Search and Salvage

27/10/2024

Have you watched the latest episode from Alex Mirabal? It's in Spanish with good subtitles so you can be entertained and educated while brushing up on your conversational Spanish skills!!
Like, Subscribe and comment. If you do those things, it will help the Underwater Adventures with Alex Mirabal (which needs it''s own FB page, btw) get better placement with the YouTube algorithm, the more 'likes, subscribes and comments' the more it gets suggested to people's YouTube feeds, so please take a minute and get that done!!!
Enjoy!https://youtu.be/WO9pjTDVJKQ?si=m3FWAqLwkdNWmmYR

20/10/2024

I got to spend several hours aboard Sampson on Saturday for a change. Boy, was it nice to get back to work and feel like accomplishing something!! I have not been at 100% since I had Covid in July, but I think I may have found my way out of the fog finally. Long Covid is a real thing. There are arguments over what causes it, but when you have had it twice after having Covid, it doesn't matter what the cause is...it sucks. Fatigue, mental fog, sleep problems, shortness of breath, there is a long list of symptoms. They all suck.
I think I'm back to full time brain function but I still have a ways to go on the physical stuff. I still get tired easy and run out of air, but some of that is from about 80 days of not having enough energy to do anything - that takes a big toll on an old guy's stamina, and I turn 69 pretty soon. Yanno...maybe I'll start going backwards in time and have my 67th this year...
Thanks, everyone, for following along and for being patient when I don't get as much done as I should. I think I will be able to run a little faster and farther soon!!

COVID-19 can have lasting symptoms that affect many parts of the body. Learn more about the symptoms and effects of long COVID.

18/10/2024

We will also be sending our trusty Twin Vee anchor boat to a new home. It's a great little 17 foot bay boat that rides great. Center console, cooler seat, big cleats, Bilge pump, a nice Bimini top and casting deck (not yet pictured) and a full canvas boat cover.
It is powered by a 40 HP Johnson engine that ran great last time that we had it out in July, but it now shows no interest in running. It turns over but won't fire. I think that it has twisted the flywheel key, but I’m just not going to fight with it. This troubled engine has all new CDI ignition parts so it is not something expensive. It IS, however, frustrating. If I fix it before it sells, expect the price to go up. Good battery, Garmin fishfinder, most of a gallon of 2-stroke oil. It has a pretty trashy trailer with a newish axle, springs, wheels and tires. The trailer will get the boat home for you, but it would be best to have a plan for a different trailer. Soon.
Great boat, fair motor, crummy trailer. Title in hand.
$3250

11/10/2024

and Xfinity (Comcast) has returned to Roseland!
I do believe we are back to normal(ish)!
Now...later this morning I get to take a front tire off the Dodge and haul it to the tire shop for reasons that I will divulge in one of those too-long stories that I sometimes write about things that went wrong...
Good news reiterated though - O'Donna, the pack of dogs and I are fine. . The pool is still harboring a few of the neighbor's tree leaves.
My trusted crew in Fort Pierce as well as Sampson, Showdown and the trailer boats are fine. The Sampson Project and Showdown got a thorough freshwater washdown. We were prepped for up to a CAT 2, I think, but we still have 50ish days left in hurricane season so maybe we need to think about that...
I hope any and all of our family, friends, acquaintances and even my frenemies are recovering from the events of the past couple of weeks including that absolutely unexpected tornado outbreak just to our south! Fingers crossed that we are now paid up for another 10 year hurricane hiatus like the one after Francis and Jeanne in 2004.
(Photo shamelessly stolen from a drone video that Roston McGregor took.)

10/10/2024

Good morning. All is well. O'Donna Brantley Black, the dogs and I are fine. We have power, we have no visible damage to anything and hey!! We found all the leaves that the neighboring trees lost overnight in the pool.
Showdown and Capt Tom are ok. They reportedly have no power on the island. The bridge is shut down so he cannot get over to check Sampson yet but Sampson is tied up llke a kitten in a yarn basket to a very secure set of pilings at Fort Marine which is VERY well protected from the South and West. When the wind clocks around to the North later it will be blowing us OFF the dock, so that's OK.
Prayers go out to everyone that lost friends and property duing this latest storm.
More later if needed.

And no... no one is controlling the weather. Sh/t happens. However, if someone is ever proven to be steering hurricanes or blizzards that kill people, I herebby give my approval for an immediate tactical removal of those parties from the planet. Conventional, laser, Area 51 UAP/UFO bombardment... I'll push the button.

08/10/2024

OK...so status report time, I guess.
I believe, at this time, that Milton is going to cross Florida to the north of our location in scenic Sebastian, The Sebastian and Micco marinas have kicked everyone out of the marinas and the Lagoon is looking ugly already. Tom and Jennifer came up today and helped me put away the submarine and the other trailer boats and assorted yard stuff.
In Big Boat news, Sampson has lines, lines and more lines and all the Sampson sized fender balls that I have tying it to the dock at Fort Marine, Sampson will be safe there, particularly with the wind direction (primarily out of the south and west) . Mike Carey and his crew are investing a good bit of time and effor on the dock and it''s looking great. Showdown is across the Inlet channel at 1010 Seaway and is tied up with extra lines and fenders. Showdown has about 300 gallons of fuel aboard so if she needs to run south she can.
Sooo...all is well here at the house with O'Donna and I, the dogs are fine... Bo, the new guy is an entertaining PITA by the way...and things are under control with the boats at the moment.

06/10/2024

Soooo.....has anyone had significant experience with an induction cooktop?
I am fond of the idea for The Sampson Project to keep extra heat out of the salon/galley during our complete and totally from scratch budget buildout, but I'm a lot more familiar with cooking with propane. Maybe the folks from The Boat Galley have the answer?
Anyone?
BTW - I'm looking around for someplace that has great deals on things like marine heads, galley equipment, fire extinguisher servicing, yadda yadda yadda ...
Dwight O Colon?

05/10/2024

Well...we don't need this, but I believe that every little thing gwan be awright....

50+ weather layers, weather radar and satellite

29/09/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/SFJ1Q3c74F26ktD3/

19/09/2024

A NEW episode!!
Now's the time to hang out with Alex Mirabal on YouTube!

This week, we have one of my favourite episodes to date! I have the privilege to have an incredible conversation with my son and go th...

18/09/2024

One more time - our 2023 Bogota 2 escudo:
I promise not to do this again anytime soon...maybe.
Hopefully next year there will be hundreds!
Thanks to 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC for allowing us to hunt the 1715 Fleet wrecks as subcontractors and to Capt Tom Dupont, Josh Fisher Abt, Thomas Roles and the visiting Scott Smith for uncovering and recovering this shiny bit of New World history after 308 years lost on the bottom of the ocean.
2025 is going to be The Year of The New Approach. Stay tuned.

22/08/2024

I sat down with Alex for a few hours recently here at Search and Salvage's Global HQ. What a great honor to have Alex here!! Here is his latest YouTube installment - if you were unaware, Alex worked with CariSub in Cuba for several years. THIS episode talks about finding an ASTROLABE in Cuban waters!!
Enjoy!!

On this episode, we dive into the captivating story of the Francisco Padre wreck off Cuba's Colorados Archipelago. Two rare Portuguese astrolabes, with one i...

22/08/2024

Fair winds and following seas to a legend who was a good man and a good friend. Captain Carl Fismer has crossed the bar and (I'd bet) having a rum drink with Pat Clyne, Don Kincaid, Mel Fisher and all the rest of the greats who have gone before!
Our condolences to Scooter and Diane and his thousands of friends.

15/08/2024

So far this morning on Showdown...
Silver -very probably
I know what they look like to me. What do they look like to you?

15/08/2024

The view from Showdown's flybridge this morning. Ft Pierce Inlet, FL.
Last day for a while due to incoming weather.
Wish them LOTS of luck!!

08/08/2024

OK treasure-minded people, I have a favor to ask and THIS one won't cost you a nickle! As most of you know, mi amigo, Alex Mirabal, world famous shipwreck archaeologist, scuba diver and all-around good guy, has a great YouTube video channel. On this channel, he has posted 32 episodes and they are all excellent.
I would like to ask each of you to log onto your YouTube account, go to the link below and SUBSCRIBE to his channel, watch the episode and, if you like the content, hit the Thumbs Up button. Alex has earned 515 subscribers so far and I think it should be lots more. Let's see if we can get him to 1000 subscribers so he can begin to monetize his content so he can make more!!
Do this for yourself...do it for the treasure bidness...do it for Alex...or do it for ME! just please Do It!!!
Thanks in advance!!

On this week's episode we will be discussing and debunking all the theories and "stories" that have been surrounding this "structure" (or rock formation depe...

05/08/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/K4ZfvNVBuvWZkdtF/

So today and tomorrow are going to be filled with compiling a comprehensive plan on the Sampson refit.
I have an outline, cold drinks and healthy snacks.
Challenges are planning the galley, building out a new head with shower on the main deck and doing a complete tear out and rebuild in the downstairs head as well.
If you have hints, ideas, online resources, etc. feel free to share them, this week. I realize that there is a BIGASS difference between engineering and remodeling so I could use a few hints here.
TIA!