Intersal, Inc.

www.intersalinc.com

In 1987, Phil Masters, Intersal's president discovered an eyewitness account of the loss of Queen Anne's Revenge in the appendix of a book published in London in 1719. That information spurred Masters to apply for a permit from the N.C. Division of Archives and History to search for this long-lost vessel. In January 1988, a permit for exploring a six-mile stretch of coastline at Beaufort Inlet was issued by the state.

Later in 1988, Intersal Inc. was incorporated in Florida with an expressed goal of helping to increase knowledge and awareness of America's rich maritime heritage by researching, locating, and excavating valuable historic shipwrecks.

During the 1988 and 1989 field seasons, Intersal conducted a preliminary electronic survey of the heart of the target area, developing magnetic contour charts showing the location, shape, and intensity of numerous underwater anomalies. The fieldwork was supplemented by additional historical research conducted by Masters at various archives in London. There, he discovered many original documents on the Queen Anne's Revenge and the pirate known as Blackbeard.

In 1990, Intersal purchased Pelican III, a 42-foot salvage vessel with two large diesel engines, and equipped her with custom-made twin 28-inch prpwash divertors. In August 1990, Pelican III arrived in Beaufort and began field tests. In 1991, a legal dispute forced the suspension of field operations before diving could begin. In 1995, the legal barriers were lifted, allowing for the resumption of field work.

In 1996, Intersal hired Mike Daniel to act as director of field operations at Beaufort Inlet. That November, magnetometer survey operations resumed and diving on suggested targets began. Five shipwreck sites were encountered and examined. The first four were nineteenth or twentieth century vessels. The fifth was found to be a conglomeration of large cannon and anchors. Combined with study of the sample artifacts recovered, it appeared that Mr. Daniel and the Intersal crew had located the remains of the legendary Queen Anne's Revenge. Ironically, the discovery occurred on the last day of planned operations in previously uncharted area.

In a spirit of cooperation and the desire to see that what is believed to be the "Blackbeard Collection" remains intact for scientific study and public display, Intersal's board of directors agreed to relinquish their rights to the artifacts recovered from the site. Intersal retains the exclusive right to make high quality, limited-edition replicas of Queen Anne's Revenge artifacts.

In 1997, the nonprofit Maritime Research Institute, (MRI), was incorporated, with Mike Daniel as president, to work with the various state agencies on excavating and curating the artifacts found on the site.