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> From: DFountain@ao*.co* > It's kind of interesting to listen to people talking about all the implements > of destruction they haul along with them on wreck dives when I come from the > climate of wreck preservation which is prevalent here on the Great Lakes. > The state of Michigan prohibits taking anything off a shipwreck within its > waters; some of the other states are following its lead with similar laws. > I've heard all the arguments in favor of salvage of artifacts by sport > divers, but, in spite of my own desire to have my own brass porthole, I have > to agree with the preservation ethic. Over the last few years I have dove on > far-from-virgin wrecks with the masts still standing, deadeyes still on the > chainplates, anchors still hung on the catheads, belaying pins still in place > in the rails, and nameboards still in place on the bow. I know I'm not the > first diver to see these sights, nor will I be the last. Recovered artifacts > look nice all cleaned up and displayed in a museum, but they're a lot more > interesting on the bottom where they belong. I usually dive in the North Sea, east England. This area is absolutely littered with wrecks. The viz is usually poor - 2m is good (and only that for a very short time - perhaps 4 weeks every year if we are lucky), water is cold, tidal streams are fast and very unpredicatble, and storms thruout the winter are fierce. In this area, I'm happy to go with wrecking tools (small lump-hammer, chisel, crowbar), and if I happen to find anything, I'm happy to take it. There are very few divers here, the wrecks are continually smashed by the elements - they are continually being covered and uncovered by the sand banks, most have been swept by the authorities. Dive conditions are such that if I take one or two bits from a wreck, I doubt very much that anyone will notice (if that wreck is ever dived again). However, I do not take wrecking tools onto wrecks in popular 'dive' areas, or onto wrecks that I know divers regularly visit. - Helen +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Please send messages for the WreckDiver list to: wreckdiver@wreckdiver.com Send subscription and help requests to: wreckdiver-request@wreckdiver.com +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
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