9/19/17 Report - It Isn't Over Yet. Maria Might Bring 14 Foot Surf. Beaches Around The Treasure Coast.

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

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Yesterday I wrote, "Its only just begun."  You might have wondered why.  The above is a big part of it.  A 10 - 14 foot surf is predicted for the Fort Pierce area next Monday.  

As you know, it takes more than a big surf, although if the surf is big enough, that can by itself can do a lot.  The direction of the surf also has a lot to do with beach conditions.  That is what has been missing most so far.  While we did get some brief periods of north wind and swells, it wasn't sustained, and most of the time the water was hitting the beach straight on. 

I've commented often about the short-comings of the long range surf predictions that MagicSeaWeed puts out.  Very often a big surf predicted several days in advance never happens.  We can only wait and see.

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Ambersands Looking South.
Photo by Joe D.

Neither Irma nor Jose did a lot to improve metal detecting conditions on the Treasure Coast.  They did some good, but not a lot.

As you've seen, some things were found.  There were very few reports of treasure coins so far though.

Some beaches remain closed.  You can only guess why.

We didn't get anything sustained for any length of time and nothing really huge.  Another thing is all of the renourishment sand.  You can see that in the first photo above.  Nothing but renourishment sand.

Joe D. sent these photos with the following report.

... I too was hoping for a better wave angle to remove more sand! Instead I trudged through about 4 miles of mushy sand with nothing but a very small amount of trash to show for it! But it was still nice to get out here again!

 I started at Amber Sands, but did not hunt there due to poor conditions, and talking to another detectorist who was leaving and got skunked in his hunt! Decided to go to Rio Mar and try my luck

before tide fully came in! Went North first; which was more of the same mushy sand for over a mile that I detected! Returned South and did not hit good hard beach with shells and rocks exposed until a good distance past golf course! But by then the tide was almost at its high mark, so I ended my day there! ...

Rio Mar Looking North
Photo by Joe D.

Rio Mar Looking South
Photo by Joe D.

Thanks for the photos and report Joe.

John Brooks Yesterday

 I took these photos of John Brooks and Frederick Douglas yesterday.

Frederick Douglas Yesterday.

 John Brooks was mostly mushy - slightly firmer near the water.

Frederick Douglas had more features.  There were shells and some dips between the sand bar and the front beach.

You can see the shells.  There were light targets on the front beach by the water and in the shells.  Mostly aluminum.

St. Lucie Parks says that Walton Rocks remains closed indefinitely because of debris that needs to be cleared.

Irma produced some very interesting finds, but I don't know of many treasure coins.  Jose didn't do as much as I was expecting, but we still might get the big surf that is expected to come from Maria.  It isn't over yet.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/18/17 - Hurricane Irma Uncovered Great Find. Parts of Unidentified Shipwreck Uncovered Too. Its Only Just Begun.

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

PHOTO: Randy Lathrop of Cocoa, Fla., discovered the historic dugout canoe, Sept. 11, 2017, after Irma struck the coast. (Randy Shots)

A Florida photographer on an early-morning bike ride the day after Hurricane Irma ravaged the coast stumbled upon an exciting find: a dugout canoe that may be hundreds of years old, according to officials.

The canoe washed up from the Indian River, north of Cocoa, Florida...

He immediately contacted the Florida Division of Historical Resources before someone could mistake it for debris and throw it away...

Thanks much to SuperRick who sent me the following link for this article.

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/canoe-unearthed-hurricane-irma-could-hundreds-years-old-195804517--abc-news-topstories.html

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Post-Irma Finds From Unidentified Shipwreck Site.

Encrusted Clump Possibly Containing Coins From Same Shipwreck Site.

Above are some finds from an anonymous source that were made after hurricane Irma.

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I said maybe Irma wouldn't be the big deal for metal detecting.  I thought from what I was seeing on MagicSeaWeed that it might be Jose.  Well it wasn't Jose, but according to the latest predictions, it might be Maria.  Just look at the surf predictions below.

Source: MagicSeaWeed

I've commented many times on how often a big surf predicted a week or so in advance doesn't happen.  I go by the predictions because that is the best information I can get.  They could be wrong again, but if the current predictions are right, Maria could be the one that does it for us.

Last afternoon the surf started coming more from the north.  That wasn't the case the past few days.  The wind should be from the north when the swell from Maria gets here.  If that happens and we actually get the predicted big surf, it should be very good.  Only time will tell.  I'll sure be watching that.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/17/17 Report - Around The Treasure Coast. Beach Closures. Now Its Hurricane Maria.

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

Wabasso This Sunday Morning.

I took a look at a few beaches this morning.  But before I get into that, here are some that were closed.

Turtle Trail and Seagrape Trail beach accesses were closed as of about 8 AM this morning.  I doubt there is any good reason for that, but have my suspicions.  It seemed a few people parked outside and walked in. 

Walton Rocks was closed this morning as of about 10 AM.  People were also parked outside this access.

Ambersands, Treasure Shores, Golden Sands, Wabasso Beach, Rio Mar, John Brooks, and Frederick Douglas were all open today.  

There were detectorists at Wabasso early this morning, like many other mornings.  

You can see Wabasso Beach in the photo above.  The water had been high enough to hit the base of the cliff.

Ambersands Beach This Morning (Sunday)

Frederick Douglas Beach This Morning (Sunday)

Frederick Douglas Beach changed overnight.  John Brooks stayed about the same as it was yesterday.

Same View of Frederick Douglas Yesterday (Saturday)

Here is what Frederick Douglas looked like yesterday.  To the south (shown in this view) it changed a good bit.  But to the north it looked very similar to how it looked yesterday.

Frederick Douglas to the North Yesterday

The dip shown in the photo above was still there today.

There were quite a few targets, but most of them I could not get to because they were deep and kept getting washed over.

Jose didn't turn out to be the big deal.  The water didn't have any angle to it this morning.  At least the sand got stirred up some.   I'm sure there were and will be a few cob finds, but I'd only give about a 2 rating overall for the Treasure Coast at this point.  I'll have a poll in a few days to try to see how much was found.  Sorry I wasn't able to keep on top of things better this time.  I had a lot of other things to do and just got my home internet working minutes ago.

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Find by Travis B.

Find by Travis B.

This ring was found by Travis B. in the Vero area Saturday.

It might not be centuries old, but maybe decades.

This kind of thing at least tells you that some things with a little age have surfaced in the area.  A good sign.





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Dan C. is now convinced that he has his answer to the identify of the "gold nugget" he found.  Here is what he said.

Please thank "Duane" for his reply regarding the gold.

I knew it wasn't a nugget from jewelry (or a shipwreck) since there was no "polishing", in fact the pic labeled "top view 1" when zoomed in, shows fine ridges and the grey embedded material that wouldn't melt in muriatic acid must have been carbon, ie; ashes.

Now I can rest assured this mystery is solved. It is indeed a sort of morbid find.

Years ago, I hunted in the water at Saipan where a large WWII battle took place.

On one invasion beach, I found a section of human skull, and many human bones, in the shallow water, so this will not be the first morbid find.

On a side note, my hunts resulted in finally returning a gold class ring to a Navy officer who lost it there, over 60 years ago. The ring was returned to the eldest son  and the widow of James Cooney, who both reside in New York. It felt a huge relief to finally locate them.

On the gold splash, I hit it with a polishing wheel, and it does indeed now shine like gold.

Thanks again,

Dan C.

Thanks for following up Dan.  It is good to know that the mystery was solved to your satisfaction. Thanks for letting us know.

Thanks to all who took the time to provide input.

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It might not be over yet.

Source: nhc.noaa.com

Maria looks to be headed towards the Bahamas.

The surf is predicted to decrease a little, but it is still big enough to improve conditions if it hits at the right direction.  Then there is another bump in the surf predicted for about a week out.  I suppose that one is from Maria.

Surf Predictions
Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net