Search and Salvage

30/03/2025

B there!!

24/12/2024

So...I know that these posts can reach a lot of people all over the world so I am going to throw this out there. Spread it around in appropriate places if you can.
If anyone knows either the folks in Philadelphia or in Oskaloosa County that are involved in the project to move the SS United States from Philadelphia to Destin, please let me know. I have been contacted by a highly experienced gentleman who can help them get this project done and is interested in doing so. He has worked with towing and sinking of carriers in the past.
Message me, email me at [email protected] or call me and we'll get this thing towed and on the bottom of the Gulf.
Thanks!

Earlier this year, a judge ruled that the SS United States can't stay docked at Pier 82 in South Philadelphia past Sept. 12.

16/12/2024

23/11/2024

Hi folks - due to advancing age, declining energy levels and other various personal issues I am offering to sell up to 50% ownership of Search and Salvage LLC and directly associated assets ( Showdown and related onboard equipment. (Detectors, dive gear, etc) in 10% increments. Buy 50% and you only have me to deal with. When I sell the other 50%, the folks who are already part owners get right of first refusal.
$10,000 for 10%. Extrapolate from that for your chosen percentage.
Note: The only reason I include numbers here is to decrease the number of messages asking 'how much?".
Remember that buying in does NOT cover operating expenses. You get your percentage of those too. In the winter, that is about $1500/month. During working season it is considerably higher, but is usually offset by selling an interest in the years recoveries.
I am NOT quitting, but it is time to get some new blood and new ideas in this operation.
The new guy(s) or women get to have input on where we hunt and how we do it within reason.
Seriously interested people should message me for more complete information.
Y

21/11/2024

The ONLY good thing about getting behind on Alex Mirabal's great podcasts is that you can watch more than one NEW episode in a day. Get busy if you have fallen short in your committment to awesomeness. Like and subscribe!!

Here we are again with a new series: Enigmatic Artefacts - SOLVED decades later!We kick off this new series with an enigmatic "Indian-influenced furniture ha...

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?