Dr Spooner left with the Honourable Robin S Bernstein, American Ambassador to the Dominican Republic who visited ADMAT’S Maritime Archaeological Centre in July 2019.
ADMAT always has a number of visitors and guests when we have ongoing projects. During the Le Dragon Project on the 25th July 2019, we had a special guest. The Honourable Robin S Bernstein who is the United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, visited ADMAT’s Maritime Archaeological Centre in Monte Cristi, together with some of her staff and the national TV and press.
As the Team was working hard on the Le Dragon wreck site, Dr Spooner was delighted to give the Ambassador a guided tour of the Centre as well as give her all the latest information on the historic wrecks ADMAT is surveying for ONPCS and the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Culture. Madam Ambassador was very interested to hear the latest research information that Le Dragon was in fact launched as the Washington and was one of the first warships of the American Continental Navy in 1776. Dr Spooner fully briefed her on the American privateer which was captured by the English and then by the French before the final epic battle where she was scuttled in 1783. In addition to seeing firsthand the artefacts from Le Dragon, she also was shown the cannons, anchors and other artefacts from the French armed merchant ship we call The Tile Wreck which was sunk between 1720-23 in Monte Cristi. Madam Ambassador kindly said that “ADMAT was a national treasure” for all our important maritime archaeological work for the Dominican Republic.