MRR Recovers Cannon for Public Exhibition
Yesterday was a very meaningful day for Maritime Research & Recovery and Captain Dan Porter as the team took part in an effort to raise an iron cannon from one of the historic 1715 Fleet shipwreck sites. This artifact is the first iron cannon to be raised from a 1715 Fleet shipwreck site in more than 30 years and will be donated to the City of Fort Pierce for the purpose of public exhibition.
Dan Porter and John Brandon attach lift bag to raise 1715 cannon.
MRR’s vessel Seatrepid and crew, Art Schweizer, Levin Shavers and Rob Hill, worked in conjunction with Captain John Brandon of 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels, LLC, to make the recovery. The recovery procedure was performed to the highest archaeological standard with the environmental oversight of Dr. Perter Barile, and was moved from its resting place only after complete positioning data was compiled. A work crew from the City of Fort Pierce, along with members of Maritime Research & Recovery, hoisted the Spanish Plate Fleet cannon out of the water at Fisherman's Wharf in Fort Pierce on Monday, Aug. 13, 2018.
John Brandon gathers archaeological data prior to recovery.
The recovery of the cannon, discovered in the remains of a shipwreck off Sand Point, is a collaboration between the Keep Fort Pierce Beautiful Advisory Board and the Fort Pierce Lions Club. The conservation and preservation of the cannon will take approximately three years, and it will then be put on display in the plaza at Melody Lane Fishing Pier. With the effectiveness and reliability of modern conservation techniques, this historic cannon will be preserved and on public exhibition for the duration of our lifetime, as well as many generations to come.
Dan Porter guides the cannon ashore at Fisherman's Wharf.
Dan Porter is especially proud to have had the opportunity be part of this public exhibition effort. Born and raised in Fort Pierce, Porter feels that he is involved in giving back to the local community. He holds a firm belief that public exhibition of this and other artifacts are a necessity for the education and enlightenment of America’s youth.
With another significant recovery, Dan Porter and John Brandon continue
their lifetime work of preserving the cultural heritage of the Treasure Coast.
Public exhibition of such artifacts tells the story of the rich cultural heritage of the Treasure Coast. When people—whether five years or eighty years of age—can rub their hands on this cannon and wonder about the stories, places and situations it has endured before the tragic hurricane deposited it on the ocean floor 303 year ago, it ensures that the history can be known and appreciated by all.