12/1/12 Report - Mercedes Items on Display, Going With The Flow & The Presidio

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


You probably read about the treasure salvaged by Odyssey Marine Explorations from what some believe is the 1804 wreck of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes.  I''ve talked about it in this blog a few times and provided links to the story.  You might also recall our discussion of the decision by the US courts and the politics involved with the return  of that treasure to Spain.  And there are still those who are fighting that ruling.

Anyhow, Spain has put on display a very small amount of that treasure for public viewing.  Here is the link to an article about that. 

http://www.theprovince.com/travel/Spain+reveals+treasure+from+1804+shipwreck/7633625/story.html#axzz2DilbetEs

I might get around to identifying the coin shown in the photo in that article.

Thanks to Harry P. for sending me the link.


The Presidio was the first European settlement on the Pacific Coast. Currently buried and in need of study, it was founded by Spanish soldiers, sailors and missionaries, and was in use from 1769 to 1834. It is the origin of the city of San Diego.

For more about that, here is a link.

http://www.lajollalight.com/2012/11/28/archaeologists-call-for-move-to-unearth-fortress-below-san-diego-royal-presidio-transform-into-cultural-center/


You might have noticed that some of my photos lately have been blurred.  One problem is that I broke the lens on my Flip Cam.  It still worked somewhat, but you can expect better videos and photos in the future as I learn to use my new HD video cam, which is waterproof to sixty feet.   I don't know what all that might lead to but I have some ideas that I'm eager to try.


The other day I gave you a link to a chapter from the book Natural Hazards and Disasters by David and Donald Hyndman.  If you didn't read the entire thing, and it was quite lengthy, I hope you at least looked at it.  It discusses a number of things that I've talked about in this blog at various times and things that are are apparent on the Treasure Coast.

Concerning water hunting, if you detect while wading in rough water anywhere from your hips to chin, I advised learning to go with the flow instead of fighting the water.   I've talked about that in the past. 

Some people use weights and all kinds of things to help them stay put while detecting in rough water.  The technique I advised was to lift your feet at the right time and go with the wave knowing that it will return you to the same spot.  

People tend to think that the water continues to move ashore, but as the illustration in the article shows, it actually moves in circles.   The reason I mention this is that the illustration in that article shows exactly why my technique works.

You will feel the water suck you one direction and then push you the other direction.   If you learn when to lift your feet and then put them back down, you'll find that the water will return you to the same spot. 

If you take a scoop of sand to mark your starting spot, or bury the scoop so it stays put when a wave goes by, you can observe this clearly.   The water will move you in, then out, and you'll end up where you started over the hole or by your scoop.

If the water is very rough, you'll have to dig, then drift, and when returned to the same spot take another scoop of sand if necessary, repeating the process until you get the object in your scoop.

This isn't easy if you are beginning, but it is a technique that can be mastered that will allow you to wade and detect in very rough water.

Before I mastered the technique of going with the flow, I remember the waves hitting my head and giving me a headache and sometimes knocking my earphones off.   I see no reason to fight the waves anymore.  Learn to work with them.

You can definitely learn to feel the cycle and learn to know when to pick up your feet. 

I haven't been talking about water detecting very much lately.  As you know, so much of the Treasure Coast is protected by salvage and exploration leases, and the water has been rough for quite a while.

Over on the river, the water has been high and rough for a while too.   I noticed some bottles and other stuff washing up on the west bank.

The wind is from the east and the surf is running around three to four feet.  It looks like it will be just a little higher tomorrow and then back to around three to four feet for the next few days after that.

Therefore don't expect any significant change in detecting conditions on the beach real soon.

Hopefully I'll learn my new camera quickly and have some neat photos for you before long.  Underwater too.


Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net