The Treasure of Aspy Bay

by Robert MacKinnon

ISBN: 978-1-926448-75-6

$21.95

The Treasure of Aspy Bay chronicles the wreck and aftermath of the colonial-era cartel ship the Auguste, lost in Aspy Bay, Cape Breton, in November of 1761. It is considered to be one of Canada’s most notable and tragic shipwrecks. At the time of her disastrous end, the Auguste was sailing from Quebec to France. Onboard were high-ranking and influential French patriots and their families, who were being sent back to France by the British after the fall of New France. They carried with them vast personal fortunes.

One of the most prominent of these patriots was St. Luc de la Corne, a wealthy nobleman and merchant, who was one of only seven out of 121 survivors of the disaster. St. Luc’s story of bravery, suffering and tenacity is told in the context of the tumultuous history of the day and his odyssey back to Quebec is nothing short of miraculous.

The author, Capt. Robert MacKinnon, tells us St. Luc’s story, as well as his own crusade as a salver, along with his team, to find the August wreck site in 1977 and bring to the surface much of the priceless artifacts she carried—a treasure trove of passengers’ personal effects, including an incredible cache of valuable gold and silver coins.

The Treasure of Aspy Bay is a compelling tale of survival, loss, and the enduring human spirit.

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Queen Anne’s Treasure by Robert MacKinnon

Boularderie Island Press

ISBN: 978-1-926448-61-9

$20.95

Queen Anne’s Treasure  is a true story that originates in England during the colonial period and ends with the tragic  wrecking  of  the frigate HMS Feversham on the rocky shore of Scatarie Island, Cape Breton, in 1711. Three of Her Majesty’s transport ships also went down that night with the Feversham, with a total loss of 107 lives. This convoy was transporting military supplies, plus gold and silver coins to Quebec to support and finance the infamous Walker Expedition. This story tells of Britain’s military overreach in its failed attempt to drive the citizens out of New France, and recounts the great loss of life and ships that occurred as a result of the ill-fated Walker Expedition against Fortress Quebec. It is also the compelling story of the most valuable treasure ever lost in this region—the HMS Feversham carried the rarest silver and gold coins ever to be found in North American waters. World-renowned treasure hunter, Robert MacKinnon, takes us on a fascinating underwater journey revealing the secrets, successes and personal disappointments after his re-discovery of this famous maritime loss.

Brought up on tales of pirates and rich shipwrecks lost in local waters, Robert MacKinnon born at Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, felt the strong draw of the sea very early in life. Learning to scuba dive at age sixteen, he went on –  over the next half century – to become world renowned for his discoveries of shipwreck treasure, but not before serving a short stint in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He left police work to become a serious and successful treasure hunter while also working as a commercial fisherman for over forty years. His discoveries are displayed at Halifax’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic along with many other such institutions the world over.

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Blood and Salt by Robert MacKinnon

Boularderie Island Press

ISBN: 978-1-926448-47-3

$20.95

Robert MacKinnon is an ex-RCMP officer, an armchair historian, and a world-renowned maritime salver and treasure hunter. Blood and & Salt captivates readers with more of Robert’s tales of shipwrecks, buried treasure, unscrupulous privateers and lost villages. But that’s not all. Blood & Salt also explores Robert’s own intriguing Highland Scots heritage as a member of Clan MacKinnon. This affords him a deep connection to monumental historic events such as the Highland Clearances and the Battle of Culloden, as well as a direct blood relationship to Donald 1st, 7th century King of the Picts,and a Norse princess known as Saucy Mary.

This eclectic collection of stories shares with readers many other aspects of Robert’s professional and personal experience. He tells a chilling story of being the first RCMP officer at the crash site of Air Canada Flight 621 in 1970, arriving to find the DC-8 and all of its 109 passengers and crew disintegrated beyond recognition. Another tale reveals Robert’s long-time association with Frenchie, a Mi’kmaw man who gives him, and readers, an up-close-and-personal lesson in Mi’kmaw traditions and legends. And true to his nature, Robert presents readers with his own deeply held views on a variety of topics, like unfair maritime law, government bureaucracy and Cape Breton independence. And in case you’re not already hooked, Blood & Salt revives the age-old debate: Was Captain Kidd really a visitor to the Mira River?

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Shipwrecked: North of 40 by Robert MacKinnon

ISBN: 978-1-926448-25-1

$19.95

Nova Scotia’s lost and forgotten treasure ships, pirates & privateers, and the Oak Island mystery decoded

Brought up on tales of pirates and rich shipwrecks lost in local waters, Robert MacKinnon born at Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, felt the strong draw of the sea very early in life. Learning to scuba dive at age sixteen, he went on –  over the next half century – to become world renowned for his discoveries of shipwreck treasure, but not before serving a short stint in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He left police work to become a serious and successful treasure hunter while also working as a commercial fisherman for over forty years. His discoveries are displayed at Halifax’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic along with many other such institutions the world over. The author is credited with finding some of the rarest gold and silver coins to be minted in the early Americas during the colonial period. The rarest being a staggering collection of silver coins minted in New England referred to in numismatic circles as the 1652 Massachusetts Silver series, discovered on a shipwreck lost in 1711 at Scatarie Island. One such coin presented at auction in the United States was subsequently resold for over two hundred thousand dollars US. His story is one of high adventure, dangerous seas, thrilling underwater locations, of pirate diplomacy in a modern context and the frustrations of dealing with unyielding, unrelenting bureaucrats.

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