About 2 months ago we were contacted by a group in the Middle East concerning a number of ships that over the last two wars have clogged up some waterways. With the war winding down it is becoming increasingly important to free up these waterways as access to ports will be essential to postwar recovery. I must admit that at first I thought this was not real but as we continued to communicate and information was obtained it became apparent that this is something that needs to be looked at very carefully. So we have again partnered with Jim Cross of Cross Marine to go and take a look at this thing and see if it is something that we want to do. Jim has the experience, has worked in that part of the world and has the contacts to legitimize the scope of the project. It is a daunting project as the 38 ships mentioned is only a small portion of the work that is there. We will let you know through press releases and here how this unfolds.
This will in no way impact our current ongoing recovery project in the Dominican Republic. There will be no sharing of resources and, contrary to what some posters are saying on other boards, we are not pulling anchor and heading east.
We are really excited to have Alejandro Selmi now on board as our Archaeologist. He was highly recommended to us and already has made a significant impact with his expertise. We will be relying on him very heavily on future projects. He is very highly connected with government officials and that really shortens the communication pipeline! I will post some pictures of dives we have done over the last few days to show him at work! Here is his resume:
Alejandro Selmi. E-mail: selmimoz@yahoo.com
Personal Data:
Date of Birth: May 14/1957.
Nationality: USA and Italian
Marital Status: Married.
Profession: Commercial Diver and Marine archeology.
Address: 3881 Villa Rose Lane.
Orlando, Florida, USA.
Cell Phone: 321 624 1807 Work in USA
Cell Phone: 809 3714764 Work in Dominican Republic
Education:
1975-1977 Four semesters (two years) of Architecture. Avila University. Caracas,
Venezuela.
1976-1977 Diving Course (NAUI). Instructor: Michael Osbornd. Caracas, Venezuela.
1977-1980 Commercial Company Trabajos Submarinos C.A., courses in:
– Topographical mapping and underwater drawings of underwater oil facilities
- Standard First Aid and Adult Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
- Handling of diving helmets: Desco, Swindell, Mask MK-1 and Super Lite
- Surfaced Supplied Air and Mixed Gas Diving, Operation and Equipment.
- Repair and Maintenance of Diving Equipment.
-Underwater photography and video applied to underwater inspections
- Hyperbaric Chamber Operations and Treatments.
- Construction Rigging.
- Offshore Oil Field Diving Operations.
- Underwater Welding and Cutting.
- Observation and Lock Out Bell Diving.
- Nuclear / Contaminated Rider and Confined Space Entry.
- Offshore Safety and Survival Proficiency, (Texas A&M University at Galveston).
- Non Destructive Testing (NDT) ASNT-SNT-TC-1A.
- Liquid Penetrant Levels 1 and 2.
- Magnetic Particle Levels 1 and 2.
- Ultrasonics Levels 1 and 2.
1980 Two Star Federal Instructor Certification from the Venezuelan Federation of Underwater Activities, and Two Star Instructor from the World Congress of Submarine Activities (CMAS).
1984 Operator of hyperbaric chambers in Maraven with Dr. Edgar Vasquez.
1988-1991 HELIOX and TRIMIX depths diving courses of up to 100 meters. Direction of 137 immersions of up to 90 meters in the Dam of Guri.
2001 PADI Nitrox diving course.
2000-2004 Bachelor of Science in Archaeology Canterbury University, United Kingdom.
POSTS HELD:
1978-1985 Officer and Instructor of Salvage Operations in the Training Coast Guard of Venezuela.
1981-1985 Diving and Sea Survival Professor of the Nautical School of Venezuela.
1981-1985 Sea Survival, Diving and Salvage Operations Professor of the Academic Institute of the Merchant Navy of Venezuela.
1982-1985 Diving Instructor of the Simon Bolívar University.
1984-1986 Head of Diving Operations of the company Divers of the Caribbean S.R.L.
1985-1986 Diving Instructor of the Special Activities Technical Brigade of the Judicial Police (BAE)
1986-1991 Flcad of Operations of the company BENTHOS Professional Diving C.A.
1992-1993 Vice-President of the Venezuelan Federation of Underwater Activities.
1992-1996 Underwater weld and cut Instructor for the CIED. Industrial Divers Program.
1995-1996 Underwater Video inspection Instructor for the CIED. Industrial Divers Program.
1991-2000 Operation Manager of Diving Operations of the company Professional Divers of the Caribbean C.A.
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL WORKS:
1984 Soldiers and Amphibian TPZ Tanks rescue labors in the Lake of Valencia for the Ministry of Defense of Venezuela.
1987 Underwater construction works in the Caroní and Orinoco Rivers for the company Continental Perforations S.A.
1987 NATIONAL RECORD in Venezuela of underwater welding in the works done for the company ENOSA Estudios Nouel S.A.
1993 Works on underwater mechanical systems for dams for the company
ISEMA C.A.
1994 Underwater works in quays, dams and pipes for the company
HELICOIDAL C.A.
1995 Certification by EDELCA for directing and participating in 231 immersions, done in depths of up to 300 feet using mixed gases, in the Dam of Guri.
1999 Certification by EDELCA for operatin and participating in 1496 immersions, done in depths of up to 300 feet using Trimix gas, in the Dam of Guri.
ACTIVITIES IN TIIE ÁREA OF UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGY
1991 Participated in the “Monte Cristi Shipwreck Project” as an underwater archaeological draughtsman with the renowned archaeologist Dr. Jerome ling Hall from the Pan-American Institute of Maritime Archaeology (PIMA).
1994-1995 Head of Security, Diving Planning, Documentation and Draughtsman ship in the Project of the Galleon of “Our Lady of Guadalupe” in the Dominican Republic.
1994 Proposal presented to the General Staff of the Navy of Venezuela regarding the study of the underwater archaeological sites of the Venezuelan coastline.
1994 Consulting work for the scientific documentaries “EXPEDITION” regarding the creation of a documentary film in Underwater Archaeology in Venezuela.
1994 Solution to the mystery of the bronze piece found in the “Pipe” shipwreck.
1995 Article in the Dominical magazine of the Newspaper “Ultimas Noticias”.
1999 Course on Preservation of Underwater Archaeological Objects in Havana, Cuba.
1999 Certification of my experience in the area of underwater archaeology issued by the Underwater Archaeological Rescue Committee of the Dominican Republic.
2001-2003 Operation Manager and excavation director of Shipwreck San Sebastian in Mozambique island (XVII century Portuguese shipwreck)
2008-2009 Operation Manager of Abrojos Project Hispaniola Adventure LLC.
CONGRESSES
1980 World Congress of Underwater Activities (CMAS). México D.F., México.
1984 First Venezuelan Congress of Underwater Activities. Caracas, Venezuela.
1998 International Symposium “Archaeology of Medieval and Modern Ships of Iberia-Atlantic Tradition”. Lisbon, Portugal.
1999 World Congress for the Preservation of Monumental Heritage. Guadalajara, Mexico.
2001- 2002 Excavation manager underwater in the project of marine archaeology in the island of Mozambique in Africa. Project IdM-002.
SPEECHES AND CONFERENCES
1998 “Seminar of Protected Marine Areas”. Senate of the Republic, Environment and Country Planning Permanent Committee. Caracas, Venezuela.
1998 “Underwater Archaeology, Science or Adventure?. Part of the course”
Fleets of the Indies” of the Simón Bolívar University. Caracas, Venezuela. 1999 “Venezuelan Underwater Archaeology”. Auditorium of the University of Nueva Esparta. Caracas, Venezuela.
1999 “Man in search of the depths”. Technical Superior School of Naval Engineers of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Madrid, Spain.
1999 “Archipelago of Las Aves”. Energy Auditorium of the Simón Bolívar University. Caracas, Venezuela.
2000 “Maximum use of technology and the new guild”. Innovative speech
presented at the World Congress for the Preservation of Monumental Heritage. Guadalajara, México.
2002 “Methodology of excavation of IdM-002” For the minister and delegation of the Ministry of the Culture and cultural representatives of the Republic of Mozambique.
REFERENCES
• Arch. Pedro J. Borrell. Ex Director General, Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural Subacuatico of the Dominican Republic.
• Sr. Francis Soto Director Técnico, Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural Subacuatico of
the Dominican Republic.
• Dr. Mensun Bound Triton fellow in Maritime Archaeology St. Peter’s College, University of Oxford.
• Dr. Pilar Luna Erreguerena. Sub-Director of Underwater Archaeology of the
National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). México D.F., México.
• Dr. Jerome Lynn Hall. Ex President of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA). Texas, USA.
• Maria Dolores Higueras Rodriguez. Ex Technical Director of the Naval Museum of Madrid. Madrid, Spain.
• Archaeologist Carlos León Amores. Archaeology Professor of the University of Segovia. Segovia, Spain.
• Naval Engineer Cruz Apestegui Cardenal. Co-Director of the project Our Nuestra Señora
de Guadalupe. Madrid, Spain.
• Prof. Fernando Serrano Mangas. Professor of Economic History of the
University of Extremadura. Spain.
• Archaeologist Tatiana Villegas Zamora. Sorbonne University. Paris, France.
• Dr. Gerardo Vivas Pineda. Historian and Professor of the Simón Bolivar University. Caracas, Venezuela.
• Dr. Renié Guilliod T. Specialist in hyperbaric treatments and Professional Diving Instructor. Caracas, Venezuela, and DAN represent in South America
Working Knowledge of:
– Mix-Gas Diving Operations (Trimix-Nitrox).
– Nitrox mixing procedure.
– GPS (Global Positioning System).
– Concrete Coating.
– Pipeline Installation.
– Pipeline Crossings (Wood, Pile and Neoprene).
– Pipeline Repairs from 3” to 40”.
– Post-Lay Inspections.
– Risers Installation.
– Underwater Video and Photo Inspection.
– Hydrostatic Test Procedures.
– Underwater Arqueology.
– Salvage Operations.
Computer Skills:
Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Publisher, Photoshop, Autocad.
Languages:
Spanish, English, Italian and basic comprehension of Portuguese.
Interesting read. There is currently quite a lot of information around this subject around and about on the net and some are most defintely better than others. You have caught the detail here just right which makes for a refreshing change – thanks.
Hello, like your site very much. I found it on blog search will add it to bookmark and come back often again to read and follow. Please continue to do great job you do on it.
I was looking for DIY related tips this was helpful