan Miller and I) quit shortly after discovering the Akeley over a dispute about releasing the numbers, contrary to an agreed upon wreck management plan that had been in place. We (only Dave Trotter, Jan Miller and I were on the search boat that day) found it on May 25, 2001. MSRA released the numbers on our schedule. And I never dove that one either. Nor did Valerie, nor Jack, nor Jan, nor Ross, nor Geofffey.
Again, your offer to supply mooring materials is a generous one and I will discuss it with the group. We want only to forge lasting relationships with our partners and contribute to the great and wonderous maritime history here in West Michigan. I hope we can work together soon.