Treasure hunters prepare for second mission to pirate ship
German treasure hunters who found the ship of English pirate Henry Morgan have unveiled plans for a second mission to bring its contents to the surface.
They will head to the site off the coast of Haiti in three months. But they can only start the search in earnest next year when the hurricane season is over.
Morgan's Jamaica Merchant vessel was discovered in the waters off Cows Island after nearly three and a half centuries. It was a 40-metre ship manned by up to 100 pirates.
Spokesman for the firm Sea Explorer AG, Monika Wetzke, said: "We cannot start to explore it properly until the hurricane season is over; it is just too dangerous.
"The wreck is right in front of the reef in just five metres of water. That's really very shallow and the swell and the waves try to pull you up and dash you against the reef as you set to work.
"Even though it's so shallow no one on the island knew where it was. There were myths and stories but no one had pinpointed the ship or gone down to look for it."
Marine archaeologists said the find is as dramatic as Robert Ballard's discovery of the Titanic or the Second World War German battleship Bismarck. French nautical historian Michelle Paris has already confirmed the ship was captained by Morgan.
Klaus Keppler, the salvage expert who headed the team from Sea Explorer AG, said: "It is not just important because it is Morgan's vessel but because, as far as we know, it is the only pirate ship from the 17th century to be found."
Ms Wetzke added: "We have already found the anchor and the cannons and a few pieces of porcelain and coins. We know Morgan also used to steal a lot of his treasure from the inside of churches and that he had a stash in caves on the island."
Captain Morgan was one of Britain's most notorious pirates. He is thought to have taken part in the 1655 expedition that seized Jamaica from the Spanish and converted it into an English colony.
