Too bad I still haven't hit the lottery... I'd happily pay to refloat the Terror and bring it to a museum.

Of course, since these are British Military ships, they don't know where most of their crewmembers died, and even though they were on a peaceful mission, they may well be treated as war shrines. Any decisions respecting removing one or both would require a long decision process involving the Canadian and British governments, the Nunavut government, and I am sure, the Inuit and scientists and historians from both countries.

The ships are still Royal Navy property, and the British government has the right to claim any of the artifacts that may be raised.

Frankly, I seriously doubt approval would be given, even if a sugar daddy paid the bills.

Steve Hunter

As another season rolls around, Parks Canada will be back at Franklin's ships.

Of note to this forum, one of their main goals is to try to get an ROV into the engine room of HMS Erebus, hopefully giving us our first look at the former locomotive used as the ship's engine.

It seems to be a year for preparation of marine assets, which hopefully will let them do far more exploration next year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/fra ... -1.4241633

Steve Hunter

Don't know what if anything this means for the locomotives but the wrecks of Erebus and Terror have been given to the Government of Canada, they were until now still officially the property of the Royal Navy (United Kingdom).

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/franklin-expedition-ships-canada-owner-1.4367419

In related news there is a TV dramatization of the Franklin Expedition coming to AMC in March which looks promising. A trailer is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaRAi5P9lPo

Pat Hosford

Interesting. I wonder if they are going to do intense salvage on the two ships in order to bring up the engines?

BTW: that dramatization is not a docudrama but yet another horror anthology show, this one based on Dan Simmon's novel The Terror.