Dbm was already in the process of building a museum before we were even considered a contract of our own. The decision to give DBM a contract was because they liked our work, and the museum happened to be in the finishing touches when the final decision was being made to give us a contract. So it helped. No way was the museum the sole reason to give us a contract. While we were waiting to see if we were to receive a contract the sub-contract with Bowden was winding down. At that point we had nothing. Then came the opportunity to submit a contract for Punta Cana. And then what happens, during that process we do receive our own search and inventory permission letter on the north coast, we were allowed to explore the area of the north coast, which still, we may or may not receive a contract for. And less than two weeks we discovered a treasure wreck. At that point we still didn’t have the contract as one person hadn’t signed and was holding out. Finally when she did sign we had a contract of 42 miles on the north coast with at least one wreck yielding treasure. Also during that time we received the Punta Cana concession. Trying to juggle both contracts Punta Cana and the north coast was going to be very impractical and nearly impossible. Punta Cana had a great area but had placed some very strict policies on the salvaging company. I think when all was said and done the salvage company would have received only twelve and a half percent from total recoveries and that included the split with the government. And they wanted a full time archeologist with daily reports. So we would have had to hire a second archeologist. It just wasn’t going to happen. Again I was not the decision maker so how the company bailed out of that contract it had nothing to do with me. We did take both ships there for a preliminary inspection of the area and found a few wrecks. I believe the one wreck we found through fishermen was the wreck Bobby later salvaged. I would have loved to been the one who salvaged that shipwreck but I also am very satisfied with the wreck we did get to salvage on the north coast. Couldn’t be two places at the same time.
Samana was our base of operations since day one. We built a dock for our boats there we also hired an all Dominican crew who all happened to live in Samana. It was a perfect harbor for our boats. That’s why we decided to have a museum there. I know hindsight is twenty twenty but with the cruise ships it did make some sense to have a museum there. And the plan was to have several museums throughout the country but the first one out of convenience was to be in Samana. I do still have the email to our CEO explaining we needed at our museum cold beer loud music and food and pretty scantly clothed bartenders. Hey when in Rome, right? But as you could probably imagine how that went over with a Mormon CEO. I still believe that’s the way to go. In a loud Caribbean nation we put a very quiet conservative museum. Wish I had that to do over again.
Several times a month Dominican fishermen come by my house to show me artifacts they have recovered. I take pictures tell them what they found then send the pictures to ONCPS. I am making the government aware of this dire problem. With contractors they receive fifty percent, 3000 American dollars and a spot-on archeologist report. Now they receive pictures of artifacts that are being either melted down for scrap metal prices or sold to tourists. I heard that Danillo don’t like his island nation being exploited by foreigners. Well that’s funny because without the foreigners who would or could conduct these operations in such a corrupt government with zero resources. I heard last night the government renewed its contract with Barret gold mining. Not to be too harsh on the Dominicans but how long would it take before this government had the resources or the sophisticated equipment to do these things on their own?
I have been here long enough to know, if a thousand government bucks was allotted to a national treasure hunting company that probably three pesos would show up to the Captain and crew to do the work. Then how much treasure would make it back up the pecking order. Not one thing. They need outside companies to do these types of work. I think they are well aware of this. I am even hearing some inside rumblings to get the contractors back to work ASAP.
Then if DBM received its division and a new contract that I firmly believe the doors of DBM will open again regardless of what is being said here.
