Huge Redwood Logs in the Sea

[billwarren]

I am going to try to find 9 huge redwood logs that sank in the sea off the Calif. coast in the 1930's. Each log measures 24 ft. in diameter and 60 ft. long. The value is said to be around $2 million. Anyone interested in joining our treasure hunt contact us at (phone number edited out by admin) anytime.

[Ron Scott]

Are they in California waters? Or don't you know yet.

[CHARLIE]

I would think those logs would have to be fairly deep where there wasn't much oxygen to be decent enough to salvage. You might want to contact the company that is taking old growth sunken logs from the late 1800's out of Lake Superior. He has learned how how to get them up, what needs to be done to dry them and saw them into boards.  I think he's getting $20 to $40 a board foot or more. His expertise might save you some time and money.

[woodman]

   I think i will sit this one out my LT30 onley cuts up to a 30 inch log.    8) 8) 8)

[Jeff]

Hate to be skeptical guys, but sounds like a ploy to get money. I will let this stand for now but billwarren better come back soon and give us some worth while info on this or this thread is history. For now I am deleting his phone number. If and when he comes back to tell us all about this and how "little this is going to cost you to become involved", I might consider letting him put a number back.

Mr Bill you have 2 days starting now.

[Ron Wenrich]

The General Sherman sequoia is 30.7 ft in diameter at its base, 27.4 ft at 8', and 17.5 ft at 60'  There are 9 of these trees? :D   Max dbh on redwood is 20'.  

How did they get into the ocean?  You couldn't raft them down a river, or load them on a truck or train.  Mighty strange.

[Ron Scott]

Jeff & Ron,

Glad that you caught on to this quickly as something "fishy".
I've been in the underwater salvage business and still consult in it some. I'm sure that the State of California would lay first claim to any such trees/logs "that size".

Michigan has stopped any further Underwater Log Salvage at present pending further studies on the impact to the underwater ecosystems from "sunken log" removals.

Wisconsin and Minnesota have been active in it.

[Jeff]

I'll send the guy an email. Bet it comes back undeliverable. If not, maybe he can drop by here and answer questions. If not, this is what it appears and I will delete his membership but leave this thread for reference to this type of thing.

[Ron Wenrich]

It occured to me that I recently got an e-mail from a Dr. Tom Eke from Nigeria.  He wanted me to deposit $31 million in a bank account, and he would pay me 20% to do this.

Now, if Mr. Warren and Dr. Eke would get together, it would solve both of their problems.   ;)

The General Sherman weighs 6,000 tons (probably more since it's an older book.)  How much would that 60' log weigh?  30,000 bf, Doyle scale  

[Tom]

I figure it wouldn't weigh too much.  Have you ever heard of ship worms?  They are death on wood and I've not heard of any species that is immune.   The wooden ships of old would seek fresh water frequently to try to kill them before their ship disintegrated under their feet. :D

[JoeyLowe]

  I have to agree with Ron on this one.  I too have a lot of experience dealing with underwater lumber salvage operations.  What was happening at Lake Superior was that the logs were being surfaced using balloons and immediately loaded onto rail cars where most, if not all were being shipped to South America where they were being milled and then shipped to Europe.  I know this because I wrote the insurance on most of the companies in the food chain.  I also know that there was alot of irreparable damage done to the underwater eco-system and one of the larger diving companies, Superior, I believe, was forced to shut down behind the lawsuits.  Anyway, kind of reminds of a funny cartoon I saw in one of the diving trade magazines.  It showed these two divers swimming in the dark waters of Lake Superior.  They were swimming through an underwater forest.  Behind a tree was a bear in scuba gear.  One diver looks over at the other diver and says, "Did you hear something?"  It was pretty funny.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, the worms really get to the wood in the salt waters. That's why the log salvage is in the great lakes where the cold fresh waters don't support wood worms.

That's why the wooden shipwrecks are still well preserved in the Great Lakes, and why one usually only finds the ballast stones in the salt water wrecks. Along with any of the gold and silver cargo treasures of course. ;)

[Ron Wenrich]

I remember reading that they salvaged some timber out of the bay around Boston.  It was about 25 years ago.  White pine had been recovered and believed to had sunk in the 1830s.

The reason for the preservation was due to the cold waters.  No wood worms in the cold water?

I also saw a salvage on TV about a pirates ship that sank off the coast of Texas during a hurricane.  I believe it dated to the 18th century.  They actually made a dike around the wreck and pumped the water out.  

There were planks that they found.  They had to be emerged into cold water to keep from rapid deterioration.  I believe the mud preserved them.  No wood worms in the silt?

[Bro. Noble]

Ron W.

      Shame on you!!!!

     Dr. Eke plainly said in his e-mail to me to keep this a secret.

    

[Tom]

http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2000/jun05-00.html
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/zoolab/Lab-5a/Mollusca-Bivalvia-7.htm

[Ron Wenrich]

Informative links.  I wasn't aware what they were.

Now, if we could get some land based ones, we could get rid of a lot of unwanted sawdust and slab piles.   :D

[Reg]

It is at least conceivable and might be practical, though the story might well have "developed" over the years.  You would need to know a lot about the currents in the area as well as the bouyancy of redwood in salt water that has been down that long.  The more bouyant the easier to lift  ;), but the more likely it is to have shifted  :'(

[Jeff]

I wrote the gentleman a note, and got no reply. While this is a romantic type of story that made us all sit back and wonder how and why and where and what if, my believe is the post was made to get you to call that phone number which I deleted.  Could have been as simple as one of those off shore phone numbers that charge you $50 a minute.

[CHARLIE]

DanG and I wrote him a check for a million dollars too. It's getting so a man can't believe everything anymore. :-/

[HORSELOGGER]

Great Jeff,     Now what am I gonna do with the snorkels and flipper shoes I had the team fitted up for? ;D

[CHARLIE]

Hey Horselogger! I'd like to see a picture of that! Your horses outfitted in masks, snorkels and flippers.... ;D ;D

[DanG]

Hey Charlie!  Since ol' Bill doesn't seem to be available to benefit from your kind benevolence, you could send that mil down here to help out with my swamp cypress recovery project. We ain't got permission to haul it out, but most of the Sheriffs hereabouts can be had for less than that. ;D

[Bro. Noble]

Boy what a bunch of chumps you are fallen for that sunken treasure story.

      I'm no idiot,  Dr. Eke said for 10,000 he would make me a multimillionaire.  I wasted no time in sending him half interest in my $20,000 birddog.

[Kevin]

It`s the old redwood log in the sea trick.  ;D

[Reg]

Return the masks, fins and snorkels.
I will provide the dive team, just find the logs.
Oh yes, a few 30 ton lift bags would help.

\R