First trip of 2018 brings in artifacts!

MRR Captain Josh Fisher-Abt and crew completed the first trip to the site of the Santa Margarita for the 2018 season. They had a three-day break in the weather and took full advantage of it. All crew members were very glad to be out of the boat yard and back in the water.

Thankfully, MRR has contracted once again with the famed Motivation, Inc., to conduct recovery operations on their permitted site. We offer Motivation and the entire Fisher family our many thanks, and are committed to making 2018 a successful and rewarding year for all.

Ship's pin recovered to the north on the Santa Margarita site.

The focus of this trip was on expanding trails to the north of the known shipwreck site. For the first two days, Josh focused on a previously unexcavated area to the north and west of the gold chalice find of 2008. Although there was no gold found this time, they did recover two large ships pins and eight olive jar sherds, as well as some lead sheathing. The ships pins and lead sheathing can be associated with lower hull material, which is a key indicator that a heavy portion of the Santa Margarita hull could have passed over the area, possibly spilling more culturally important artifacts.

On the third day of this short expedition, the Sea Reaper crew worked in the northernmost area of the site, recovering two olive jar sherds and two encrusted artifacts that will be taken to the professionals at the Motivation, Inc., conservation laboratory. These recoveries on the north end of the site are very significant and help us answer the archeological question of the distance of scattered cultural deposits on this famed site.

Be ready for more updates. The season has started, and we are determined to make this one for the record books.