USS Monitor 2007 Expeditions

Greetings,

This is a unique opportunity to join a research expedition to the wreck site of the USS Monitor. Under special permits granted to Scuba Training and Technology / Tech Diving Limited we will visit the wreck site of the USS Monitor off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

The USS Monitor lies 18 miles east of Cape Hatteras NC in 235 feet of sea water. The activities over the last seven years have made significant changes to the remaining structure of the USS Monitor. Removal of major portions of the ship has left the USS Monitor more exposed to the elements than ever before. Our goal is to visually examine the USS Monitor documenting the changes using photographic and videographic methods. We will also conduct measurements to determine if there has been any additional vertical destruction by the elements. Under archeological supervision we will also do minor excavation of the bow section of the site looking for artifacts and the ship's bell.

http://tdl.divebiz.net/images/mnms02hdr.jpg


Expedition Weeks
Week 1 June 23-30
Week 2 June 30-July 7th

This expedition is limited to 10 research divers.

Expedition price includes:
Up to 5 days diving on the USS Monitor (conditions permitting)
Surface Supplied back up decompression oxygen.
7 nights accommodations in base house. (really cool house in Hatteras)
Breakfast, Lunch (on boat) Dinner (we eat really well)

The USS Monitor is in 230 feet sea water, and these are dives for experienced trimix divers only. Rebreathers are welcome.

Join, me, Dan Crowell, Gary Gilligan, David Ulloa and others on this exciting operation.

Trip cost = $2495.00

Details are on our website here

Our trip is filling up. If you have a desire to visit this outstanding wreck site please contact me.

Regards,

We completed 2 weeks on the Monitor this season and had a great time. Once we finish our report I will post a short one.

Photo on left is some new artifacts we located from the engineering section, the photo in middle is a view of the bow, photo on right is me pulling deco time on the new rebreather..............

Photographs are Copyright 2007 Joel D. Silverstein - all rights reserved.


Cheers

Nice photos... Any vids available?

Thanx,

Lars

Nice photos Joel, that should make people regret missing your expedition!

If you do another expedition there, be sure to add it to the calendar!

WOW!!!! Very Cool!

Did you pocket the bell?

Matt

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zero

Did you pocket the bell?

Matt

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No, that would be illegal and unethical. We did not find the bell on this expedition. Maybe next time.

cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zero

Did you pocket the bell?

Matt

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I am not sure but could this be Aussie for something "Dirty"?

LOL,

No, Zero wants to know if he found and took the ships bell. It is pretty much the ultimate find on a shipwreck!

While it may be illegal and unethical it brings me to tears when things like that are left to rot on the bottom of the ocean or worse still hidden in a crate in the back of a museum warehouse where no one can see them. I dont know much about the Monitor but i know it had some historic meaning for the US. All ship wrecks are the same though to someone they have a meaning no matter how small. At least you can dive to see part of your history. A group of diver here located and dived the last of the 3 Japanese midget submarines M24 last year. Now we have a 500 metre exclusion zone around it to try protect it so no one can even look at it. Its not shallow so none of the cattle boats will go there but still it would be nice to see a huge part of Australian history. No other wreck whether war grave or not got this sort of protection in Australia.

Matt

That's why you have to think for yourself a bit. I can see if they are keeping divers off because they are in the process of recovering and preserving artifacts, but to keep divers off so the things can rot away to never be seen again is just dumb. I know there are wrecks here that many divers have recovered artifacts from, I don't know how legal it all is, but none are shy about displaying what they have.

I guess it is up to the individual, all I know is it would be tough for you to actually get caught.