Answers » Categories » Shipwrecks

Where are Great Lakes shipwrecks with copper, gold etc. too deep to be practical to salvage by divers?

When I retire from my 'real' job I'd like to build underwater robots / ROVs and search for valuable salvage. Another question: The state (MI, etc) claims all wrecks but how willing are they to negotiate over salvage?


1
1 Report

1 Answer
0 
Hi Mark,
Why wait until you retire. Start now by getting into building some simple UW robots. Our local museum has a remote operated vehicle that was built using a couple of bilge pump motors and is used in a small tank operated by the visitors to the museum.. Regarding salvage, that is something that will depend on the individual state. Typically, anything over 50 years old is considered historic and if not still owned by someone or company, would come under state ownership. In certain situations they may allow removal of artifacts for display in a local museum. To my knowledge, there is no great "treasure" waiting to be found and salvaged in the Great Lakes. The real treasure is the maritime history that is to be discovered in the details of these old shipwrecks. You will need to go much much further south to find actual monetary treasure, and that has its own set of problems with the state, feds, and various countries. Cheers, Jim
Oct 9th, 2010 at 3:01 PM
Reply

Want to post an answer?

Join now for free to answer this question.
Already have an account? Login to answer.

Ask your own question

Ask a Question

Categories
Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario - A Journey of Discovery Book

The National Museum of the Great Lakes is excited to announce the release of a new book titled Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario: A Journey of Discovery. This book contains stories of long lost shipwrecks and the journeys of the underwater explorers who found them, written by Jim Kennard with paintings by Roland Stevens and underwater imagery by Roger Pawlowski.

Buy Now!



Legend of the Lake - New Discovery Edition Book

The recent discovery of the wreck of the British warship Ontario, “the Holy Grail” of Great Lakes shipwrecks, solves several mysteries that have puzzled historians since the ship sank more than two centuries ago. Now, for the first time, the whole tragic story of the Ontario can finally be told.

Buy Now!



Follow Us