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.

Robert MacKinnon felt the strong draw of the sea very early in life. Learning to scuba dive at age sixteen, he went on for over the next half century to become world renowned for his discoveries of shipwreck treasure. 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. 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.

Robert MacKinnon's profile page