Obstacles to recovery

While there was much excitement surrounding the discovery of the Hunley, more investigation and planning were required before they could bring the Hunley home. The recovery crew first needed to determine if the submarine was structurally sound enough to withstand being pulled out of the water. What was determined was that the Hunley was buried relatively quickly after she sank. Layers of silt protected the fragile metal of the submarine from the salt-bearing currents that normally break down such metals. A 1996 assessment of the sub did not find any areas that appeared too weak; the only noticeable damage was a missing viewport from the forward conning tower.

Cussler used the royalties from his famous novels to help finance the expensive project of recovering the sub. He estimates that he spent close to $130,000 of his own money to make it possible. However the recovery effort was extraordinarily expensive at a cost of more than 5 million dollars, most of which was funded by the state and federal government – along with private donations.

Although there were many factors that made recovery difficult, many people decided that recovering the sub in order to give the final crew a proper burial was the most appropriate reason for the undertaking. The team had to deal with freezing waters with almost zero visibility, and slurries of stinging jellyfish that stung the recovery divers' faces. Despite the difficulties, it was important to work as quickly as possible to avoid the possibility of a hurricane disturbing the water and the sea floor or looters perhaps learning of the site and making off with pieces of the Hunley before they could be properly investigated and conserved.