10/1/16 Report (Part II) - More First-Hand Reports Related To The Jupiter Wreck Prior To Its Reported Discovery In 1987.

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

Earlier today I posted about Hurricane Matthew, but recently I've been posting some old finds from Treasure Coast wrecks and camps, especially those found by Darrel S., who hoped that others would also submit their finds so that a more complete record would be obtained to add to our knowledge of the Treasure Coast wrecks.  I know we all like to see finds, but the purpose of posting finds is the larger one of contributing to our knowledge of Treasure Coast history.

Recently I posted a few personal experiences concerning the Jupiter wreck, which is generally accepted to be the San Miguel Archangel.  Subsequently I received some emails related to that subject.  Today I'll post what one archaeologist, Southern Digger, who did a lot of archaeological work around Jupiter, had to say about seeking the Jupiter Wreck in the 1970s.

S. Digger said, After college, I became certified (NASDS) in 1975, and with some research attempted to dive and seek the Jupiter Wreck in 1977. That is when I told the lifeguard about its existence somewhere near the Inlet and he indicated to me that he was planning to search and find it....

S. Digger continued, I was stopped from diving and seeking the wreck in 1977 and was directed to Bessie Dubois who explained it was protected under the Jupiter Inlet Commission and that her husband was on the board. Well she showed me a pile of 4 and 8 Reales and noted when the inlet is dredged and tailings dumped on land,they close the beach and search for cobs.

[I've speculated in this blog about officials closing beaches for private hunting in the past.  TreasureGuide.]

After realizing I would not be allowed to dive and search for the wreck, I was approached by Bessie of the Dubois Historical Society; and the President of Loxahatchee Historical Society; asking if I would help them locate the accurate site of Ft. Jupiter. I was involved in that project for 6 1/2 years, including digs at the battlefield.

Also, between 1979 and 1981 I was considered the archaeologist for their community and was often called off the fort site to assist in investigating other significant archaeological sites in the Jupiter area--some in Dubois Park and near to the lighthouse.

When Hurricane David passed thru Jupiter area in 1979, I inspected the Dragoon camp site which required me to re-clear numerous paths which were initially cut thru the palmettos and scrub oaks with machetes. Then I went to search Jupiter Beach which incidentally, was completely washed out down to hard pan. I found a 10kt gold wedding band, then lost my detector because the saw palmettos at the fort site had sliced into the coaxial wire and at the beach saltwater or rainwater caused the detector to ground out.. Although the instrument box was wrapped and protected, the damaged coil wire caused it to ground out. That was my only reliable beach detector then (Whites Coinmaster VLF Supreme) and I had to send it out for repair. During my brief search at the beach after Hurricane David, I saw no other person with a detector--just surf fishermen.

However, a bit south near the beach restroom, the beach was tunneled and washed out. In the beach was the brown-stained top of a ship-stain from rotted wood and disintegrated iron nails. After further research, I discovered that was the location of the old inlet and a pioneer's schooner was overloaded, grounded and sunk in the inlet sometime during the early 1840's. That is why the Florida Volunteers dug a new inlet at the present location--because the old inlet was no longer passable and it closed up around the foundered schooner. I mentioned this story in my History book on Fort Jupiter.

Thanks for sharing Digger.

I'll add here what Darrel S. said.

As for Jupiter, I go way back and we (surfers) knew of that wreck before the lifeguard story. I know where fill dirt was pulled from dredging in late 1940s to 50s and have found good stuff on properties with permission. Tiger Beach has tons of stuff, but people ignore it...


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You can find a history of the Jupiter Inlet on the Loxahatchee River History web site (link below).  Here are a few important dates long after Juan Ponce de Leon visited the area in 1513.

1913 to 1922 - The Jupiter Inlet slowly moved to its present location; which is approximately 1250 feet North of its original location.  The inlet would naturally open and close periodically due to the effects of hurricanes and strong storm surge activity over time.

1921 - The Jupiter Inlet District was formed to oversee maintenance, dredging operations, and jetty construction in the Jupiter Inlet.

1922 - The "natural" shoreline of the Jupiter Inlet was changed forever as the Jupiter Inlet District dredged a channel and installed two man-made jetties.

Here is the link for a more complete history.

http://www.loxahatcheeriver.net/History-Jupiter-Inlet-Loxahatchee-River.html

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My earlier post of today covered Hurricane Matthew and the big surf that is predicted for us next week.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/2/11 Report - Silver and Gold Finds From Jupiter & NOAA Sonar

Gold in Chinese.

I've heard people say that the beaches have been hunted out - that it has all been found. And I've heard people say that some of the wrecks are worked out. I don't believe that at all.

The Atocha has been hunted for a long time, yet they are making new great finds daily now. They are hitting new virgin territory and a line of new finds that suggests they are finally on the trail of the sterncastle.

The Treasure Coast wrecks have been hunted for a long time too. Sometimes it seems that some of those wrecks are hunted out and people move to other sites, but then in a year, two, or more, they are back on the old wreck sites making new discoveries again.

Down in Jupiter, the San Miguel Archangel wreck hasn't been worked for as many years as some of the Treasure Coast wrecks, but it has been being worked for quite a while now. Long before the cannons were discovered by the lifeguard one morning, detectorists were finding silver treasure coins on the beach for years. They are making great discoveries there as I write.

Some people might think that even though the wreck sites are providing a lot of new discoveries, the beaches are worked out. I don't believe that either.

It has been slow on the Treasure Coast beaches lately. That is for sure. But it isn't the first time that has happened and it won't be the last. Yet, there will be times when the beaches produce again. I don't think the beaches will be worked out for a long time - if ever.

I believe that we are in the midst of both a long-term cycle of sand accretion, and also in a short term accretion cycle.

As you probably know, every summer the sand accumulates on the Treasure Coast beaches as a result of the southern winds and calmer seas. During winter they normally erode when the waves hit from the northeast. Sometimes the erosion lasts a few days before filling back in, and sometimes it lasts for weeks or months, depending upon weather conditions.

Last year we had almost no northeasters, and very little erosion, except for a very few spots where there were obstacles to the normal flow of sand, for example, the areas immediately south of jetties. On top of that there were all of the beach renourishment projects.

It will probably take a number or storms to significantly cut back all of the accumulated sand now. The sand bars in the shallow water will also protect the beach fronts from a lot of the wave action.

One thing to remember is that the beaches will eventually get renourished. Not with sand, thank goodness, but with treasure. I believe there is a lot of treasure under the sand on the beach fronts and in the back dunes. When the weather is right and the sand gets churned up and eroded enough, the beaches will be replenished.

The Treasure Coast Beaches have been hunted with metal detectors for around fifty years now. I won't deny that many of the coins have been found, but as I said, I believe there are a lot left. When conditions are right they will be in detector range again.

If you go out and watch where people detect, there are a relatively few spots where everybody goes - all the time. But there are also places not far away, where you never see anyone use a detector. I feel certain that some of those seldom detected places will produce treasure when conditions are right.

I feel confident that the Treasure Coast beaches will produce a lot of treasure for years to come. Just like with the wreck sites, there will be times when the hunting is hot and times when it is not. You just have to keep looking.

I've said this before, but one of the things about the beaches is that you can't blow holes like the salvage ships do. You have to wait for Mother Nature to move the sand. But Mother Nature will open the doors from time to time, and the beaches will be replenished.

Granted there is a lot working against us right now. The beaches are sanded in because of the persistent southern winds and the fact that we have not had a good northeaster for what seems to me like about two years now.

But there will be a time when the northeasters come and the beaches get cut back, and the beaches get renourished with treasure instead of sand. It is only a matter of time.


Today, thanks to Jim M., who sent me the link to the video, you'll see some of the recent discoveries from the Jupiter inlet wreck. They found a bunch of silver, including a great Star of Lima and a rare gold coin from that wreck.

Here is the link to the video.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/spanish-silver-and-gold-coins-found-near-jupiter-1569074.html

I've actually seen that many silver coins taken from Jupiter beach by a single detectorist back in the eighties over a period of time. He was hunting that beach way before that wreck was being worked by salvage crews.


The NOAA Meritime Heritage Program is using HD sonar to map Civil War and WW II shipwrecks around North Carolina.

Here is the link to that story.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700148399/Bid-to-use-sonar-to-map-Civil-War-WWII-shipwrecks.html?pg=2


Treasure Coast Beach Forecast and Conditions.

This morning the wind is from the north/northwest with a swell coming in directly from the east. The sea remains calm.

In a few days the sea will get a little rougher, but only up to two or three feet. That isn't enough to significantly change my beach conditions rating, but it might refreshen some of the low wide beaches where there are still some iron artifacts.

Arlene is out of the picture now, but there is a new area of thunderstorms down around Haiti. NOAA says there is no chance of this developing into a cyclone.

It really doesn't take a hurricane to bring in the coins. A good storm that sits off the coast for a while sending in some good waves at the right angle will do the job.

It is still cloudy out there to day. Be ready for some rain.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net