Fancy a free week of high-profile archaeological diving? Eight volunteer scuba divers from the British and Dutch recreational-diving communities are being sought by the Nautical Archaeology Society to join a support project on the wreck of the East India Company (VOC) ship Rooswijk.

The ship was carrying a large amount of silver ingots and coinage, along with stone blocks and iron bars. It sank on the Goodwin Sands off Kent in 1740, and now lies partly buried in sediment at a depth of 28m.

While the main excavation will be carried out by professional underwater archaeologists (see Divernet), the support project will be a non-intrusive survey of two outlying areas of the wreck that contain numerous guns and wooden barrels.

The volunteers will dive from a charter-boat out of Ramsgate and lodge in shared self-catering accommodation in nearby Deal for a week from Monday 26 August until Sunday 3 September.

Food, accommodation and 15-litre cylinder-fills of nitrox will be provided free. Applicants must be able to volunteer for a minimum of four consecutive days’ diving.

Any diver interested is asked to apply here with a short CV, including details of diving and archaeology qualifications and experience, by 10 July.

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