Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago

Meeting Minutes

June 28, 2017

President Dean Nolan welcomed about 25 members and guests. Several guests attended because they saw the banner on the Bridgeport Arts Center Building. He announced that minutes were on-line and on the table and were approved. (No one had objected.)

Treasurer John Bell stated that we had a balance of $10,650.

Illinois Council of Skin and Scuba Divers – The Jim Haigh Memorial Dive will take place on July 16. On September 16, the International Beach Clean-Up will involve not only picking up trash, but also collecting data from it. The Underwater Pumpkin Carving Dive is October 1. The President’s Night Dinner will be on October 21. Our World Underwater will have a new venue, the Chicago Marriott O’Hare, next year on February 17 and 18.

Chicago Maritime Museum – Tomorrow’s meeting will start at 7 and have Kevin McGee give a speech on the wreck of the Argo at 7:30. This wreck can be dived.

Website – Colin is compiling a list of shipwrecks and asked members to look at it and let him know if he should add some.

Diving – There was no dive on the mystery wreck because there were problems with the dive boat.

Dean asked for members interested in a dive this Saturday on the Wells Burt. Enough volunteered so that the dive is definitely going.

Jim Jarecki said that the Solon which is 15 feet deep needs just one more dive to finish documentation. One can still see the wood lathe cargo on it and the dive can be combined with a visit to the sub chaser. The location is near the nuclear plant which has been closed.

Announcements – Keith Pamper from the Shedd Aquarium passed away recently. He was an active UASC member and there is a Facebook site where you can put your remembrances.

Featured Speaker – Jim Jarecki introduced Kevin MaGee who came to us from Cleveland Underwater Explorers. He has found 35 shipwrecks, designed experiments that went up in the space shuttle and with the Maritime Archaeological Survey Team (MAST) puts out and maintains buoys on shipwrecks in Ohio waters. He surveys one ship per year and in Ohio one doesn’t need a permit to do a survey. One can take a seminar with him which usually meets in April and then dive with them. His presentation was from part of the MAST Advanced Surveying course. It details what to do with two to four divers and a small boat on the first two dives on a new wreck. A summary of it which includes specific steps of what to do will be posted on our website. Claire Gadbois requested a PDF file and Kevin said he would be happy to send it but that it is very large.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:30.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Secretary Carol Sommers.