Today, Mark Allen, Mark Sarsfield and myself discovered something that hasn't been seen in approximately four decades! The starboard stern plane and screw shaft (some) and the bearings housing. This dig was in preperation for the Muskogee PW department to back-hoe dig both the planes and the rudder from under the dirt/sand after 40 years. Specifically we were looking for the electric lines that are run over the screw stub and near the planes. We didn't want them to find that the hard way. Enjoy the pics!
First pic is Mark and Mark as we get started looking for the outlines.
The second pic is headless Mark and Mark as we get close to finishing up for the day with the plane outline exposed. We're not sure what the vertical surfaces on the outside edges of the plane are. Our best guess is protection during the upriver shipping phase. The left to right angle iron will be removed, it was also for shipping. The horizontal edge of the angle was at ground level when we started. The hole is deceiving as it runs uphill towards the camera. The hole ranges from two feet forward to almost 4 feet aft. The plane itself is also at about a 10-15 degree "surface the ship" angle.
Third pic is an overhead of the exposed gear in great shape for 40 years under dirt.
The old girl started to roll over so Mark A. put a stop to that!
