QAR Expedition Operations Plan – May 2011

Mark Wilde-Ramsing, Expedition Leader
NC Underwater Archaeology Branch/Office of State Archaeology
North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

A 2-week field expedition from May 23rd to June 3rd will help raise awareness of North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources’ goal to remove the remains of Blackbeard’s historic shipwreck to the safety of the laboratory and ultimately to public display. The fieldwork will focus on conducting a detailed assessment of the main mound to determine strategies for disassembly and recovery with the potential for bring up anchor A-2, as well as three previously excavated and fragile artifact conglomerates, establishing and fortifying reference stations and moorings for a three-year period, and instigating on-site corrosion program for all large iron artifacts. The 2011 Field Operations Plan will follow the 2010 QAR Field Artifact Conservation and Documentation Plan http://www.qaronline.org/archaeology/QARFieldFall2010ConsPlan.pdf

Field Schedule, Objectives, Personnel, and Vessel/Equipment Needs

May 16th to 18th   - UNCW Marine Center

Objectives - Load UNCW’s R/V Cape Fear; test dredge system and provide media access at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science.

• Personnel – 2 to 3 Underwater Archaeology Branch (UAB) staff

May 19th and/or 20th – On-site

• Objectives – Relocate and establish primary moorings and lead lines; assess condition of the site.
• Personnel – UAB boat captain, 3 - 4 divers
• Vessel/Equipment – R/V Snapdragon; hand-held mag, small dredge; moorings and line.

May 23rd

• Objectives - Record elevations on A2; relocate and establish all moorings; re-establish baseline stakes BL00 to BL150.
• Personnel – UNCW Boat captain and mate, two dredge teams (2 divers each), 2 – 3 archaeologist/conservator divers.
• Vessel/Equipment – R/V Cape Fear; depth gauge/line levels; 30 hp pump with 6” dredge and 5” dredge, long and short moorings, tag lines, and stakes.

May 24th – On-site

• Objectives – Remove sediment from A2 anchor and examine potential for recovery (underlying materials and attachment points); uncover artifacts in south holding area.
• Personnel – UNCW Boat captain and mate, two dredge teams (2 divers each), 2 – 3 archaeologist/conservator divers.
• Vessel/Equipment – R/V Cape Fear; depth gauge/line levels; 30 hp pump with 6” dredge, 5” dredge, and 3” dredge and sluice system, long and short moorings, and stakes..

May 25th

• Objectives – Rig and move A2 and large artifact conglomerate offsite; recover two smaller artifact conglomerates and small artifacts associated with A2; examine pile in terms of complexity, underlying structure, and take samples; determine placement on cannon for anode hook-up; uncover cannon C17 in holding area; attach anodes; establish monitoring stakes; uncover remainder of artifacts in holding area and rearrange by type (ie. cask hoops); recover artifact conglomerate.

May 25th (cont)

• Personnel – UNCW Boat captain and mate; on-board conservator (1); two dredge teams (2 divers each); 2 – 3 archaeologist/conservator divers.
• Vessel/Equipment – R/V Cape Fear; 30 hp. pump with 6” dredge, 5” dredge, and 3” dredge and sluice system, straps and lift bags; storage tank for two concretions.

May 26th AM

• Objectives - Recover A2 (Back-up date June 1st).
• Personnel – CFCC boat captain and crew; on-board conservator (2); UNCW boat captain and mate, 3 recovery divers; UAB captain and mate.
• Vessel/Equipment –R/V Dan Moore with lifting crane; R/V Cape Fear straps and lift bags, dive tender and chase boat;.
• Video graphics provided by UNCW and Rick Allen, Nautilus Productions

May 26th PM

• Objectives – Shore- Transport and off-load anchor to underwater holding area at State Ports and transport to public viewing area at Gallants Channel; Site - Begin anode attachment and in situ corrosion monitoring on cannon in the south holding area.
• Personnel – Shore - CFCC boat captain and crew with on-board conservator (2), UAB captain and mate; Site - UNCW boat captain and mate with two dredge teams (2 divers each) and 2 – 3 archaeologist/conservator divers.
• Vessel/Equipment – Shore - R/V Dan Moore with lifting crane; R/V Cape Fear 30 hp. pump with 6” dredge and 5” dredge system.

May 27th (Half day on site)

• Objectives – Shore - Transport cannon to the conservation lab. Site – Complete all objectives for the week and close site for the weekend.
• Personnel – Shore – On-shore conservators/drivers (2) and lab receiving team (2-3); Site - UNCW boat captain and mate with two dredge teams (2 divers each) and 2 – 3 archaeologist/conservator divers.
• Vessel/Equipment – Shore – NC Marine Fisheries transport verhicle; Site - R/V Cape Fear 30 hp. pump with 6” dredge, 5” dredge, and 3” dredge and sluice system.

May 31st – June 2nd

• Objectives – Connect anodes and conduct in situ corrosion monitoring on all cannon on site and anchors A1 and A3.
• Personnel –UNCW boat captain and mate with two dredge teams (2 divers each) and 2 – 3 archaeologist/conservator divers.
• Vessel/Equipment –R/V Cape Fear 30 hp. pump with 6” dredge, 5” dredge, and 3” dredge and sluice system.

June 3rd

• Objectives – Close down site, pack up and return home.
• Personnel – UAB boat captain, 3 - 4 divers
• Vessel/Equipment – R/V Snapdragon

Outreach

• Pre-Expedition Announcement (UNCW in Wilmington)
• Social Media – Facebook, Twitter during fieldwork
• Anchor raising – Media event on recovery day (State Port). Public viewing at NCMM Gallants Channel 3:00-5:30 pm; media event at the QAR lab in Greenville May 27 in afternoon as anchor arrives there.

Personnel

Team Leaders will supervise available personnel and report directly to the expedition director.
Mark Wilde-Ramsing - Overall Expedition Director
            Chris Southerly - Equipment and logistics
            Julep Gillman-Bryan – Site set-up and dredge operations
            Nathan Henry – A2 recovery
            Shanna Daniel – Small artifact receiving and processing
            Wendy Welsh – In-situ monitoring program
            Sarah Watkins-Kenney – Artifact receiving at QAR lab
            Lauren Hermley – On-site public outreach and media
Vessel Captains and Dive Safety Officers have the final say on operations and safety.
            Jay Styron, Captain (R/V Cape Fear)
            Ken Johns, Diving Safety Officer (R/V Cape Fear)
            Steve Beuth, Captain (R/V Dan Moore)
            Julep Gillman-Bryan, Captain and UAB Dive Safety Officer (R/V Snap Dragon).

Support Staff

Dave Moore – Site Documentation
Lynn Harris – Dredge and Support Supervision
Madeline Spencer – Equipment Procurement and Topside Communications
Karen Browning – Digital Imagery for Media and Topside Communications
Rick Allen – Video Imagery for Media
Kate Schnitzer – Dredge and Small Artifact Recovery
Myron Rolston – Large Artifact Transport and Receiving
Terry Williams - Large Artifact Transport and Receiving
John Masters – Set-up


            Kevin Meadows – Set-up and Dredge
            Fritz Farrow – Topside Communications
            Claire Aubel - NCMM Public Relations
            Allison Besch – NCMM Education and Education

Print Version: QAR Operations Schedule Plan - May 2011