5/22/18 Report - Singing in the Rain. San Jose Shipwreck. Tropical or Subtropical System Development Possible.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

As I recently mentioned, it is the time of year to start watching for tropical storm development.  Here is what is causing our rain and will possibly cause tropical development.

Special Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
745 AM EDT Tue May 22 2018

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

1. A broad surface low centered just east of Belize is producing a
large area of cloudiness and showers extending from the northwestern
Caribbean Sea across Cuba into the Florida peninsula.  While strong
upper-level winds and dry air aloft are expected to limit
organization during the next couple of days, some gradual
subtropical or tropical development is possible late this week while
the system moves slowly northward into the central or eastern Gulf
of Mexico. Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is
possible across western Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and much of
Florida during the next several days.  For more information on the
heavy rain threat, please see products issued by your local weather
office. The next Special Tropical Weather Outlook on this system
will be issued by 800 PM EDT.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...medium...40 percent.

---

Source: See FoxNews link below.

And here is a new article on not so new news.

An autonomous vehicle was used in 2015 to locate a Spanish galleon that sunk 300 years ago off the coast of Colombia with $17 billion in treasure, the research team that helped in the discovery said on Monday.

The San Jose, which was considered the “holy grail of shipwrecks,” was located with the help of an underwater autonomous vehicle operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The institution said it was holding the discovery under wraps out of respect for the Colombian government...

Here is the link.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/05/22/autonomous-vehicle-helped-locate-holy-grail-shipwrecks-off-colombia.html

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I don't know if the rain prevents you from detecting or not.  Rain can be a pain if you don't have waterproof gear, but for the treasure hunter, rain can be a good thing.

Rain causes erosion.  It can erode the dunes.  You might also find erosion to some inland sites.  Take a look to see what might be uncovered by runoff.  In areas with good history where you might not even be allowed to detect, you might be able to find uncovered artifacts in ditches or gullies.  And, of course, you might be able to detect things in the soaked ground that you might have missed before.

One thing I always liked about rainy days is the quiet beaches.  I like detecting in the rain.

One of my most memorable sights was when I was detecting in a dead calm ocean in a downpour.  That was an surreal sight.  I couldn't see but a few feet out.  It was eerily quiet.

Its not too late to take advantage of the rainy days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

PS: If you have a roof leak, try Flex Seal spray.  It is easier to apply than roof tar, but you can't spray it through puddles, so you need to get rid of any puddles first.

Rustoleum and other companies have similar products that might be a bit cheaper. 

You can probably find metal detecting related applications too.

3/6/18 Report - Understanding Why Big Waves Sometimes Lead To Finds and Other Times Not. Mystery Find Identified.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

After all of the big surf the past few days, there was more accretion than erosion along the Treasure Coast.  I talked about a couple of the reasons for that yesterday.  I mentioned the amount of sand in front of the beach that was absorbing most of the wave energy before the waves hit the beach, along with the angle of the waves.

You've probably heard of the legendary Thanksgiving Storm or 1984.  I've mentioned it several times before and I posted the exciting story of one person that was there that day.  I also posted a NOAA report that explained why that storm damaged the beaches so much.  While people are wondering what happened and why the recent waves didn't do much for us, I thought it would be a good time to post some of that report again.  It really explains what happened back then and why it happened.

Here is part of that NOAA report.

...The meteorological conditions just described produced one of the most damaging storms to affect the eastern coastal sections of Florida during the past several decades. Much of the damage from Fernandina Beach southward to North Miami Beach, nearly 400 miles, was caused by the easterly winds of gale force with gusts as high as 60 miles an hour blowing for nearly four days. This action of the wind over the ocean produced shoreward moving swells of around 20 feet which pounded the Florida east coast and produced the most severe beach erosion in recent years in many areas. An example of the destruction was the reduction of the newly completed l100 foot pier at St. Augustine to 300 feet. Sand dunes were obliterated leaving barrier islands void of any natural protection against the next onslaught of a coastal storm in the future.To add to the destructiveness, the highest monthly astronomical tide period coincided with the highest period of storm tides which occurred on the morning of Thursday and Friday, the 22nd and 23rd. All of this produced tides 4 to 6 feet above mean yea level (MSL} at times of high tide. In some places, this was the highest tide in the last 30 years. Alt Mayport, Florida, just north of Jacksonville, the tide of 5.2 feet above MSL was the third highest tide of record. Much of state road A1A, the famous coastal highway, was closed in Indian River County between Vero Beach and Sebastian Inlet because of high water. In this area several beach front buildings collapsed, and 600 to 1,000 people were ordered to evacuate their homes. In Palm Beach County, five blocks of A1A were seriously damaged by the high tides and heavy surf. Bridges were closed because of flooded approaches which caused some barrier islands including the large Hutchinson Island to become isolated for periods of time around the time of high tide. In the storm's aftermath, severe coastal beach erosion stretched from Jacksonville to Palm Beach. ...

At the West Palm Beach weather office, a new station rainfall record was set on Thanksgiving Day for the greatest amount in a calendar day, 7.41 inches....

Another factor was that these strong onshore winds continued for many days. Winds of near gale force (about 40 miles an hour) began blowing along the north Florida coast the evening of the 20th. They did not subside until late on the 24th. Therefore, much of Florida experienced strong onshore winds for about 4 whole days. These winds were frequently between 30 and 40 miles an hour. The direction of the winds was from the north northeast which is probably the best angle of incidence for beach erosion along the coast from Fernandina Beach to Palm Beach. The coastline south of Palm Beach was spared from most of the adverse effects of the storm because the wind was actually blowing offshore throughout much of the storm. However, this northwest wind caused significant damage to the coastlines of the western Bahama Islands Friday and Saturday. This was all due to the position of the storm center remaining over Grand Bahama Island from early Thursday morning through early Saturday...

As noted earlier, the time of the month that the storm occurred was coincident with the highest astronomical tides of the month and nearly the highest spring tide of the year. Tide tables indicated that the highest predicted tides for the month of November fell on the mornings of the 22nd and the 23rd, exactly during the time of the highest storm tide. Reports from the storm survey teams of the Florida Department of Natural Resources indicate that the storm tide was over 6 feet above low mean water. Tide gauge readings at Mayport were 7.5 feet above mean low water or 5.2 feet above mean sea level. The one factor of the storm episode which magnified the entire situation was the nearly stationary nature of the storm for 3 days. This lack of movement produced the prolonged onshore winds which resulted in at least 4 days of heavy surf pounding the shore. Portions of the coastline experienced 9 high tides during this period, with each succeeding high tide higher than the previous one, thus making the erosion of sand greater with each tide. These are the reasons for the extensive damage that resulted from this particular storm....

Before commenting, here is the link if you want to read the entire report.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/mlb/pdfs/Nov_1984_storm.pdf 

Notice that the report says,  The direction of the winds was from the north northeast which is probably the best angle of incidence for beach erosion along the coast from Fernandina Beach to Palm Beach.  As is often the case, the wind has been shifting the past few days.  It started from the north and one person said they saw some cuts (Saturday I think it was), but they disappeared a day later.  Often that is what happens when a front moves through: the wind shifts around as the front moves through.  As the direction changes the swells change and the sand moves one way and then another. 

Unfortunately we're going to continue getting changes in wind direction as another front moves through.  However, I'm still thinking the biggest problem is the tons of sand piled up in front of the beach. 

Knowing when and where to go isn't an exact science.  You can learn enough to improve your chances considerably, but there will still be hits and misses.  If you get it right every time, you're a lot better than I am.  I go out to check to see what is happening.  Sometimes I'm surprised and sometimes I see exactly what I expected.  If you go out after a long period of south winds and small surf, your chances of finding any old treasure coins is very slim.  As with many things, learning is a matter of probabilities.  In fact I say that skill is a matter of doing the things necessary to improve the probability of success.

I don't know if I've ever said this before, but I believe that heavy rains can add a little to erosion by agitating the top layer and cliff faces.  I have no idea how significant that might be, if at all.

I think the NOAA report on the Thanksgiving Storm is worth studying.  It tells you what caused one of the most legendary treasure beach days ever.

One factor they do not address is the longer term changes that occur over years or decades.  It seems to me that there are times when you have net erosion or accretion that occurs over a period of years.  I can remember times when that big sand bar was not in front of John Brooks beach and if you stepped off the front of the beach into the water there was a drop off.  There were pot holes right in front of the beach.  The bottom wasn't covered with a layer of sand.  That lasted for some years, but it hasn't been that way for at least a few years now.  In my opinion, that has a lot to do with why John Brooks has not been too productive in recent years.

---

We have consensus on yesterday's mystery find.  Lloyd D., Joe R., William M. and Bill P. all said it is a sheet music holder.  Thanks guys. 

No other ideas offered, so I think that is it.  Below is an example from Pinterest.

The holes were for attaching the shelf and some of them had other attachments for holding the sheet music firm, which explains some of the other holes.

The interesting thing would now be to see if there is a story behind it and how it ended up where it was found.

----

Happy

12/16/14 Report - Extensive Government Shipwreck Study. 4200 Year-Old Sword. 4000 Year-Old Hopi Items Repatriated.

Written by the Treasure Guide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.


Sonar Image of City of Rio De Janeiro
Source: noaa.gov link found in this post.

NOAA and its partners ... released three-dimensional sonar maps and images of an immigrant steamship lost more than 100 years ago in what many consider the worst maritime disaster in San Francisco history..

... California-based salvagers found the wreck in the 1980s, but its exact location was unknown as the coordinates they provided did not coincide with any wreck charted by NOAA through years of sonar work.

Here is the link for more about this shipwreck and an extensive NOAA study of shipwrecks in the San Francisco area.

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr121014.html

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A sword found by a detectorist in 1989 dates to around 4200 years old and belonged to a warrior now known as Racton Man.   ...Racton Man was probably a tribal leader from the very beginning of the Bronze Age. Their research makes him significant on a national scale. Scientists have determined that he was buried more than 4,000 years ago and was over 45 at the time of his death.

Here is the link for more of the story.

http://www.chichester.gov.uk/article/25733/Warrior-Chief-with-earliest-bronze-weapon-may-have-died-in-combat

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For most people there is something that they in some way consider sacred.  For example, most people show a certain amount of respect for the dead.  They treat bodies and cemeteries with reverence.  That sense of respect is in my opinion natural and occurs even in people that have no particular religious commitment or awareness. 

Very often what looks like reverence is little more than the result of social pressure or political correctness and nothing more. 

Recently a number of four-thousand-year-old artifacts were returned to the Hopi's.  The word "returned" may be misleading.  I doubt if any real connection between modern Hopi's and the original owners of the artifacts 4000 years ago can be demonstrated.  Nonetheless the artifacts were treated as sacred and shipped according to the prescriptions of modern tribal representatives, including no bubble wrap or any other method of packing that would "hinder spirit" or be considered inappropriate treatment.

I know that this brief discussion is vague and maybe somewhat imprecise, but I think you will find the articles located through the following links interesting.  There are a number of issues brought up and a number of areas of conflict.   While archaeologists know they must adhere to laws concerning repatriation, some think those laws do more harm than good. 

I also have to wonder if Christian objects and artifacts would be treated with the same sensitivity and respect as those that were returned to the Hopis.  I somehow doubt it, but that is just my suspicion. 

I found the following articles concerning the repatriation of these objects interesting because of the many seemingly contradictory positions and the many issues brought up.

Take a look.

http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2012/12/effort-to-return-hopi-artifacts-stirs.html#.VI3pFOl0zIU

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/arts/design/secret-bids-guide-hopi-indians-spirits-home.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


I hope you read Laura Strolia's article that I posted yesterday.  Take some time to stop and think about it.  How does it apply to you?  Do you pay proper respect to the history and religious items you encounter as a detectorist?

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On the Treasure Coast tomorrow the surf will be down to 1 - 2 feet.  The river is also smooth.  We'll be having a calm surf at the beach for several days if the predictions are correct.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

6/30/14 Report - Depression Forming Off Florida, Detecting Community, Early Mexican Reales, Airplane Coil & Pippa

Written by the Treasure Guide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Source of photo: USA Today

Pippa tells Matt Lauer that she reads the treasurebeachesreport every morning!

Just kidding!  I saw this photo and thought that was funny.


Here is the real news for today.   It has been quite a while, but there is something happening.  This is what this blog was formed to do - report on changing Treasure Coast beach and detecting conditions.

As you know we've been stuck with poor conditions and no changes, but now a depression is forming to the East of us.  According to NOAA it might become a depression by mid week.

I'm not expecting it to affect us much, but it is something to watch.

http://www.weather.com/news/tropical-update-atlantic-pacific-hurricane-season-20140513



Tropical Depression Forming.

A few days ago I talked about how the metal detecting has grown and things that might make that growth appear large than it is.  I talked about how the internet has affected how much more information is shared and how much more you know about what is going on in the metal detecting and treasure hunting communities.

Back before the internet, maybe you subscribed to one of the metal detecting magazines.  It came once a month.  Or you visited a club meeting where you would learn what people were finding or what they were doing.  Again, it was once a month.

A few guys hung out at a local detector shop and got in on the gossip on a more regular basis, but that news was mostly local.

There were a few small groups that had their own newsletters such as the one started by Glenn Carson.  That group ended up investing in a silver mine in Mexico.  The project ended poorly with the money disappearing.

Now people read about everything that is going on whenever they want to, and that is often on a daily basis.

I do believe that there are more detectorists these days, but one important factor is that many detectorists are more informed, not only on detecting sites, but also on strategies and techniques.  The are also more informed about metal detectors and how to use them.

I'm convinced that back in the old days a lot of the guys had no idea how much they were missing.  I don't think they knew the weaknesses of particular detectors and especially how much good stuff you can miss by using too much discrimination.

Some guys today still over discriminate.  They simply don't want to dig trash.  And some don't realize how much they are missing.

Just to once again mention something important that I've mentioned before,  one of the best things you can do is practice with various types of targets and the different settings of your computer - even if you have been using that detector for a long time and think you know it well.  It is easy to fall into a habit of using the same old settings and focusing on the same small range of targets.  With some test targets, try various settings and listen and watch you your detector responds.  I bet you'll learn a few things.  Also, vary your sweep speed when doing you tests and observe the results.



Check The Coil On This Plane.

Try the same things inland and on a dry beach, wet beach and in the water and observe the signals.

Try different types of targets, not just the coins and rings.   Try watches, iron spikes, etc. etc.


This plane carries a coil, but not a detector coil, though it has something in common.

It is a coil used to detonate magnetic sea mines during WW II.   Just one of those neat and interesting things I ran across while doing some genealogical research.


The mint was created in Mexico City in 1535.   Although we are accustomed to quickly identifying cobs from Mexico from the Florenza cross, the first coins minted there did not have that cross.

Here is a look at some of the first coins from the Mexico City mint.

This is from the book, Monedas Espanolas desde Juana y Caros a Isabel II 1504 a 1868, by Calico, Calico & Trigo.

These 4-reales are undated and very rare.  Probably minted very near 1535.

Happy  hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/23/14 Report - Important Meeting, Changing Laws, A Couple Wreck Sites, and Discrimination

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Copper Sheathing After Wood Wreck Has Disappeared.
Source: Cover of the NOAA study referenced below.

I need to address something important today, and there are only a couple of days remaining to do it.

I need to alert you to an important meeting this Friday.   Below is a flyer with details that I received by email from Wes B. 

Note the time and place given in the last paragraph: Friday April 25 at 5 PM at FIT in Melborne.

If you want to know what could happen with wreck salvage under Federal law you might want to attend.

As background, here is a link to an overview study funded by NOAA entitled Underwater Cultural Heritage Law Study, 2014-005.

http://www.data.boem.gov/PI/PDFImages/ESPIS/5/5341.pdf

You might want to browse this for multiple reasons.   First, it gives a good overview of the relevant law, explaining, for example, the Black Swan case that resulted in Odyssey Marine returning salvaged materials from the Mercedes to Spain.  You might be surprised by how much is covered by this body of law and how far reaching it can be.

If you don't know why global warming is so important to some in politics, take a careful look at this study.  In this study you will see links to references explaining how oil companies and other private energy related companies first discovered three 19th Century shipwrecks and then funded government archaeological investigations of those shipwrecks (See photo below). Issues such as pollution and global warming provide much regulatory and financial leverage for government activities and touch almost everything you do from flushing your toilet to the batteries you use to power your detector.

Maybe you thought NOAA was all about weather.

You might not feel like reading the entire study, but at least browse through it.

You might want to take a look at the section on Common Law of Finds.  The concept of "abandonment" seems to be overlooked, as I would define it.  When is something "abandoned," and when does a ship cease to exist?   It would seem to me that a pile of unidentifiable or barely identifiable wreckage is no longer a ship.   Definitions are important.  They can be used and abused.

The Ewing Bank Wreck Photomosaic by Dan Warren, C&C Technologies.

Here is something that isn't quite as heavy.  See if you can guess what the following is?  It is something I picked up on a walk the other day.  I'll give you the answer tomorrow.  There is one pretty obvious answer, but that isn't it.

Discrimination or discrimination?

 

When metal detecting, there is more than one way to discriminate.  You can let the detector do it for you by using a discrimination knob to completely eliminate a complete range of less desirable signals, or use a fancier form of discrimination, such as notch discrimination, or use sophisticated  graphic digital output. 

Another way to discriminate is to use all-metals or pin-point mode and let your brain do the processing.  If you learn to hear what your detector is telling you, you don't need to discriminate out signals altogether or read a graphic display.  You can learn to interpret approximate size, general shape, depth, and metallic composition by listening to a simple auditory signal.  That takes a little time and training, but can be just as or even more effective.   Of course, some detectors provide more information in the auditory signal than others, but you don't need anything very fancy to get a lot of information from the auditory signal.   What it takes is time and practice.

I will continue with this some other time.


Treasure Coast beach detecting conditions remain poor.  The surf on Wednesday will be only about three feet and then decrease more for a couple of days.  


Happyhunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net