7' bronze cannon found

[Bulawayo]

A number of years ago there was the story of how a South African cruiser got a job driving a semi submersible operating in the Dutch Antilles. Due to boredom he built a concrete canon and sank it in shallow water where sharp eyed tourists could discover it from the semi-submersible - apparently it created lots of excitement.
This is just as likely a scam. You buy the location and when you finally arrive to find your fortune and then discover nothing but sand it just means someone else must have found it before you!
Yeah, right.
Meanwhile someone has ripped you off for a few bucks.
If its sounds to good to be true............ 64 years old and too old to be bothered!! What a load of *********.
I would hazard that this is yet anonther con.

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

There's a hefty amount of BS and stupidity in this. Firstly it is crass to try to profiteer from a historical wreck found in territorial waters of an impoverished nation. Second it is crass to encourage looters. Third it is rather silly to claim that this is a bronze cannon "from the 1600s" when in fact almost nothing is known about the cannon. Fourthly it is likewise silly and probably downright deceiving to suggest that this is a wreck "with treasure" or indeed a wreck at all! The cannon may have been blown overboard in a battle, in a storm, dropped while being transferred to a smaller vessel for import to the island or vice versa. It may also have been jettisoned to lighten the vessel if aground. 7m is not a whole heck of a lot for a sailing warship. For example a third rater "74" draws 7m exactly, which would have put it aground right there… A lot of speculation mixed with an unhealthy dose of selfishness and crassness.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

OH, RC, please don't go there, third world countries have a hard go of it, and we with our bellies full of wonderful, high quality Australian foods should always remember that hungry folk think differently!

Ann

Naw, screw the third world and just get a dredger over there and dig up the cannon. Carry lots of weapons to wipe out any poor folks getting in your way. Let your inner Conquistador come out. Remember: rape, pillage, and plunder are not just the preserve of politicians.

[buzzstar]

Allow me to take a different approach than most posters above. First, all the OP is doing is reporting an event that is public (i.e., the sale of something on eBay). As to the sale of information on eBay, so what? It is, I believe, probably illegal to remove the supposed artifact or artifacts (the eBay listing suggests there are probably a number of similar items in the immediate vicinity). The easy answer is do not buy this modern treasure map. If anyone is interested, I can sell you the GPS coordinates of a number of wreck off the coast of California. A better deal might be that Florida land that may emerge during the next drought. BTW, the bronze value alone probably exceeds the bid price when I looked (still $51.00). My new company (not yet formed) is Treasure Maps R Us, and you can invest now. For some reason the emoticons are missing. Darn

[engine1218]

Surprised he's not selling multiple treasure maps with a GPS "X" marks the spot.

First one there gets it. And by "it", I really mean all the bureaucracy that goes with finding an artifact.

[reed1v]

A bronze 7' (assuming since no one uncovered the thing) cannon with markings will go for tens of thousands of dollars, perhaps hundreds of thousands if its stamped with a famous ship. Old galleons normally did not have nice bronze pieces unless of a capital ship, and usually a treasure ship. We found one off Madagascar back in the 70s and sold it for $15,000 because of its markings. We split the proceeds with the government, with Spain, and with Uncle Sam, so we wound up with about $3000. But still good money back then. Doubt if its only 7'. Bronze would have been a "chaser" . Not sure how they know its bronze rather than some cast metal with a surfaced amalgamate. All sounds fishy if the seller has not actually dug up the whole thing.
Would suggest the OP meet the guy, whack him and take the coordinates and find out what it is.

[Rigdaddy]

It is either a scam or it is not. If it is a scam then he is trying to defraud by selling a location to something he knows is of no value, making him a criminal. If he has really found a cannon, bronze or iron, then I cannot see how selling the coordinates can be illegal. His motives would determine as to whether he is a jerk or not.

[Perstarebob]

I know where a couple more happen to be . In the seventies I was a SCUBA instructor and took classes in " Recovery " so that I could teach 'recovery ' classes . Off an island very close to St.Kitts we went out in the morning and with lift bags we moved a cannon 9 or ten feet long , we moved about fifty feet and set her back down . Next morning we put her back where she was originally . Also if any have dove the " Rhone " you have seen several at that location .

[chris95040]

Spoiler alert: its in my pants

[Perstarebob]

As an aside , on the same ' instructor ' trip , on Anguilla we dove a 2nd world war freighter loaded with Land Rovers , in purty good shape . With bags we lifted a Rover off the deck and put it on the sand , next morn we put it back ! I believe that cannons are not rare and I have seen several hundreds in over ten years in Carib .

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Perstarebob

As an aside , on the same ' instructor ' trip , on Anguilla we dove a 2nd world war freighter loaded with Land Rovers , in purty good shape . With bags we lifted a Rover off the deck and put it on the sand , next morn we put it back ! I believe that cannons are not rare and I have seen several hundreds in over ten years in Carib .

Yes, cannons, like anchors, are all over the sea floor. Most are worthless; but a few are extremely valuable. Some are impossible to raise without commercial hoists and barges.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Perstarebob

As an aside , on the same ' instructor ' trip , on Anguilla we dove a 2nd world war freighter loaded with Land Rovers , in purty good shape . With bags we lifted a Rover off the deck and put it on the sand , next morn we put it back ! I believe that cannons are not rare and I have seen several hundreds in over ten years in Carib .

Indeed, Portsmouth has so many from the Royal Navy they use them as bollards in pavements to stop people parking.

Pete

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Indeed, Portsmouth has so many from the Royal Navy they use them as bollards in pavements to stop people parking.

Pete

Virtually every port city along the eastern seaboard has old cannons filled with cement acting as bollards.

[patprice]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

With Jimmy Hoffa inside. Now that' what I would call $50 well spent.

Had to google that one....


James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader and author who served as the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union from 1958 until 1971. He vanished in late July 1975 at age 62. Wikipedia.

Jimmy vanished!! He must be in that concrete canon.

[engine1218]

I just noticed. If you win the auction, you have to pay $12.40 is shipping!?!?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[reed1v]

Jimmy Hoffa's body, like Elvis's body, has been sighted or supposedly located in dozens of different places. Under high rise office buildings, in highway bridge supports, and even in bus lockers at Grand Central. Unlike Elvis, no one is suggesting Hoffa still lives. The Detroit mob agrees the poor racketeer got rubbed out for good. With the mob and the government after you, ain't got a chance. His downfall was ratting on some of his "business" partners. So the lesson of the story is: Leave underwater cannons alone.