As for the Mary Celeste, what have you got for info?
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I remember hearing about her. don't remember much of the story though at the moment. I keep thinking of one stranded on the schoals that the crew couldn't get to, but I think that was a different ship. The one on Dianond Schoals.
As for the Mary Celeste, what have you got for info?
I'll tell you a little story. She was first named the Amazon and was built and launched from the beach in Spencers Island, Nova Scotia. She was built by Joshua Dewis, who's my great great Grandmothers brother in law and was financed by my great great Grandfather who was a local farmer and lumberman. His name was Jacob Spicer. The Mary Celeste has brought fame to the small village of Spencers Island in Nova Scotia. My family has a summer home there and I usually go up in the summer as I have for the past 30 years.
The Mary Celeste is the ship that was found adrift without anyone aboard and no signs of foul play or forced boarding. Cargo intact. If I recall correctly, she was hauling amongst other things, rum. Current theory is that she was found a few years ago, and that the crew (including the Captain's wife and child) left the ship on the out-boats to allow the cargo to air out so as it wouldn't explode from the fumes. Something happened to the outboat's attachment to the ship and they were stranded while the Mary Celeste went bubbye on her own.
Legendary Ghost Ship, Mary Celeste, Discovered an a Reef in Haiti Home-> About NUMA -> Press Releases HALIFAX, N.S.- Known throughout history as the fabled Ghost Ship, the MARY CELESTE was found sailing off the Azores in 1872 ghost-like with no one aboard. The MARY CELESTE sailed into oblivion when a boarding party from a passing ship found that her captain, his wife, two-year-old daughter and entire crew had inexplicably vanished. Clive Cussler, best-selling novelist and adventurer, representing the National Underwater & Marine Agency, (NUMA) and John Davis, president of ECO-NOVA Productions of Canada, announced August 9th, 2001, that they had discovered the remains of MARY CELESTE on a reef off the coast of Haiti.
"With so many stories written about MARY CELESTE," Cussler stated, "it was time to write the final chapter, although the true story of her missing crew may never be solved."
"After her eerie abandonment," explained Davis, "the ship sailed under different owners for twelve years, until her last captain loaded her with a cargo of cheap rubber boots and cat food before deliberately sinking her, and then filing an exorbitant insurance claim for an exotic cargo that never existed. Unfortunately, for the captain his plan fell apart after running the ship onto Rochelais Reef in Haiti, the ship hung up on the coral and refused to sink. Insurance inspectors investigated and found the worthless cargo. The captain and his first mate were later convicted on charges of what was then known as barratry."
Allan Gardner, skipper of the survey boat, pointed out that the ship left a large trench after she rammed the coral. "The 120 natives, who now live on the reef after building an island of conch shells," he said, "use the old MARY CELESTE's groove as a channel to launch their boats."
Master Diver, Mike Fletcher, quickly found artifacts of the ship's presence that were carefully removed from the sand and coral. Their location was videotaped and they were cataloged for study and conservation. "Very little of the ship is visible," Fletcher reported, "She is covered by some of the most beautiful coral I've ever seen."
Archaeologist James Delgado, comparing the remains of the wreck with historical accounts and carefully studying the fragments, was confidently able to identify the wreck as MARY CELESTE. Detailed research shows no other ship is known to have wrecked on Rochelais Reef, and a systematic survey of the reef revealed only one shipwreck. Other evidence cited by Delgado identifying the wreck as MARY CELESTE were:
* A survey of the wreck revealed its dimensions to be 100 by 25 feet: MARY CELESTE's recorded dimensions at the keel were 99.3 by 25.3 feet.
* The wreck was fastened together with iron "drifts" and bronze spikes commonly used in ships built in the mid-19th century: MARY CELESTE was constructed in 1861.
* The wreck was sheathed with "Muntz metal," also known as "naval brass," which began to replace copper sheathing on ship's hulls after 1850. By the 1860's it had nearly completely replaced copper sheathing.
* Detailed analysis of twelve samples of wood by Dr. David Etheridge, a wood scientist from Victoria, British Columbia, showed the ship was built either in Northern New England or the Maritime Provinces of Canada. MARY CELESTE was built at Spencer's island, Nova Scotia.
"We can safely say the final resting place of the infamous MARY CELESTE has been found," concluded Delgado.
"We were lucky," admitted Cussler, who has found nearly 70 historic shipwrecks, including the Confederate Submarine HUNLEY and the ship that rescued the TITANIC survivors, CARPATHIA, in between writing 20 best-selling novels. "Everything came together for a crew of dedicated people focused on preserving maritime history."
Footage of the MARY CELESTE expedition will be featured in a new National Geographic Channels International television series called "The Sea Hunters," set to air in 2002. Based on Clive Cussler's best-selling novel, the series follows modern-day adventurers as they attempt to solve ancient maritime mysteries and will air on the National Geographic Channels International in at least 129 countries around the world. In Canada, the series will premiere on History Television.
A news conference was held August 9th, 2001 at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia where Cussler, best-selling author and Founder of the National Underwater & Marine Agency (NUMA), and Delgado, Director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum, displayed artifacts and answered questions concerning the search and discovery of MARY CELESTE.
Then Cussler added, "The enigma of the MARY CELESTE will continue to haunt us all for generations to come. She is a tale of the sea that will never be forgotten."
Legendary Ghost Ship, Mary Celeste, Discovered an a Reef in Haiti Home-> About NUMA -> Press Releases HALIFAX, N.S.- Known throughout history as the fabled Ghost Ship, the MARY CELESTE was found sailing off the Azores in 1872 ghost-like with no one aboard. The MARY CELESTE sailed into oblivion when a boarding party from a passing ship found that her captain, his wife, two-year-old daughter and entire crew had inexplicably vanished. Clive Cussler, best-selling novelist and adventurer, representing the National Underwater & Marine Agency, (NUMA) and John Davis, president of ECO-NOVA Productions of Canada, announced August 9th, 2001, that they had discovered the remains of MARY CELESTE on a reef off the coast of Haiti.
"With so many stories written about MARY CELESTE," Cussler stated, "it was time to write the final chapter, although the true story of her missing crew may never be solved."
"After her eerie abandonment," explained Davis, "the ship sailed under different owners for twelve years, until her last captain loaded her with a cargo of cheap rubber boots and cat food before deliberately sinking her, and then filing an exorbitant insurance claim for an exotic cargo that never existed. Unfortunately, for the captain his plan fell apart after running the ship onto Rochelais Reef in Haiti, the ship hung up on the coral and refused to sink. Insurance inspectors investigated and found the worthless cargo. The captain and his first mate were later convicted on charges of what was then known as barratry."
Allan Gardner, skipper of the survey boat, pointed out that the ship left a large trench after she rammed the coral. "The 120 natives, who now live on the reef after building an island of conch shells," he said, "use the old MARY CELESTE's groove as a channel to launch their boats."
Master Diver, Mike Fletcher, quickly found artifacts of the ship's presence that were carefully removed from the sand and coral. Their location was videotaped and they were cataloged for study and conservation. "Very little of the ship is visible," Fletcher reported, "She is covered by some of the most beautiful coral I've ever seen."
Archaeologist James Delgado, comparing the remains of the wreck with historical accounts and carefully studying the fragments, was confidently able to identify the wreck as MARY CELESTE. Detailed research shows no other ship is known to have wrecked on Rochelais Reef, and a systematic survey of the reef revealed only one shipwreck. Other evidence cited by Delgado identifying the wreck as MARY CELESTE were:
* A survey of the wreck revealed its dimensions to be 100 by 25 feet: MARY CELESTE's recorded dimensions at the keel were 99.3 by 25.3 feet.
* The wreck was fastened together with iron "drifts" and bronze spikes commonly used in ships built in the mid-19th century: MARY CELESTE was constructed in 1861.
* The wreck was sheathed with "Muntz metal," also known as "naval brass," which began to replace copper sheathing on ship's hulls after 1850. By the 1860's it had nearly completely replaced copper sheathing.
* Detailed analysis of twelve samples of wood by Dr. David Etheridge, a wood scientist from Victoria, British Columbia, showed the ship was built either in Northern New England or the Maritime Provinces of Canada. MARY CELESTE was built at Spencer's island, Nova Scotia.
"We can safely say the final resting place of the infamous MARY CELESTE has been found," concluded Delgado.
"We were lucky," admitted Cussler, who has found nearly 70 historic shipwrecks, including the Confederate Submarine HUNLEY and the ship that rescued the TITANIC survivors, CARPATHIA, in between writing 20 best-selling novels. "Everything came together for a crew of dedicated people focused on preserving maritime history."
Footage of the MARY CELESTE expedition will be featured in a new National Geographic Channels International television series called "The Sea Hunters," set to air in 2002. Based on Clive Cussler's best-selling novel, the series follows modern-day adventurers as they attempt to solve ancient maritime mysteries and will air on the National Geographic Channels International in at least 129 countries around the world. In Canada, the series will premiere on History Television.
A news conference was held August 9th, 2001 at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia where Cussler, best-selling author and Founder of the National Underwater & Marine Agency (NUMA), and Delgado, Director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum, displayed artifacts and answered questions concerning the search and discovery of MARY CELESTE.
Then Cussler added, "The enigma of the MARY CELESTE will continue to haunt us all for generations to come. She is a tale of the sea that will never be forgotten."
Spencers Island is part of my heritage. My great great Grandfather, Jacob Spicer, along with his brother Issac, who were both the biggest land owners, were share holders in the Amazon, aka the Mary Celeste. Also, Joshua Dewis was Jacobs brother in law. My great great Gramothers sister was Dewis' wife. So you could say I have a family attachment to the mystery. The village prides its self as "Home of the Mary Celeste.
There hasn't been anything new on the Mary Celeste since the recent find off Haiti. But as for the village of Spencers Island, it's legend is still alive and well.
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