Up From the Bottom by Bob "Frogfoot" Weller

I have often been asked "How does it feel to find treasure on the bottom of the ocean?" Without hesitation, it is an experience hard to equal. To come across a shipwreck site and uncover a 16th century cannon or piece of Chinese porcelain sends shivers up the spine. But what I would like to emphasize is that treasure, as such, is only in the eyes of the beholder.

 Every artifact brought up from the bottom has some form of history attached to it, and the ability to identify it, preserve it and perpetuate it, provides as much conversation on howling winter evenings as a gold doubloon or Piece of Eight.

 Very few treasure divers are successful as such. But to many of us, treasure is a polished ballast stone serving double duty as a door stop, or a bottle coming alive to create the colors of the rainbow after being submerged in salt water over 100 years. I have seen the enthusiasm in a divers eyes when he produced a square-shanked bronze spike and was able to identify the year shipbuilders began using this shape, and when many years later, they stopped.

 Consider a section of teakwood that you bring back to life with polyethylene glycol. As a picture frame, or a base that adds a special touch to a beautiful vase of spring flowers, it will always remind you of that great day you had on the reefs.

So "treasure" still exists for most everyone willing to make the effort. If you are fortunate enough to find some glitter on the bottom--great! But if not, there are many other artifacts you can yarn about years later. Treasure them all.

About Bob: Bob "Frogfoot" Weller has been salvaging Spanish galleons off the coast of Florida since 1960, locating and salvaging many shipwrecks sites. He became involved in underwater work as a frogman in the Navy during the Korean War, serving in Korea from 1951-54, hence his nickname "Frogfoot". Artifacts and treasure in his collection has been featured in National Geographic, and he and his diving wife Margaret "Lady Goldiver", have appeared on numerous television specials including NBC's "Hunt For Amazing Treasures".

Bob Weller's Summer Seminar "One of a kind"

Some of his most important books:

	True Stories of Sunken Treasure Sixteen stories of great treasure actually recovered,in most cases by the author himself. This book gives an up close and personal approach to treasure salvage from the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet that sank off the east coast of Florida. More importantly, it preserves for history some of the most important salvage work by modern day salvors. It will get the adrenalin flowing.
	Salvaging Spanish Sunken Treasure For anyone interested in actually becoming involved in shipwreck salvage, this book will save them time and money. It takes the reader through each step of research, financing, equipping, and then locating the "right" shipwreck to salvage. It includes basic information on electronics and preservation of artifacts. This is the handbook of the salvage community, along with color photographs of cannons, anchors, ballast piles and treasure.
	Shipwrecks Near Wabasso Beach This locates 14 treasure wrecks along Florida's east coast from Ft. Pierce north to Sebastian inlet. The distance from the traffic light in front of Disney's Vero Beach Resort, North and south, is precisely laid out to each wrecksite, so that visitors can stand on the beach wher the ships came ashore. If you are a metal detecting coin-shooter you will have a ball. Many Spanish treasure coins have been located along these beaches. B & W photo's of coins and treasure recovered will make every treasure hunter mount up and ride off to the beaches. This book was co-written by Ernie Richards from ENRADA Publications.
	Galleon Hunt The life story of Art McKee, the first salvage diver of the Florida Keys. He successfully worked the Capitana of the Spanish 1733 treasure fleet, built a museum that thousands have visited in the Florida keys, then began his search for the Spanish treasure galleon "Genovesa" that sank on the Pedro banks in 1730.   After many years of searching the wrong reefs, he finally located the galleon and recovered silver coins and bars. He died 8 months later, never to return to the "Genovesa". The book provides charts and exact location of the "Genovesa", and colored photo's taken during the salvage. Numerous black & white photo's show salvage of the 1733 fleet galleons in the Florida keys, along with the treasures recovered.
	Galleon Alley The 1733 Spanish Treasure Fleet The 1733 Spanish treasure fleet, sunk on the Florida Keys. All wrecksites located with DGPS co-ordinates, all 5 original 1733-34 maps drawn by the Spanish and English of each wreck included, personal stories of each salvage operation in the 1950-60's and most recently 2000-01 by modern salvagers along with gold and silver being recovered.. 31 color photo's, 165 B & W photo's. Written by "Frogfoot", one of the original salvagers of the wrecksites beginning in 1960.
	Famous Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys   This book contains the history, manifest, salvage and recoveries of six major well known shipwrecks in the Florida keys. Four of the shipwrecks are 1733 Spanish treasure galleons, one is a British warship that sank in 1695, and the last is an American warship that sank in 1822. Each shipwreck is precisely located with charts and photographs of land bearings taken from the site. A number of color photographs include treasures recovered. For related items please visit my Store

NOTE: "Up from the Bottom" Written and published with permission of Mr. Bob "Frogfoot" Weller, Crossed Anchors Salvage.
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