Diver to look at new detection gear

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 15

Diver to look at new detection gear

p\ Auckland The salvage diving expert. Kcllv Tarlton, of Paihia. will go to South Africa and the United States to look at new metal detection gear which he hopes will sort our the Lutine’s $4O million gold and silver bullion from the junk. If the new and longerrangc detection gear is effective and adaptable, he hopes to take a team of divers back to the Dutch coast in the middle of next year for another bid on the sunken frigate's treasure. Mr Tarlton is certain he has the gold and silver bullion pinpointed on a chart — it is a matter of finding which of the 208 pinpoints actually is the treasure and which are bolts, shafts, anchors, and other metal debris from the wreck. Financial backing for another salvage bid would be “no problem" if the new devices, which differentiated between ferrous objects, such as iron bolts and non-ferrous ones, such as gold and silver, had sufficient range, be said.

Last (northern) summer the salvage crew used a jetblasting system which diverted the thrust from their ship's propellers to shift the 7.5 metres of sand from 50 of the spots and recovered sonic of the wreck debris, including anchors, a shoe, bolts, human bones and a barrel hoop. The devices being tested in South Africa and the United States had a range believed to be slightly below the 7.5 metre range into sand required. but Mr Tarlton hoped they may be more improved. Mr Tarlton’s syndicate holds the salvage rights on the treasure from the 182-ycar-old wreck from its owner, Lloyd’s of London, which would take 30 per cent of any gold and silver brought up. He will leave in two weeks on a two-nionth trip to West Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Europe and the United States and will study shipwreck preservation as well as the latest salvage methods.