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The 1715 Fleet Society is pleased to announce that it will be hosting its biennial Conference at Indian River State College (IRSC) in Vero Beach, Florida, from Monday, January 12 to Wednesday, January 14, 2026.PROUDLY SPONSORED BY: Sedwick & Associates, LLC (Daniel Sedwick, Member #2, Augi Garcia, Member #3), West Bay Trading Company (Steve Hodges, Member #4), Vision Development & Construction (Rob Barfield, Member #161), and Allen X Exploration (Carl Allen, Member #243)
Ticket: https://1715fleetsociety.com/shop/2026-conference-full-ticket/
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM — McClarty Treasure Museum Visit Hosted by Fleet Society members Richard Mellin and Mark Culver
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM — Meet and Greet/Reception — FREE! OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
The Heritage Center, 2140 14th Avenue, Vero Beach, FL
Bring your coins and artifacts to be examined by experts! We will have a number of vendors and authors available to sign books. These authors include Allen Balogh, Terry Armstrong, Alex Kuze, Steve Singer, and Noel Wells. Major bookseller Alan Workman will have a wide array of shipwreck, treasure, and related books from his vast and impressive inventory. Steve Hodges and Noel Wells will be available to evaluate coins and artifacts that are brought in by the local community. Some of our vendors are Nichole Johanson from the Mel Fisher Treasure Museum in Sebastian, who will have items for sale, and Jim Wilson, our Regional Director, who will have videos for sale.
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CONFERENCE AGENDA
MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026:
Please NOTE that, unlike previous years, we are starting earlier due to a power-packed schedule! We need to start early so that we can present everything.
7:00 – 8:15 AM — Registration
7:30 AM — Continental Breakfast
8:15 – 8:30 AM — Welcome and introduction by 1715 Fleet Society President, Ben Costello
8:30 – 9:00 AM — Dedication to Dr. Eugene Lyon
9:00 – 10:00 AM — Charlie Winn — Buyer Beware the Value of a Pedigree
10:00 – 11:00 AM — Daniel Sedwick — Arce’s Doubloons: Bogota 2 Escudos of Charles II
11:00 – 11:15 AM — Break
11:15 AM – 12:00 Noon — Julian Sancton — The San Jose and its Relationship to the 1715 Fleet
12:00 Noon – 1:30 PM — Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 PM Sal Guttuso — Unique and Notable Discoveries from the 2024 Salvage Season
2:30 – 3:30 PM — Richard Mellin — Chinese Export Porcelain
3:30 – 3:45 PM — Break
3:45 – 4:45 PM — Jim Sinclair — Unique Objects from the 1715 Fleet and Other Associated Wrecks
4:45 – 5:00 PM — Closing Comments
TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2026:
7:30 AM — Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM — Opening Remarks
9:00 – 10:30 AM — Sam Wilford, Deputy State Archaeologist & Archaeology Collections & Conservation Supervisor, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State — Plate Fleet Collections Held By the Florida Division of Historical Resources
10:30 – 10:45 AM — Break
10:45 -11:45 AM — Taffi Fisher — In the Beginning …
11:45 AM – 1:30 PM — Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 PM — Brent Brisban — 1,000 yd Stretch of Beach
2:30 – 2:45 PM — Break
2:45 – 4:45 PM — Ben Costello — An Afternoon with the Real Eight: A vintage interview with Real Eight members recorded in March of 1997 by the Indian River Community Library in Vero Beach.
4:45 – 5:00 PM — Closing Comments
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2026:
7:30 AM — Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 9:00 AM — Opening Remarks
9:00 – 10:30 AM — Bob Evans — The Smaller Treasures of the S.S. Central America
10:30 – 10:45 AM — Break
10:45 AM – 12:00 Noon — Sal Guttuso and Ben Costello — The Archaeology of Fort Capron, its Artifacts, Location, and Lost Payroll
12:00 – 1:30 PM — Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 PM — Russell Augustin — Loss of the S.S. Pulaski and the S.S. North Carolina
2:30 – 3:30 PM — Jeff Garrett — The Great Kentucky Hoard
3:30 – 3:45 PM — Break
3:45 – 4:45 PM — Barry Clifford — The Wydah and its Relationship to the 1715 Fleet
4:45 PM – ? — Closing Comments and Conference Gifts
Despite all of our efforts to maintain schedule consistency, this agenda is subject to change. Any changes will be posted immediately.
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Please note that 50% of the ticket price is NON-REFUNDABLE. The 1715 Fleet Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Much of our work is done by volunteers, but there are still expenses that come up from outside vendors that have to be met. Many of our expenses for the conference are based on the number of attendees. We believe that this is a reasonable policy so our basic expenses can be met, and enough will be left over to make our efforts profitable if cancellations are made.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Indian River State College Vero Beach Florida, Vero Beach, Florida, United States
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