1999 Secret Wreck #49 Photos

All images on this page © 1999 by Christina Young.

Welcome to Nancy Eberly's Secret Wreck #49, somewhere off the New Jersey coast! These are all images from the trip to this wreck on the Sea Lion (Brielle, NJ), Saturday, July 24, 1999. In the past few weeks, this wreck has yielded up crates of beautiful, chrome-plated brass martini shakers and stemware, hand mirrors, colored shot glasses, and other beautiful glassware. The place where these things are is in a very tight tunnel. During this trip we spent a lot of time removing wood and other debris from the hole, and most of the crates that remain are out of reach. The next time we come here we will bring the heavy artillery, the dredge, and try to open up the hole by giving it a giant vacuum cleaning!

Capt. Rick Jaszyn pilots the Sea Lion out of Brielle. One of Rick's claims to fame is the recovery of the bell and identification of the Durley Chine, a wreck about 80 miles off the New Jersey coast.
Veteran wrecker Nancy Eberly celebrates her 49th birthday out on her special wreck (she said it was okay if I mentioned her age!). This only goes to prove that consistent, active wreck diving will keep you looking at least 10 years younger than you really are!
Rick Jaszyn assists Greg DeMetro in suiting up prior to going digging. Greg is one of the most successful "digging" wreck divers in New Jersey. He will go to wrecks which no one else wants to go to because they have been "cleaned out", and come back with absolutely amazing and beautiful stuff!
Jersey wrecker Greg DeMetro heads off to work!
Rick Jaszyn assists Al Pyatak. Al is also a digging expert and always has new artifacts on display after every weekend in his dive shop! You can view a few of them at the Atlantic Artifact Museum.
Al Pyatak splashes. Interesting twist, don't you think?
This is the tie-in point on Nancy's Secret Wreck #49. Visibility actually wasn't too bad on the outside.
Gliding over the top of the wreck on the way to the hold. Most of this wreck is very broken up.
Al Pyatak emerges from the tunnel that goes into the hole which used to be part of the ship's hold.
This image shows the entrance to the tunnel in which we were working. There is not much to show you past this point because visibility quickly went to zero due to the digging in the soft muck. In here it is imparative that your hoses and everything else are secured, especially from your front side, because you are going through jagged metal while reaching into the hole where the crates are. It is the equivalent of laying on razor blades! Do not go in here with a trilaminate suit, it will quickly be ripped to shreds!
Chrome-plated brass cappucino cups recovered from the wreck. Also recovered were art deco bakelite salt and pepper shakers, and chrome-plated brass napkin rings, forks and spoons. I have never seen brass "silver"ware before!
Brian Smith with cappucino cups.
Rick Jaszyn with cappucino cups.
Al Pyatak, pirate diver!

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