Le Casimir 2018 Accommodation, Diving & Training

Accommodation & Food

The project will be based at ADMAT's Maritime Archaeological Centre, in Monte Cristi on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.

Our Co-Ed facility has: two bunk rooms, with a common room/kitchen in the middle with the usual facilities, cooker, microwave, fridge, freezer and dining table. The tank room houses the inside conservation tanks, the wet lab and office area.

The Centre has sheets, pillows, towels and blankets for the beds, but you should bring two towels for diving with you. There is a commercial size washing machine and we hang the washing to dry it.

There are no house keepers at the Centre and so all participants will be required to help with basic chores and maintenance and when applicable walk the dogs, which are part of the team.

There is a mobile telephone which can receive incoming calls. Internet facilities are currently in town about 5 miles away or the local bars which are a mile away.

Student Grant documenting artefacts from The Tile Wreck

Ast. Diving Officer and Dr. Jennifer Chow documenting artefacts

Cook Blanca prepairing a meal

Anchors and cannons from The Tile Wreck in conservation tanks

Maritimearchaeologist watching Raimund Krob constructing the survey grid

How to transport PVC pipe the Dominican Way!

The historic mountain El Morro

The Centre

Project Leader John Downing and a Team having dinner

Archaeological students working

Food

A brief self service breakfast and a packed lunch for on the boat for those going on the boat will be provided. As there are not many local eating locations we will arrange a cook for the evening meals at the centre. There however a few good local bars.

Diving

The field schools are on the basis of 2 weeks per field school. If weather permits it should be possible to have two tank dives during the morning. Le Casimir is located at the base of the reef wall in around 8 meters depth. Therefore diving in the mornings will on average be for 1 hours with a simulated deco stop and a surface interval. Diving computers are required or divers will be limited to BSAC88 Tables. There are some bottom currents so care has to be taken. In addition as the wind rises from Force 1 or 2 on the Beaufort Scale to a Force 5 in around 15 to 20 mins, divers will be instructed to surface away from the reef so the boats can recover the divers quickly.

As the team is going out to the site each day in local small boats, anyone who suffers from seasickness should bring the usual medication. The average boat ride will be just under half an hour each way.

The ADMAT Diving Officer will be responsible for the diving. Full compliance with his instructions will be required. Due to Health and Safety it is a requirement that all students speak and read English.

Participants must have the following certification as a minimum, either: PADI Open Water, or BSAC Sports Diver (or the equivalent under another agency). Members will be required to send copies of their diving qualifications with their booking. Original log books or certification cards must be presented to the ADMAT Diving Officer on arrival. In addition the medical statement must also be presented upon arrival.

Please note: All divers must be fit for duty in the mornings. Under Health and Safety Regulations, anyone under the influence of alcohol will not be permitted to dive.

A section of Le Casimir's copper sheeting

Dr. Francois Gendron at work

Floors and futtocks with the ballast cargo of bricks on top

Smiling Patrick Enlow and Dr. Francois Gendron on the way home

One of our friends on the wreck site

A concreted silver coin

Action man Francois pointing to the wreck site, which happens to be at the end of the rainbow

The first two of over eight iron hexagonal banks with anchor chain running past all concreted together. It is thought that these were lower mast rings

Maritime archaeologist Christine Nielsen filming the wreck site

Dr Spooner hand fanning at the base of the reef to see what the Aquapulse metal detector has located

The early grid on the centre section

Some of the bricks half way up the reef... follow the bread crumbs of the wrecking process

Two of three metal bars which were on the wreck site, of unknown purpose

Some of the amidships section after the looters destroyed all the lower hull

Coral life at the base of the reef

Training

During the survey, archaeological water dredges will be used to remove the overburden. All the necessary training to use this and other equipment will be given.

ADMAT's maritime archaeological work on this wreck site was assisted by ADMAT-FRANCE a non profit organisation based in the Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

ADMAT-FRANCE is a sub division of the Anglo ~ Danish Maritime Archaeological Team

ADMAT is delighted to have an association with Muséum Nationald’Histoire Naturelle at Paris, départememt Préhistoire, UMR-CNRS 7194.