Efforts to preserve Britannic take big step forward

Ever since Governcheck Limited was awarded legal title to the Britannic wreck in August 1996, the company has been working with the Athenian government to reach an agreement to protect and conserve the wreck. In Nov. 2006, they finally succeeded when the Greek Minister of Culture signed the articles that acknowledge the Britannic Foundation as a legal entity.

Now that it has full authority over the wreck and surrounding debris, the Foundation is preparing to mount a comprehensive analysis of the ship's structure. The Foundation also has plans to raise artifacts and preserve them for the Britannic Foundation Museum to be build in Kea sometime in the future. The Foundation also plans to have offices in Kea and Athens.

The Foundation's official mission statement is as follows:

"The Britannic Foundation is intended to help promote the administration, existence and history of the wreck of the HMHS Britannic; to implement archaeological activities and conservation of the wreck, to administer and co-ordinate controlled diving to the site and to promote any media realisation of the wreck."

People interested in joining the Brittanic Foundation, or in possibly diving the wreck or visiting the future museum, should visit the official Brittanic Foundation web site at http://www.thebritannicfoundation.org.uk.