Heavy equipment begins arriving at the Money Pit for the ten-foot shaft excavation. Vanessa Lucido of ROC Equipment and Andrew Beaulieu of Irving Equipment supervise the delivery of ten-foot caissons that will replace the eight-foot versions used in previous years, giving the team fifty percent more spoils to examine. A thirty-five-foot, 58-ton oscillator will follow the next week. The first target is Borehole D2, where pieces of metal containing gold and ancient wood from a possible 15th-century tunnel were recovered. In the swamp, Gary Drayton, Michael John, Peter Fornetti, David Fornetti, and Billy Gerhardt conduct a final search before the area is allowed to refill with water needed to run the wash plant during the Money Pit dig. Gary finds a small piece of shaped wood he believes could be the handle of a tool or part of a ship's wheel, and the next scoop produces an axe-cut stake and a piece of planking. Marty arrives to review the finds. On Lot 32, Gary and Alex Lagina search for artifacts supporting the possibility of a wharf in the area. Alex digs out a square ox shoe nail that could indicate oxen were used to transport cargo from the wharf, followed by a fired lead musket ball that Gary dates from the late 1500s to the mid 1800s.
In the War Room, Billy informs Rick, Marty, and Craig Tester that he has arranged a visit from Tim Houston, the new Premier of Nova Scotia, the province's highest official with responsibility for the departments of CCH, archaeology, environment, lands, and forestry. The following day, Premier Houston and his wife Carol arrive for a tour. At the swamp, Marty explains the stone road that was discovered hidden underwater, and Billy notes it runs 580 feet along the swamp. Marty also points out the area where First Nation items were found and the forty-meter no-dig zone surrounding it. At the Money Pit, Marty describes the caissons the team has brought in to dig as deep as 180 feet. Premier Houston tells the group he feels the team has done things properly and that there needs to be a balance between common sense and regulations.
Dr. Christa Brosseau presents results from testing done on the lead bag seal found on Lot 32 one year earlier. She explains that bag seals were popular from 1450 to 1730 and identifies the initials stamped on the seal as a T and an E, possibly standing for Treasury of England. The elemental analysis reveals the seal is pure lead with no contaminants such as arsenic or antimony, and Brosseau notes that the purity suggests an earlier date because lead from a later era would have been recycled and contained impurities.
The 58-ton oscillator arrives at the Money Pit, and Vanessa explains to Rick that the heavier machine is needed to ground the equipment when driving larger caissons. The oscillator can apply up to 1,185 tons of torque, and the 21-ton hammer grab is capable of removing up to 11,000 pounds of spoils per scoop, which will then be cleaned and sorted at the wash plant. The team gathers as Rick names the first caisson The Fellowship 1, or TF1. Each member signs the can before Rick writes "IMOTWHCBWSTYWRAH" on the steel, standing for "In memory of those who have come before, we say thank you with respect and honor." The team agrees Rick should do the honors, and he starts the oscillator to begin the dig.
