9/15/15 Report - Seven Foot Surf Predicted For Next Week. Screws As Clues. Religious Medallion. Uprooted Skeleton.

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

Sixth Century Christian Medallion.
Source: See link below.

Here is a sixth century religious medallion that was recently found.

It can be difficult to identify items.  We all know that.  But that is part of the fun of it.

Context can help a lot.  As do any markings.  But when you have neither, that is a real challenge.

Beach found items have no real context that you can rely upon.  Even well known shipwreck sites can be mingled with other shipwrecks and items from other times and centuries.

One problem with beach found items is that the corrosion and heavy wear can remove markings and other important features.  Encrustation can also disguise things.  An encrusted religious medallion can look just like a coin until it is cleaned off.  I've made that mistake before.  One old religious medallion was in a bucket of old encrusted coins that were going to be tumbled.  After tumbling, I could see that it was a religious medallion.  An old one at that.  I was sorry I tumbled it.

Make a good effort to identify items before starting with a cleaning method that might do damage.

I personally often have trouble identifying items from the 19th Century.    We don't have big collections of artifacts from the 19th Century sites locally for comparison.  There are definitely some - mostly from old home sites, but we also have some 19th century wrecks along the coast.

Sometimes it is the little things such as the fasteners that can provide an important clue.  For a long time I thought that screws were a modern invention and didn't pay much attention to them.  It turns out that screws have been used longer than I knew.

...screws were widely used in putting firearms together in the early 16th century.  The threads provided a snugger fit that could survive the vibrations from the firing gun.  Screws were also widely used in assembly armor.  When screws are inserted into metal their threads must be fairly accurate in order to fit properly into the receiving threads.  These screws were created by first hammering out a head and shank and then cutting the thread using a die called a screw plate...

Although screws were in use as fasteners by the mid-fifteenth century, factory production of screws didn’t start until the mid-1700’s. 

Here is a link for more about that.

http://info.craftechind.com/blog/bid/301958/8-Little-Known-Facts-about-the-History-of-the-Screw

You can learn to tell the difference between the older screws and modern screws.  The old screws can be a bit irregular, even to the eye.  Although you might not be interested in things like old screws, they can provide a good clue to the possible presence of other older items.

Concerning the medallion at the top of this post.  You don't see any hole or provision for hanging. There are traces of wood on the other side that suggests that  it was attached to something rather than hung. 

“One of the mosaics in the Basilica of San Vitale shows a church altar in a time of service. The altar table’s cover features round medalliions in which the central images are equal-arm crosses just like that of the medallion from Cape Foros."  


Here is the link that that will tell you more about that.  The link also provides the source of the photo and above quote.

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2015/09/11/archaeologists-discover-early-christian-medallion-in-burgos-poros-fortress-in-bulgarias-black-sea-city-burgas/

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An uprooted tree brought up more than roots.  In the roots was the top half of a medieval skeleton.  The bottom half of the skeleton was still in the ground.

Here is the link for that story.

http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/medieval-bones-burst-from-ground-when-tree-topples-150914.htm

I normally check uprooted trees to see if anything was exposed.

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nhc.noaa.gov

Things have been popping up and then disappearing in the Atlantic.  There are two disturbances out there now, both with a 60% chance of becoming a hurricane in the next forty eight hours.

We'll have a bump up in the surf to around three feet on Thursday then it will decrease again.  If the predictions are correct, we'll have a six or seven foot surf next week.

You know how that goes.  Sometimes it doesn't pan out.  If it happens it will be the first surf of that size we've had for a long time.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/14/15 Report - Good Test Garden Ranking Of Several Detectors. Test Garden Benefits and Limitations. Area Sampling.

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

Treasure Coast Beach This Morning Nearing High Tide.

The surf was a little rougher than I expected this morning.  In the above photo you can see the water hitting at a bit of a northerly angle.

The surf on the beach shown at the top was breaking a little ways out.  That was one of those beaches with a flat front that I was talking about the other day.

You can see the relatively flat beach front where the surge from the breakers is washing in.  That white water area has a pretty good current that runs both way - surge and backwash.

One Beach Showing A Little Scalloping This Morning.

The second photo shows a scalloping beach.  That is one of the more coarse grain beaches with more of a slope.  That beach, unlike the one at the top, was scalloping a little.

We're supposed to get a little change in the weather and the surf on the Treasure Coast will pick up a little but not much.  Expect something like three feet on Wednesday.

Tropical Activity As Of This Morning.
Source: nhc.noo.gov

The tropical disturbance shown in red has an 80% chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours.  At this time, I think that one is the one that we should most closely watch.

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I ran across a good YouTube video in which the Ace 350 was tested and ranked with a variety of other detectors.  It was an exceptionally good test in an extensive test garden.

The test not only provided a test of the 350, but I think also gave a good general idea of how detectors in general work with various targets at different depths.

At the end of the video the Ace 350 was ranked with a number other detectors that were tested in the same way, providing a good comparison.

You might benefit by taking a look at the video.  Not only were a variety of targets buried at different depths, both good targets and junk, but very small targets, such as a gram of gold, were also tested. Tests were also conducted with coins buried with nails and other junk.

It was one of the more extensive test garden tests that I've seen, and a good informative video.

Here is the link to the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDAvWgalcrA

Of the various detectors tested in this test garden, the Nokta Fors CoRe did the best, achieving 55 out of 66 points, the Ace 350 came in below the middle of the pack with 33 of 66 points, and the Minelab Go Find 60 and Garrett Grand Master Hunter II came in at the bottom of the rankings.  Although it was second from last, the Go Find had 28 out of 66 points, not really very far below the Ace.  You might find the comparisons interesting.

The Nokta normally sells for up around $800 while the Ace more like $350, so you have to take price into account.

In this particular video, it would have been better if you could see the actual screen readouts to each of the targets, but that is asking a lot of a home video.

I do want to remind you that there are significant limitations with all test garden tests.   One problem with test garden tests is the fact that they are conducted in one specific type of ground, which may or may not be like where you will hunt, but more significant is how the detector is used. Detector settings and modes may not always be ideal and may not always be comparable from one detector to another.

Another problem with both air tests and test garden tests is that you know where the target is and can see when the coil is centered over the target.  If the targets were spread out and the tests conducted blind folded, that would be a better test.   Again, that is too much to expect, but it is important to be aware of the problem.

Another problem with air and test garden tests is the detector is not used as it would be in the field.  That is very significant.

During a test, the targets are directly under the hot spot of the coil.  And the coil is repeatedly moved directly over the target until the best signal is achieved.  In the field the sweep speed is seldom ideal and the coil is seldom directly centered over the target.

That may sound like nit-picking but those things are very significant.  Test it yourself.  Throw a behind your back and shut your eyes and detect normally.  I think you'll be surprised by how often you miss it.  If you don't miss it altogether, you might get the target at the edge of the coil or at the end of a sweep and don't get the best possible signal like you would get from an air test or test garden test.

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I saw two other detectorists out this morning.  I detected very little, but did some detecting.  I sampled a few spots and found the most targets where I would have thought that other detectorists would have cleaned things out.  This is a heavily detected beach, but the most obvious area seemed to have the most targets. Surprise, surprise!  Sometimes you guess wrong, and that is why I like to sample various areas.  I like to do a little sampling to prove or disprove my guesses.  I won't necessarily spend much time sampling, but a little bit often helps a lot.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/13/15 Report - Two Big 2015 Treasure Finds And What You Can Learn From Them. What Treasure Is.

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

Salvage Boat Over Wreck Site A While Back

As you know there were some big finds this year.  One I reported on extensively.  That one was a multi-million dollar find, made national news and was reported by all the major media.  That was the find made by the Capitana guys.

Don't forget that there were other big finds made by other salvage crews on the Treasure Coast this year.

But there were also some big inland finds.  One of those was not reported.  It wasn't of the same magnitude as the 1715 Fleet finds, but it was certainly unusual and remarkable and something that would be reported by the media if the details were made known.

What I wanted to do today is without going into details on the second find, see what could be learned by comparing the two vastly different cases resulting in big finds.  I knew of both efforts before the big hit and followed the progress of both efforts up to the big hit.

First, neither of those two finds was made on a beach.  One was in water covered by a salvage lease and one was inland on private property.

As you know the beaches have not been producing much for quite some time.  That will change some day.

Second, both involved intensive hunts involving many days of effort.

I often advise multiple-stage hunts and have detailed how one might hunt a site in multiple stages.

Third, the big hit was not made until after several days of hunting were completely.

It is easy to give up on a site.  It is easy to quit to soon.

Fourth, on both, there were a series of smaller finds, as well as unsuccessful holes, leading up to the big hit.

I've often talked about how to use finds as signs or indicators.  Where there is one, there is often more.  Because you got some, doesn't mean that is all there is.  Again, it is easy to quit too soon.

Fifth, there was a tip off to the possible productivity of the location.  In the case of the 1715 find, the wreck site and presence of treasure has been known for a long time.  For the other find, there was also a tip-off, though not so far back in history.

Instead of taking a report of a find as an indication that it has all been found, take it as an indication  that there might be more.  Very often the first efforts don't get it all.

Sixth, in both cases, there were others who took smaller amounts of treasure from the site before the current hunters made the big hit.

Ditto comment to number five.

Seventh, in both cases, there was extensive removal of surface material facilitated by mechanical means or heavy equipment prior to the big find.  In the second case, that might or might not have been critical. In the first case it definitely was.

Eight, both involved gaining permission to hunt the location in one way or another.

I'm sure there is more to say, but that is enough for now.  That might give you something to think about.

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Treasure means different things to different people.

One person who finds a gold coin, might be in need of the most basic things.  To him or her, the treasure might mean food, clothing or shelter.

Another person who finds the same gold coin, might not need those things.  To him or her it might be a feeling of success or task accomplished.

To another, the same gold coin might be visions of fame or glory.  To another history.

What treasure means to you depends upon who you are and what you bring to the treasure.   Treasure is a mirror that reflects who you are.  Take a look.

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I got emails about the Bernard Romans book.  It seems that people liked being able to read that.  If you misssed it, you might want to go back a few posts and get the link.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov

As you can see we have three disturbance in the Atlantic.  The one closest to us has very little chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours.  It could hang around long enough to strengthen but I'm not expecting anything out of that one real soon.

The one that is in the middle of the Atlantic won't likely affect us, but the one over by Africa has a 50 percent chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours.  We'll have to watch to see where it goes.

On the Treasure Coast the surf will be small this weekend, and very flat Monday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net.

9/12/15 Report - Oldest Mission In America Investigated. 3 Tropical Disturbances. Metal Detecting Believe It Or Not.

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

Henri disappeared, but there are three tropical disturbances in the Atlantic now.

The one closest to us isn't expected to become a cyclone in the next 48 hours.  The others have a small chance.

Seems like it has been forever since there has been anything to stir up the Treasure Coast sand very much.

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I ran across a thread in a metal detecting forum when I was looking for information on a specific topic in which one person asked if anyone ever found a Mason jar filled with silver coins.  At least one of the participants was wondering if it ever really happened.  Many of those participating in the thread said they probably wouldn't dig a signal from a Mason jar lid.  I know that is true.  Many people would not dig a signal like that and from what I read in the forum and from what I've heard from people myself, the vast majority would not dig such a signal.

That is one thing I always warn about.  If you don't dig those types of signals there is virtually no chance of making that kind of find.  You very much limit your opportunities by how you hunt.  If the things you are missing might be things you'd really like to find, you need to make some adjustments.

I talked to one person who found such a cache before they found it.  We discussed the situation, and they were aware of the possibility because of the situation and hunted accordingly.  Good detecting is thoughtful and strategic.  Goals, possibilities and probabilities are considered.  Methods are selected intentionally and strategically.  Too many people hunt the same way all of the time.

Sometimes, and I've discussed this before, the first stage of a hunt might be a quick scan.  The results of that first scan might help you get a better understanding of the situation.  You can then use that information to adjust your methods.

The way you hunt, will determine what you get, and just as importantly, what you will not get.  Like a lot of things, I learned that the hard way.

Review your finds.  Is there something missing.  Is there something that you never found that you think you should have found?  Are there any conspicuous absences?

Metal detecting is very situational.  By that I mean that the situation will determine a lot.  You are not going to find a lot of Rolex watches at an old settler's camp.  Likewise, you typically aren't going to find a lot of old stuff around a bunch of new condos that have been filled and landscaped.  How much and what you find will largely be determined by where you are, as well as how you hunt.

If you have your detector set up to discriminate everything but coins, that pretty much limits what you are going to find.  That is good if that is what you want, but it could also be bad.

I'm not surprised that not many people have found mason jars full of silver coins.  There might not be many of them buried, but there are other reasons too.  Reading the thread in the forum clearly showed one big reason.  Most people would not dig it if they walked right over it.

Another thing I got from briefly reading that thread is something that I learned before.  It is that detectorists have a tendency to judge what is possible from what they have personally done.  Likewise, they draw conclusions about what is not possible based solely upon what they have done.  There is a tendency to not believe people that do a lot better than them.  I've seen this many times.

 If they've not found a mason jar full of coins, the tendency is to think that mason jars full of coins just aren't found.  Right long with the doubt about such finds ever being made, were very clear statements of one big reason whey they are not often made.  Yes, those things might not happen real often anyway, but the people in that forum were clearly saying they wouldn't dig them anyhow.   Many people are reluctant to think that somebody else is finding stuff that they would like to find but haven't.  Many people (not all) will refuse believe that other people can find much more than they do.

I know of more than one person who has been involved in a metal detecting club and month after brought in new finds that were ten or twenty times more numerous than anyone else in the club.  The rest of the club members started suggesting that the person bringing in all the finds was cheating somehow.  They started saying that the person was bringing in old finds and things like that.  There was an obvious resentment.  After a while they wouldn't even look at the numerous new finds.  They would just ignore them.  There was an obvious emotional reaction.

I haven't attended many club meetings in my many years of detecting but have attended a few.  I've seen the same thing happen in more than one club and to more than one person.  It seems all too common.  The other club members, instead of finding out how the other person was doing so well, wanted to think that it was impossible that somebody was doing so much better than them.  They thought there was some kind of cheating or deception.

It isn't magic.  It isn't all luck.  Much of it is situational.  Some of it is the shear amount of time and effort put in.  And some of it is knowledge and technique.  That is what the other club members should have been looking to learn, but their ego got in the way.

The older I get the more I see that people are their own worst enemies.  Restrained ego and objectivity is one good treatment.

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Here is an article about the oldest mission in America.  The title of the article is " UF Archaeologists Discovered 17th Century Church.  That seems to me to be a little misleading.  The site was known about for a long time.  It was even investigated by an amateur archaeologist decades ago.

Anyhow, here is the link.

http://www.wuft.org/news/2015/09/10/uf-archaeologist-discovered-17th-century-mission-church/

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I'm still working with a little back-up computer.  Don't have all the features that I normally have.

The surf is supposed to be one to two feet on the Treasure Coast this weekend.  Monday will be smoother.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/10/15 Report - 1813 Shipwreck Site Studied. Treasure Tracking. El Nino. Adventures of Sir Francis Drake.

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

Archaeologists are trying to locate the salvage camp and figure out how the survivors survived an 1813 shipwreck near Sitka.

...The nature of the artifacts seems to strongly indicate that survivors of the shipwreck were active in ensuring their own survival. They modified wreckage in desperation, but with ingenuity.

"Collectively, the artifacts reflect improvisation in a survival situation, and do not include ceramics, glass and other materials that would be associated with a settlement," McMahan said...

Here is the link for the story and which is also the source of the picture at the top of the post.

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=136012&org=NSF&from=news

I've been talking a bit about how things come to be distributed after a shipwreck.  Part of that involves steps taken by the survivors to survive.  Some of the first items salvaged will be those most necessary for survival.  Some of those items will be modified and repurposed.

As you know, we have a few salvage camp areas along the Treasure Coast.  Some were used for quite a while.

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One of the early tourists to visit Florida was Sir Francis Drake.  He also visited Virginia and took tobacco home to England.

Here is an account of his quest for treasure at Nombre de Dios and Cartegena.  It is supposed to be an eye-witness account approved by Sir Francis himself.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2854/2854-h/2854-h.htm

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I often liken metal detecting to hunting wild game.  There are similarities, most especially when you are hunting older items.  To hunt old items most successfully, you have to know the signs, and how treasure travels and where it is most likely to be found.  Tracing its path and course is very much like stalking wild game.  That is something I enjoy.

I like hunting things.  It isn't any fun to go out and buy it at the store.  I don't really like spending.

I always think it is odd to see people clap when a bidder wins something at an auction.  The winner simply paid more than anyone else was willing to pay.  That might be an odd perspective, but paying more than anybody else just doesn't seem like a win to me.

I don't want to pay more for something than anybody else is willing to pay.  I'd prefer to find bargains.  I guess I just don't feel smart enough to find bargains at auctions attended by really serious collectors who know a lot more about the items than I do.  To do very well economically, and I know it isn't all about the economics, you'd have to be able to spot items that aren't fully appreciated by other bidders.  Of course if you love an item and just have to have to own it, I can see why you'd be perfectly content to pay more for it than anyone else.  And I suppose that if you do your homework, you just might spot a real bargain that no one else sees and end up doing very well.

If I was going to start a collection, I would try to find something that is fairly rare.  Maybe something like Panama cobs.  There aren't many of them.  They aren't so expensive that you have to be a millionaire to buy one.  And if you put together a small but good collection, study them and publicize them, you really have something that would appreciate in price.

One thing I don't like about some items, is that there might be a very limited number of them now, but some new discovery could make them much less rare.  I'd hate to have the only X, Y or Z, and then learn that ten more were discovered.  That could hurt, or it could possibly help if they were unique examples and all of a sudden became popular.  I'd prefer to know that if there is a limited number, a big new supply wouldn't likely come onto the market all of a sudden.

For the auction business it is fortunate that not everybody is like me. And I wouldn't even have said this if I thought I'd influence all the people who like paying for the things they collect.  I'm sure I won't change anybody's feelings or auction behavior, so no problem.

I could imagine building a collection to study, but probably won't at this point in my life.  Of the collectibles I have, most I've either found or they have some family history.

I find a lot of things that I use.  Most of my hats were found on a beach or somewhere.  You can find all kinds of hats in the wild.  I prefer to find things.

I was out walking down the river one day recently and came across a pair of ruined waders that some fisherman probably discarded.  I cut the boots off and now use the boots all the time.  I like to recycle like that.  I don't like waste.  You might say I'm cheap.  It is environmentally friendly.

I love auctions despite what I said above.  I like to study the collections.  Auctions provide an opportunity to look at things you might never see elsewhere.  And auctions tell you something about how other people value things.  If I fall in love with some item, I might even bid on it, but in the mean time, I'll mostly watch and study.

I'll continue to enjoy tracking my wild game. even if will look at it from time to time in the zoo.

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They are saying that El Nino is this year the strongest ever and will continue into 2016.  Whatever pattern we've been having it certainly has kept our beaches building near continually for at least two years now.

The next two or three days on the Treasure Coast, the winds will be continually shifting about every two or so hours. That is all to little effect though.  We'll have something like a two foot surf.  The tides are not as high now either.

Henri is still out there but will not affect us much.  The National Hurricane Center isn't showing any other tropical weather in the Atlantic except for one disturbance barely off the coast of Africa.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/10/15 Report - Ex Voto Offerings. Cobs From The Panama Mint. Jewelry Hoard. Tropical Storm Henri.

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

Ex Voto Offereings.
Source: wide.com link.

I few days ago I talked about the heart cobs that will be offered in the October Sedwick Coins auction.  It appears they were made for a special purpose, but there is less than complete agreement on what that purpose was.

One possibility is that they were made as ex voto offerings. That might include not only the sacred heart cobs but also other odd-shaped cobs such as those that are shaped like animals.

This picture shows a variety of ex voto objects from Italy.  I suppose that might give us some clue about similar offerings from colonial Mexico even if traditions were somewhat different in Mexico.

Ex voto means "according to the promise I made."  The objects were often left at a sanctuary or by a statue representation of a saint to give thanks for a blessing.  I've also read that sometimes they were left to seal a vow.

It can be difficult to guess how old items were used.  Part of the fun is doing the research and trying to figure it out.  We still don't know for certain the purpose and use of the heart cobs and other odd shaped cobs.

The above picture of ex votos came from the following web site.  You might want to check it out.

http://www.swide.com/art-culture/italian-traditions/the-history-of-ex-voto-jewellery-and-paintings-in-italy/2013/09/02

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Cobs from the Panama mint are rare.  They have a mint mark of "AP." The following linked web site says there are only 43 examples known to exist. 

Here is a link to cobs from the Panama mint.

http://www.coins-of-panama.com/cobs.html

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Hoard Being Excavated.
Source: See link below.

...As he excavated what started as a discreet group of metallic objects, he was soon to reveal a collection of fine gold and silver Roman jewellery that related to a hidden cache from the Boudican destruction of the town.

The jewellery had seemingly been buried for safekeeping in a small pit dug in the floor of a house during the early stages of theBoudican Revolt in AD 61...

Here is the link for the rest of that story.

http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/09/2014/colchesters-hidden-roman-treasure

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Another major monument has been discovered about a mile from Stonehenge.

Here is the link.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/europe/huge-ritual-monument-found-near-britains-stonehenge-n422791

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Tropical Storm Henri.

We now have tropical storm Henri.  He won't come our way though.  On the Treasure Coast we just continue to see a small surf and poor beach detecting conditions.  It is hard to believe how long it has been since I've posted anything but a 1 on my Treasure Coast Treasure Beach Detecting Conditions Scale.

Expect something like a two foot surf through the weekend.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/8/15 Report - Excellent Silver Coin Cache Found! Two Types of Treasure Coast Beaches. Tropical Depression Grace.

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

Part of Cache Find.

Here is part of a silver coin cache that was found not long ago.

Wouldn't it be fun to have all of those silver coins to go through not knowing what neat old coin might be in there. They are all neat.

That is the kind of thing you read about but doesn't come along very often.

Congratulations!  A real experience.

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I received some notes from people who appreciated my 9/6/15 post.  Thanks for all the kind words.

I also got good feedback on the pistareen post.

Here is what one person said.

Thanks for sharing the link yesterday regarding the pistareens.   It is a terrific example of the positive impact that the detectorist can have in the scientific community.  It is also another example of the importance of keeping records.   You never know what value they might have to you, or someone else.

Important points!  Thanks for pointing them out.

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There are two types of beach along the Treasure Coast right now.  It has been like that for quite a while.

The one type has a broad very flat beach that just slopes a little near the high tide line.  These beaches are at Pepper Park and from Blind Creek and much of the way from there down to Jensen Beach.  From Blind Creek to Jensen is a long stretch.

These beaches having a broad flat front extend way out into the water a good distance, maybe twenty yards at low tide in some places.

They are very firm and composed of fine grain sand.  Some of them are firm enough to easily ride a bicycle on them.

The flat beaches are producing some coins and objects, though they are modern for the most part, except for an occasional strip of copper or something else that is easily moved.

There is no drop off at the water's edge, but rocks, dips or whatever there is now covered by sand.  You can walk out a good distance and still be only in thigh high water.

The breaking waves create a surge that comes in over most of that flat beach.  The surge moves sand and objects that don't move are getting covered where there is enough moving sand.

The other beaches, including most of those north of Pepper Park and all the way to Sebastian Inlet have a steeper slope starting very near the water's edge.  The beach front of those beaches is mushy.  The slopes are covered by a courser grain sand.

Here is what CoastalCare.org says.  Grain size determines the slope of the beach.  Beaches with finer grain sizes tend to be flatter with gentler slopes (between the high and low tide line) than beaches with coarser grains.  The reason for this has to do with the ability of sand to absorb water (porosity and permeability) from wave swash.  Fine sand absorbs relatively little water and most of the water that flows up the beach also flows back down the beach.  This backwash tends to move sand in a seaward direction and thus flattens the beach.  Coarse sand or gravel on a beach absorbs much more of the wave swash and more water moves up the beach when a wave breaks than moves back down toward the sea.  Less backwash means fewer sand grains moving back.  In other words in a coarse sand beach the tendency is to move sand landward and pile it up in a relatively steep slope...

And here is the link.

http://coastalcare.org/educate/beach-basics/

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Atlantic Activity.

Grace is now just a tropical depression, and but is on the same path.

There is a new disturbance to the north and east of the Treasure Coast that has a chance of forming but will probably not affect us.

It looks like we'll have south winds and something around a two foot surf for the next few days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net