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The quest for the perfect, the definitive, the ultimate treasure picture took on some reflective moments recently as a result of the now legislation that’s being introduced in Congress It of course raises the obvious quest ions on the right of the private salvor in his hid through our free enterprise system to search for and hold claim to abandoned shipwrecks under our present admiralty laws. |
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If this Bill were passed, not only would each state hold title to these yet unknown and unnamed vessels, but each state would be obliged by the Federal government to make its own laws concerning shipwreck diving. The real possibility exists that at best it would have sport divers pay licensing fees to visit these wrecks and at worst make them criminals for doing so. As an underwater shipwreck photographer, this began to worry me. If this Bill became law, I might be out of a job. Of course, I would n t be the only one, hut when the roof starts caving in, I tend to try and save my assets. |
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| One night I stayed up pretty late thinking about what effect it would have on my work and other diving—related businesses. I must have dozed off, because the next thing I remember was loud pounding on my door. I jumped off my couch and ran to see who it was. When I opened the door, a big burly bearded Behemoth was just drawing hack his huge fist to pound again. Alongside of him was a whining, wimpish wethead who started pointing at me and while jumping up and down, he yelled, “That’s him, that’s him! That’s the shipwreck vigilante!” | |
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“Wooaah Slow down!!’ I said. “Who are you stange people? The big burly one then spoke slowly from somewhere deep down inside his huge, cavernous chest. “We’re from the Federal government We are the…”And as he announced the dreaded title that every sport diver has come to fear it seemed as though the whole building shook as his words echoed throughout the neighborhood. “We are the SUBMERGED CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT” he bellowed, “And we’ve come to take you in. “Oh shoot,” I murmured. ‘they don’t send the “A” team any more. When they get serious, they send the S.C.R.U. team. |
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“What do you guys want me for?” I asked. “I haven’t submerged any resources.” The wimpish one replied, “You have photographed and taken a port-hole from the historic shipwreck, Miss Zonkers’ off the Florida Keys. “Historic shipwreck! you guys must be bereft of reason.” I was getting mad now. “The ‘Miss Zonkcrs’ sunk three ‘months ago when the crew got drunk, fell overboard, and swam to shore.” “That doesn’t make any difference, ‘ he shrieked. “Our intelligence reports show that on Thursday of last week her port side was substantially buried after o squall and on Friday her starboard side was considered by our pane] of advisory council experts to he imbedded. That makes her an historic shipwreck by the guidelines set forth by this state, and causes you to be in contempt of the laws of this state which, on conviction, carries a sentence of no less than ten years of hard labor, to he served in the Texas Antiquities Correctional Center making clay reproductions of shipwreck artifacts that were never allowed to be found. |
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