Nautical Archaeology Course - 2010

I know that a number of our members were disappointed last year that the dates for the Nautical Archaeology Course run in conjunction with Preserve Our Wrecks, Kingston didn't work for them. It seems very likely that another course will be run under similar conditions in August. The dates are probably going to be over the weekend of 13-15. Demand is once again going to be quite high. Pre-Registration is recommended and I will take e-mail requests at any point from this date on.

Archaeology is fun...

Well, that's my take on the picture shown above. Gaetan and Marc-Etienne weren't the only Club members this weekend to enjoy completing the Nautical Archaeology Course commenced in May, but they certainly seemed to enjoy it. It was wonderful to hear a steady stream of discussion and commentary in French from their area too. Paul and Sandrena, for whom one highlight was trying out a backplate and wing combination, also enjoyed themselves and benefited from the experience. Another Club member, Marg Barker, was the tutor - whom we're very lucky to have supporting local activities. The conditions were almost perfect - and nobody complained when we were obliged by light rain to adjourn to the Portsmouth Tavern right at the end of the day. Thank you to everyone who supported this event - and congratulations to all the newly certified avocational archaeologists.

Club Members learn about Archaeology..

Several members of the Club were amongst 21 divers who gathered, under the auspices of Preserve Our Wrecks, to learn about Nautical Archaeology today. The two-day course will teach basic survey techniques and acquaint the students with legal issues relating to the discipline and other essential topics. Exercises today included detective work on artifacts to try and establish their origins and ancestry, and the circumstances of the vessel to which they related, and instruction in survey skills culminating in an underwater session in the pool.