Posted 12 years ago
blunderbuss2
(199 items)
This bronze dutch cannon sat on the waterfront in Philipsburg, St. Maarten for many years. It disappeared some years ago & I found it on the French side for sale. The musee' mentioned it to me & I told them I knew where it was. I took these pics of it & they didn't do anything. It was sold to somebody in Nevis. Now they want to get it back! Apathetic procrastinating people make me want to scream. Will it be retrieved? I'll do what I can.
This gun was made in Amsterdam. The trunnions are mounted below the axis of the bore. In about 1800, the trunnions were moved to the centre-line axis of the bore in the western world. The markings show that it was made in 1780-81 & the trunnion positions indicate up to about 1800. Beautiful gun. Should be enjoyed by everybody instead of the rich in places like the Four Seasons.
Helm, this is not the cannon we are trying to retrieve here, - we hope!
uhhhhhhhhhhhh -- might want to re-read your post -- who was lost -- you or the canon -- glad you found yourself on the french side -- you quack me up!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for pointing that out. Actually I also disappeared on the French side for 13 yrs.
i bet there's a story -- how doooooooooooo you do it
Why do you think I go by Blunder?
Phil, I already own 1 cannon that I don't pickup because I don't know what to do with it. I repeat, I'm trying to lighten my load. Besides, anything that lies within territorial waters belongs to the island & not who brings it up.
Steve you're back! Actually I know the people who sold the gun but they didn't know I was connected with the musee' & Histerical Foundation. I asked & they told me where it went.
I'm still worried that they are one in the same but the diver swears he has seen it after the other one was known to be in Philipsburg. Still having trouble getting expedition launched. They bitch about a simple little thing like high rollers because we have had 18 mph winds for several weeks. Bunch of whimps.
Snow is a 4 letter word. We have been running 14-18 mph winds for weeks and no let-up in sight. Hoping it doesn't go calm for the Heineken Regatta like it did 1 yr.. What happened to that "global warming" they keep promising? Sitting here wearing a leather jacket!!
hi blunder -- did the klinkerloop (dutch for their goodwill stores) today -- got all caught up in a set of books on collecting antiques -- i now know what a bluderbuss is -- which i have been curious as to what your handle did refer to -- how did you come to choose this handle -- have a great weekend
Ep, visit my home (site?) & understand. I have 2 brass barreled dunderbus's & love them both. Since the value of over-printed money has brought their value to about 1/10th of their original value, I'm leaving them to the local muse'e & hoping they appreciate them as I can't bring myself to sell them at insulting prices. I have posted them & quite appreciate your interest. We still shoot them as brass/bronze doesn't deteriorate with age. Quite a thrill & can be a wrist breaker.
Hems, we will miss you expertise again for how long? I've lived way to long in this part of the world to ask questions. Hopefully I can roust-out some people to ck that gun soon. We can't order them into action now days. Guess the good-ole-days are gone for good. Naughty, naughty thoughts! I didn't say it.
Warning Steve, it's addicting. When you get to where you actually like the smell of blk. pdr., it's too late to turn back. I've got a .50 cal repro I need to get out & shoot. Only fired it once when I shot my secretary. Didn't know it was loaded when I shipped it down! That's another story though.
Had someone to do the snorkeling today but when I got there he had had a few beers & wanted to wait till tomorrow which was alright with me. He called me an hour later & tells me he has a job on a boat going to Antigua & will be back in a few days. This is the crap I have to put up with working with these boat-people.
hi i love your find i wish you@ i could take it . duck hunting sometime hear at home
At about 2,700 lbs, I don't think it would make a good punt gun russ.
I've been working on this for over 4 years now. It is now confirmed that the bronze cannon I have been researching, is not the stolen one. Now have ours located ! It's 5 1/2 - 6 ft. long. Our problem before has been that we only have access when the currents moved the sand away & that only happened when everybody was busy during the "season". A treasure hunter who now owes me favours, just installed blowers that can clear the spot in 15 mins. & I have a professional with the lifting equip. who wants to help, for the island's benefit. Hope to be reporting good news in the next month or 2.
bb2, wishing you great success on your recovery project. Will be anticipating a great report.
Dave
Dave this sure hasn't been easy ! The sand covering them (there's a number of iron guns also) has made my work almost impossible. Kind of a narrow area about 30 m between the beach & an angled rock shoal. Luckily, open at one end. The cannons are at about 4 m & the sand bottom varies at about 2-3 m. The iron guns have to stay because we have no container to treat them with reverse-electrolysis for a dozen yrs. or so. Think we are getting close !