The underwater archaeological surveys performed by MAST are used as part of a technical report which is produced as one of the required deliverables for survey funding. In 1998, thanks to the underwater survey report compiled by MAST, the Adventure (1875-1903) was the first Lake Erie shipwreck registered with the State of Ohio as an underwater archaeological site (33ER481).
Reports such as these require components beyond the shipwreck survey itself. Portions of this report include the geology of the area (underwater) such as the foundation underneath the wreckage, examination of the bottom sediments, bathymetry, or in researching the history of the area in which the shipwreck took place. These are the types of items that members may be able to assist with. If you would be willing to share a particular skill set you possess, which may be helpful in surveys or in related MAST projects, please contact a MAST officer and let them know.
Sometimes seemingly unrelated skill sets can be invaluable. In fact, at a recent MAST meeting volunteers were requested to assist with splicing buoy lines for the upcoming survey project. MAST volunteers stepped to the forefront and did a remarkable job with the lines.
To date, MAST has been instrumental in several technical reports for underwater surveys including the shipwrecks Adventure, the Hanna, the F.H.Prince, The Sultan, and for Shipwrecks and Other Underwater Features in the Vicinity of Kelleys Island. These reports may be purchased by contacting the Great Lakes Historical Society in Vermilion, Ohio.
The most recent report, that of the brig Sultan which sunk in 1864, is available for download here. (Please note that the PDF is under copyright and is meant for your personal use only. This means it cannot be shared or redistributed without the author's permission, meaning if your friends would like to use the PDF they must share our website to receive their own PDF.)
Additional assistance for the reports was provided by the Great Lakes Historical Society, Lake Erie Shipwreck Research Center, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Cleveland Underwater Explorers, Ohio Coastal Management Program, Ohio Historical Society, and Bowling Green State University. Text for the F.H. Prince report was compiled by Charles E. Herdendorf, C. Patrick Labadie, Linda L. Pansing, and David O. Kelch; edited by Karen T. Ricker; and designed by Cindy Hayter Allison. Text for the Sultan report was compiled by David VanZandt, Jim Paskert, Chris Kraska, Kevin Magee, Linda Pansing, and Ken Marshall and edited by same.