The Pirate Prince: Discovering the Priceless Treasures of the Sunken Ship Whydah: An Adventure

As a child, Clifford listened to his uncle's stories about pirates and dreamed of treasure; his favorite was that of Black Sam Bellamy and Whydah, sunk off Cape Cod in 1717. Clifford, grown and working in marine salvage on Martha's Vineyard, obtained a permit in 1982 to begin his search for the Whydah that would ultimately involve a $6 million investment, lawsuits and the break-up of his marriage. The story alternates between events of 1717 and those of the 1980s, which included finding the first gold doubloon in 1985. Clifford, writing with freelancer Turchi, describes modern salvage diving and the techniques of restoring artifacts, more than 100,000 of which have been recovered from the wreck. Although there are plans for a Whydah Museum to open in 1995, Clifford does not explain about disposal of the treasure, or whether he has recovered any of his investment. Unexpectedly, his account lacks excitement. Photos. (July)