3/31/15 Report - Peripheral Sensitivity And Metal Detecting Around Large Metal Objects. Spring Break In Full Swing.

Written by the TreaureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.

Detectorist On Treasure Coast
Beach Yesterday Near Low Tide

The sand is still piled up.  The nice North wind we had recently didn't do anything good to the beaches.  There were some shells, sea glass and pieces of fossil on some beaches near low tide yesterday.

Bill P., who provided me and the blog with excellent instructions on how to use Muriatic acid to clean cobs back a few years ago was down in the Treasure Coast area and said how disappointed he was to see all the renourishment sand.  That is the way it is now.

I saw this fellow in the picture detecting on feet of newly accreted sand.  He got caught on the Treasure Guide's roving beach cam.

There were a lot of people at the beach yesterday.  It looks like Spring Break is in full swing.  There are a lot of snow birds on the beaches these days.

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Bill M. had the following to say.

While researching a ghost town on the west coast of Florida, I found the Florida Memory web site which is filled with old photos, maps and articles about places in Florida from by gone days.

Not sure if you've mentioned this on your blog, but thought I'd share it with you.

https://www.floridamemory.com/

I also found the ghost towns link below interesting, but not totally accurate.

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/fl/

Thanks Bill.

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Here is a quick video clip showing one Treasure Coast treasure beach from yesterday.

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In my most recent post I talked about the importance of knowing the area of target sensitivity for your detector coil and suggested doing air tests to determine the size and shape of the area of target sensitivity for your detector.  Today I'll discuss peripheral sensitivity a bit more.

The area of target sensitivity will be different for different coils and detectors.  The shape of that area will differ and is an important factor.  That is one thing I explained in my previous post.

What I want to talk about today is the far edge of peripheral sensitivity   By that I mean the farthest area out from the center of the coil where things can still be detected.

It might seem surprising to some, but an object doesn't have to be under the detector coil to be detected.  Most small targets do have to be under the coil, but larger objects do not.  You can prove that for yourself.   Try to detect close to a chain link fence, for example.  The fence will give a signal when the coil is inches or feet away from the fence.  The same thing will happen with any large metal object, whether it is a car, rebar in a driveway, lamp post, or whatever.  You can't detect close to those things because of the signal they will cause.

For smaller targets like coins or rings, you obviously don't get such a large signal when the coil is not over the object.   A good hot setup will detect small things under the edge of the coil or out from the edge of the coil just a touch.

Peripheral sensitivity for large objects can be an obstacle.  You won't be able to detect real close to metal lawn chairs or fences.  That provides an opportunity if you can figure out how to work close to those types of objects.  One way to do that is to select the right detector.  Some detector/coil combinations will allow you to get much closer to those types of objects than others.

Another method that will allow you to detect closer is to switch to a smaller coil.  Another is to decrease sensitivity or increase discrimination.

This is one of those situations when you might find that a less expensive or less powerful detector can work to your advantage.

Another thing you can do is to change your sweep pattern.  Sweep your coil parallel to such objects, instead of at and away from those objects.  Instead of walking along a fence, face the fence and sweep the coil parallel to the fence.

Another thing that often helps, is slowing down your sweep speed.

Those things can help you turn an obstacle into an opportunity. 

In a future post I'll talk about methods for making best use of peripheral sensitivity.

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On the Treasure Coast the surf is very small these days and the tide is moderate.   On Easter the surf is now predicted to increase to something like 4 to 6 feet.  The earlier predicted eight-foot surf has disappeared from the charts, as is often the case.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/29/15 Report - Importance and Method Of Determining The Shape Of The Area Of Target Sensitivity For Your Metal Detector Coil.

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

Every once in a while I post information that you won't find anywhere else.  Sometimes I get deeper into a topic, or sometimes I approach it a different way.  Today I'll post something I bet you've never heard before, at least not in the same depth or the same way.

Before getting into the new stuff, I need to repeat a bit that I've posted before.  Here goes.

There are several problems with air tests.  An air test can be useful when you get a new detector and are just beginning to get to know a detector and how it responds to different types of targets.  You can't, however, judge how deep a detector will detect in the field from an air test.  I do recommend doing some air tests to begin with, but field tests are much better.

One of the problems with an air test is that people test targets directly under the center of the coil in order to get the maximum depth.  In actual use in the field, the target will often not be under the exact center of the coil.

Also, when conducting an air test, people adjust the speed they move the target so they get the greatest possible depth. In the field, most people do not use the optimal sweep speed.  That can make a big difference. 

An air test can be useful for learning what type of signal, if any, a target will cause.  It can also give you an idea of the relative depth that can be achieved on different targets in air.

A third use, and here is one that you probably haven't read or heard about before, is determining the shape of the area of target sensitivity under the coil.

Illustration Showing Coil and Two Different
Areas Of Detection Sensitivity.

In this illustration the area between the curved red line and the coil would be the area of target sensitivity for a coil that is not extremely deep-seeking.

The area between the green line and the coil would be the area of target sensitivity for a more sensitive coil.

The semi-conical shape would be a very common shape for the area of target sensitivity for many detectors. 

Usually the greatest depth is achieved under the center of the coil.  Less depth is achieved out closer to the edge of the coil.  That is common knowledge.

The shape of the area of sensitivity is different for different detectors and different coils.  The area of sensitivity is more narrow for some detectors and broader for others.

I've had some coils that are more sensitive than others, even on the same detector.  One particular coil that I had was very good at picking up objects slightly outside of the edge of the coil.  Some people might say that isn't possible, but I'm convinced that some coils/detectors/settings can do that.

Coils that are good at detecting good targets at the edge of the coil, or even beyond the edge, have what I call good peripheral sensitivity.  You might think of that as being something like peripheral vision.

The Whites Surf PI, as one example, is much more sensitive near the center of the coil and not very sensitive out away from the center of the coil.  The area of maximum sensitivity is narrow on that detector.  That means that if you want to get good depth, you have to overlap your sweeps a lot.  Otherwise much of the area you cover will only give you something like half the depth or less than what you will get under the center of the coil.

In the above illustration I have four targets.  One would be detected by the less sensitive coil, one by the more sensitive coil and two missed by both coils.

Now here is an important point.   Since the size and shape of the area of target sensitivity is different for different coils and detectors, it is useful to know the approximate size and shape of the area of target sensitivity for your coil and detector.  One way to determine that is by air testing.

To determine the shape of the area of sensitivity for your coil for representative targets, do an air test, but instead of trying to find the maximum depth at the sweet spot, run your test target under the coil in the middle AND ALSO at different distances out from the center of the coil.   You will then learn the approximate shape of the area of target sensitivity.   How narrow or broad is the area of target sensitivity?  How broad is the area of maximum sensitivity?  How close to the edge can you get decent depth on the types of targets you are interested in?

Illustration Showing Three Sweeps, Two To The Rigth & One To The Left

This above illustration isn't very good, but I tried to do it quickly and the tool I selected wasn't great for the purpose.  I hope you can figure it out.

The circle labeled "coil" represents the starting location of the coil before the first sweep.  The big red rectangle shows the area covered by the coil as you sweep to the right.  The green rectangle shows the area covered by the coil on the sweep back to the left, and the blue rectangle shows the area covered by the sweep back to the right.  In actual practice these would most likely be arcs instead of rectangles, but I hope you get the idea.

The yellow area in the middle of each larger rectangle represents the area of greatest depth and sensitivity near the center of the coil.  Even with this tight sweep pattern some small area between the second and third sweep is not covered by the coil at all.  There is some overlap at the end of the first sweep and beginning of the second and some overlap at the end of the second sweep and beginning of the third.

The area of maximum sensitivity and depth (yellow) is more narrow than the width of the coil.  That means that even if you run a tight sweep pattern, the majority of the area covered by your coil is actually getting less than the maximum depth. 

With detectors having a narrow area of maximum target sensitivity that is more serious.  You would be getting much less than your maximum depth in most of the area you cover.  That is why it is important to know the shape of the area of target sensitivity and the areas of good and poor sensitivity for your detector   You can then adjust accordingly.  If it has a narrow area of maximum sensitivity, you might want to overlap more.  If your detector has a good broad area of sensitivity, you won't need to overlap as much to maintain good depth. 

Different situations call or different strategies, but you have to know your detector to make the very best decisions.  Knowing your coil and its response characteristics and strengths and weaknesses will help you make the best decisions.

3/28/15 Report - Turquoise Jewelry. Silver Prices. 90 Silver Coins Found In Field. Some Real 18th Century Works of Art.

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

Styles come and go, and so do the types of things you will find.  Back a few decades ago silver and turquoise jewelry was very popular and there was a lot of it to be found.  There was a time when you would find a silver and turquoise piece on almost every hunt.

Here are a couple of examples of old water finds.  Both were found back in the eighties, I think, and both had been in the water a number of years before being found.

Here is what the March 25 Kovels Komment said.

Turquoise, the semi-precious stone, has long been popular on American Indian jewelry. Turquoise jewelry is now popular with designers of expensive jewelry and a Tiffany necklace of turquoise stones worn by Cate Blanchett to the Academy Awards was newsworthy. Turquoise is found when mining copper. Many mining companies have closed their turquoise production since 2012 to concentrate on the more valuable copper. The best stones doubled in price last year. Designers of gold and turquoise jewelry use stones without matrix, the black lines that mark the stone. Vintage Indian silver jewelry used more common turquoise with lines. Arab customers also prefer gold jewelry with the matrix because it is said to absorb evil and protect the owner. All real turquoise jewelry is going up in price. Beware, there are many good ceramic and plastic copies of the natural stone that are made to look like the plain blue or the matrix marked stones. There are also inferior soft stones that are artificially colored.

The ring in the top photo is broken and discolored, as found.  It is silver, though, and weighs .86 troy ounces.

The second ring is silver and turquoise and discolored.   Just two of many examples of old silver finds.

Silver will discolor when stored in contact with some other metals.  Be careful to store your better silver so that it is not touching any lesser metal.  The same thing can happen if a silver piece is on a piece of iron or something while in salt water.

Silver Prices

There have been two big spikes in silver prices in the last fifty years.  One was back in the seventies when the Hunt brothers monopolized the silver market and manipulated prices.  The other was back just a few years ago.





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Want to marvel at some real 18th Century treasures?  These are remarkable works or art.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/news-video/videos/2015/03/swiss-mechanical-marvels.html

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A man stumbled upon an earthen jar with about 90 silver coins from the 16^th-18^th century while plowing a field with a tractor in the town of Zahari Stoyanovo, Popovo Municipality, in Northeastern Bulgaria.

Here is the link.

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2015/03/26/bulgarian-man-finds-silver-treasure-of-western-european-ottoman-coins-while-plowing-field/

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A month or so ago I told you about how you can have your own DNA tested for about $100.  Here is a genetic study that used DNA testing to identify major migration patterns.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2015-03-24-complex-genetic-ancestry-americans-uncovered-0

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A nice cold front came through bringing all that rain and some nice cool air.  The surf is only around two or three feet though.  The tides are moderate now.

Next Sunday they are predicting up to an eight foot surf.  I'd give that less than a ten percent chance o actually happening.  I hope it does.  We sure need it.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/27/15 Report - Custer's Last Stand Gun Parts. 2015 Santa Margarita Treasures. Treasure Coast Inland Finds/

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

Kovels Komments reports that these gun parts sold for $31,050 at auction.

The parts were found back in the 1990s by using a metal detector on the Reno Battlefield, which is the site of Custer's last stand.  Kovels  said, But it's the name Custer that made them so valuable. The James Julia auction proved that great record keeping makes a collection more valuable.

Keeping good records is always a good idea.

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We've had a long period of poor beach conditions on the Treasure Coast, but as I always say, there is always someplace to hunt and something to find.  What makes poor conditions one place makes good conditions some place else.

The Mel Fisher organization said, The Dare and the Magruder will remain on site for the last few days of this incredibly long window of good weather. It is rare to see so many days at sea this early in the year and this trip is hopefully a sign of good things to come...

They recently found a heart shaped gold ring on the Santa margarita wreck site along with five silver coins, some encrusted objects and a piece of wood from the wreck.

As I previously reported, the ring is the first gold of the year from the Margarita wreck site.

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Despite the poor Treasure Coast beach conditions some of our Treasure Coast guys have been doing very well inland.

Below are some great finds made by William M.

William said, I'm honestly getting kind of burnt out on land hunting really wish the beach would do something drastic.  I dug a lot of targets today definitely gotta work out doing squats.

That is a nice early coin for the Treasure Coast area.

Way to go William!

William says, the old bullet is a .44 long DA.. that stands for double action it was fired from Smith and Wesson's first double action revolver called the Frontier manufactured between 1881 and 1913.

That is really neat.  Good research too, which makes it all the more interesting.




Thanks for sharing the great photos William.



      












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Dan B. has also been doing well inland.  Below are some of Dan's recent inland finds.

Finds and photos by Dan B.

              

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Yesterday we had some heavy rain and wind.  I lost power a few times when I was trying to do this post or it would have been posted sooner.   I was also out on a little expedition.

We'll have about a two to three foot surf today.  Not so much wind, and not good wind direction.

The tides have flattened out too.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

                           

3/24/13 Report - Time To Analyze Your Find Records? It Might Tell You Something. What you do has a lot to do with what you find.

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

Fossils And Sea Glass Recently Found In A Shell Piles
On A Treasure Coast Beach.

I got some email concerning the signal or ID you'll get from a Rolex watch.  As I said, using an Ace 250, if you are in coin mode, the test Rolex gave no signal, however in the Jewelry and All-Metals mode, you get an ID that shows up in the nickel to penny range, which also includes the pull-tab and gold/bronze range.  

The ID was different when the coil was swept over different parts of the watch.  If the coil was mostly over the band that produced a different ID than when the coil was more directly over the watch case. 

Robert H. said he got a good coin signal on a Rolex when using an Excal II in discrimination mode.  I don't know how much discrimination he was using.   He also said he almost gave up digging after a number of scoops because he thought it might be a can. Good thing he went for that last scoop.

Robert's observation is consistent with the ID I got when using the Ace in the Jewelry and All-Metals modes, but don't forget, the Rolex produced no audio signal in the Coins mode.  That is the critical point.  I don't know about you, but I don't want that to happen.  I'd gladly give up hundreds of clad coins for one good Rolex.  What I am talking about is making informed intentional strategic decisions that will maximize success however you may define success.  If success to you is a pile of clad coins, then  use the techniques and strategies that will accomplish that.  However if your goal is to find other types of targets, perhaps targets that are of a less determinate size or composition, you might choose to operate otherwise.

As I mentioned yesterday, one person said that the thing that motivates him is the possible big find that might come at any time.  In that case you want to be ready for the unexpected, not eliminating everything but the common.

I'm not trying to suggest that a Rolex will give one type of signal no matter what.  Just the opposite.  There are many types of Rolex watches.  They come in different sizes and are made of different materials.  Some are gold and others stainless steel.  And of course there are a variety of different types of bands too, which can affect your signal or ID.

There are also many types of detectors and different modes and settings you can select on each detector.  I've mentioned some of those differences.

The point is that you need to know the detector you are using because there is the distinct possibility that you could misidentify or entirely miss a very good target - perhaps repeatedly and consistently because of the way you hunt.  That is especially more likely if you always hunt the same way using the same settings.  You might habitually eliminate a specific set of good targets. 

I recommend a periodic review.  Analyze your record of finds.  What do you find a lot of?  What do you seldom find?  What have you never found that you would like to find?  The answer to those questions might tell you something about how you are detecting that you might want to change.

I've said this before, but back when I began detecting, I found a lot of men's rings but few women's rings.  I thought that men lost more rings.  That was wrong.  I was using a level of discrimination with my 1280 that made me miss many of the smaller and often more valuable women's rings.  After decreasing the discrimination setting on the 1280 I found out that there were as many women's rings to be found as men's.

Maybe you know everything there is to know, but I don't.  I intend to continue learning.  That is something that makes it all more interesting, and it is also something that helps me do better.

If you haven't made any changes in how you hunt for a long period of time, maybe that is a sign that you should think about that.  It is all too easy to fall into habits and get in a rut. 

I always like learning something new.  Not only does it improve performance but it also keeps it interesting. 

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The photo above shows some fossils and sea glass found on a Treasure Coast beach a few days ago.
Nothing great, but I do enjoy finding them.  Some, not these particular ones, can actually be worth some money.

If you keep your eyes open while detecting you can find things like this.  The fossils are much older than the cobs you might find.  And sometimes they can be worth more than a treasure coin. 

Nice pieces of sea glass can also worth something.  Fine examples of the less common colors, such as red or yellow, can be worth more.   They can also provide good clues.  An occasional Native American artifact can also occasionally be seen in shell piles.

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Spike Found by Joseph G.
Photo by Joseph G.

I've been thinking of a bunch of things lately, but haven't put them together for a post. 

Did you ever hear of soil liquefaction?

Soil liquefaction is when saturated or partially saturated soil loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied stress, such as the vibrations caused by an earthquake or other  stress conditions, causing the soil to behave like a liquid.

Interesting!  Buildings can collapse etc. 

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I've really noticed huge differences in how some detectors eat batteries.  Battery life is much higher in some detectors than others. 

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On the Treasure Coast we'll have a three or four foot surf for a couple of days with variable wind direction.  Nothing that will affect us much.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/23/15 Report - Strange Tight Cluster Including Unexpected Coins. How Does A Rolex ID On A Detector Readout.

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

Strange Cluster.
Aruba 5 Cents.  Mexico 1 Peso,  U. S. Quarter.

The other day I talked about selecting a strategy for a particular hunt.  In order to select an effective strategy, you have to have knowledge of the site.  You also need to know what your detectors do well and what they don't do well.

The other day when I was checking out a hunted out area I did find this strange cluster of coins.  They were the only coins found in the hunted out area.

The were closely clustered together, and on my PI detector gave a huge signal.  It was a confusing signal though.  It didn't sound like anything I recognized.  I scooped the area and found all three coins.  Each and everyone gave a good strong signal on the PI detector.

There is nothing strange about the quarter, of course.  But the other two coins are sort of unusual.

The 2005 Mexican peso is bimetallic.  The center is aluminum-bronze and the ring is stainless steel.  On the Garrett Ace 250, it usually is identified as a quarter, but not totally consistently.  It occasionally shows as iron.

Now the little 5 cent Aruba coin is small.  It weighs only two grams, is 16 mm in diameter and 1.7 mm thick.  It is made of nickel bonded steel.

The PI detector gave a gives a good loud signal on that little coin.   The Ace does not give a signal to that coin in any mode other than the All-Metals mode.   As you probably know I have a preference for working in an all-metals mode anyhow.   The Ace gives a good strong signal on it only in All-Metals mode.

I can see how a detectorist could miss this cluster.  The Aruba coin would definitely not give a good ID, and would not give any signal at all in many cases.  I'm sure you wouldn't hear it with an Excalibur, for example.   The peso could mix things up too, however if you are using a PI detector or All-Metals mode, you are not going to miss targets like that. 

Even with a PI detector I could tell it was something other than the usual.  It confused me at first.  I've learned to identify a variety of trash targets using a PI.  Fish hooks for example, give a signal something like a elongated object such as a nail when you do a criss-cross scan, but it is a little quirky in a way that I can't easily explain.  

I've explained how to identify elongated objects like nails by scanning repeatedly first in one direction and then again at a 90 degree angle.

The point is, know your detector and how it responds to a wide variety of targets.  Try to guess what the target is from the signal before you dig it even if you don't have target ID.   That will help you learn how your detector responds to various types of targets.

Remember, there are a lot good targets that will not be correctly Identified by a target ID detector.  How will a Rolex watch be identified by your detector?  Not knowing could be an expensive mistake, especially if you don't dig unknown targets.  Cobs won't be identified correctly either. 

As an example, if you use a simple ID detector such as the Ace 250, working in the Coin mode you will not get a signal from a Rolex Yacht-Master watch.

You know that quiet you like so much when you use discrimination - that was your Rolex watch.   Just kidding - sorta.

By the way, the Rolex that I tested was found on the Treasure Coast using an Excalibur in pinpoint mode.

Using the Ace, you will get an inconsistent ID on the Rolex Yacht-Master if you are working in the Jewelry or All-Metals mode.   There is that "All-Metals" word I preach so much.  In those two modes the ID jumps around depending upon what part of the watch your coil is over.  Mostly you will get a reading going between 1 cent and 5 cent, which is also where bronze and gold, and also pull-tab,  is marked on the ID readout display.

You might remember that a few months ago I did a poll to determine the primary motive for most detectorists.  One person added something I didn't have in the poll by sending me an email.  He said that what keeps him going is the possibility of that one big unexpected find that might occur at any time.  I'm sure that motivates a lot of us, never knowing what big find might pop up unexpectedly.  You have a lot better chance of finding that one big find if you know your detector very well and aren't passing over everything that isn't easily identified.

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Here is a good video of the surf and beach from a couple of days ago.

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On the Treasure Coast today we'll have West winds today, a good smooth surf and some nice big spring tides.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/22/15 Report - One Hunt: Strategy And Results. Two Gold Rings In Two Hours On A Poor Beach.

Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.



Two Gold Bands Found
On The Treasure Coast Yesterday

I often talk about having more than one detector and selecting the one to use based upon your strategy.   Yesterday, like every other day that I hunt, I did that.

First came an assessment of conditions.  Here is what I considered.    On the Treasure Coast beach conditions have been poor lately.  The surf has usually been not big but not smooth either.   There have been many tourists in the area as well as locals enjoying spring break on the beaches.

The day before yesterday I went by some of the beaches but didn't detect.  I had other things to do, but I noticed where the people were.  I noticed one beach that was particularly jammed. 

Even though water hunting generally produces more gold per hour and wet sand can be very productive when conditions are right, I decided to hunt the dry sand where the people were.

My first consideration was beach conditions.  Another consideration was that I didn't have a lot of time and didn't feel like driving to a more promising beach where the conditions might be better and the finds might be higher quality.   So I narrowed it down to a few beaches that were close by, and selected one that I haven't hunted very often but where I saw a lot of beach goers the day before.

Then it was time to decide on a strategy and select a detector.   Just to give a couple of examples, I could select a simple target ID detector or a deeper seeking detector.   Of course you can have various combinations other than these two extremes, but I want to keep it simple here.

So one strategy would be to quickly skim a large area for recent drops.  Another would be to go for deep small gold that might have been missed by others.

Due to the fact that there have been so many detectorists on the popular and easy beaches lately, I didn't expect a large number of good targets.   I expected most targets to be recent drops, but there might also be a few small and deep targets remaining.

I decided to go with the deep-seeking PI detector.   Many people say they would never do that in the dry sand due to the amount of trash you will have to deal with.  Some beaches are pretty clean now.  Not even much trash remaining.

I was right about one thing.  The beach had been heavily worked- even more than I expected.  The area in front of the parking lot was pretty much cleaned out.  Somebody must have been there yesterday evening or early in the morning.   There was little trash, though some, and the surface clad had been removed.

There were however some recently dropped coins to the South of the area in front of the parking lot.

It takes a while to clean out an area of that size and when it is very clean there is usually at least one person that detects the area daily plus a few more detectorists that hit it once in a while.

I did a loose pattern scan to see if the area was clean and to identify how far the cleaned area might extend.  During my analysis, I considered what kinds of things, including trash, remained.  In this case the cleaned out area did have some foil remaining, a few pieces of small iron, and a few bottle caps.

One thing that I especially noticed is that there was foil down several inches.  Most junk foil will be near the surface.  But that also told me there might be deep gold that was missed.

As quickly as possible I did my analysis and identified the boundaries of the area that was cleaned out.   The really clean area, not surprisingly, was the area right in front of the parking lot.  That is very often the case.

I went just south of that and started to find a few scattered bright shiny recently dropped coins.  That area had been hunted some, but not as recently, and it was not completely cleaned out.

After hitting a few shiny clad, a small signal turned out to be a 14K ring down several inches.   I continued hunting south and hit another similar looking band, only this time it was 10K.  I soon called it quits. 

What I wanted to illustrate today is how you might analyze a situation and select a strategy for a particular hunt.  I hope that gives you some ideas about how to approach different situations.  There are a number of factors to take into account. 

In this case, it appeared that most good surface targets had been removed.  My strategy of going deep paid off in this case.

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Treasure Coast Beach Yesterday Near Low Tide.

The beach above isn't as bad as many you'll see on the Treasure Coast right now. 

The surf should be small enough to do some water hunting -  only one or two feet Sunday.  The trouble is that in many areas there is too much sand.  It is not easy to find a good water hunting area now with all the sand near shore.

At least one beach had some shells and a good number of fossil pieces recently.  Also a little seas glass.

With the vernal equinox and the negative low tides, you'd think you could find some decent dips in the water somewhere, but the best dips that I've seen are still sandy.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net



3/20/15 Report - Great Colonial & Early American Coins. New Way You Can Find Out More About Your Ancestry Through DNA Testing. My Very First Metal Detecting Outing.

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

New England Shilling To Be Sold March 26.

If you like old coins you'll love looking at the article linked below.  On March 26 Stack’s-Bowers, in conjunction with the Whitman Baltimore Expo, will be offering a collection of colonial and early American coins such as those shown here.



Confederate Half Dollar
A Real Rarity

The auction starts with one of just eight Noe 1-A NE Shillings in private hands, graded PCGS EF45. The coin is a high-quality example of the earliest coinage struck on the North-American continent in what today is the United States.

To the left you see another great example - one of just four original 1861 Confederate Half Dollars struck in April of 1861.

The article shows a number of truly great coins like those shown here, but if you'd like to see even more, go to the auction catalog (See link below).

Here is the link or the article.

http://news.coinupdate.com/henry-p-kendall-foundation-collection-preview-4740/


And here is the auction catalog or some very enjoyable browsing.

http://media.stacksbowers.com/VirtualCatalogs/2015/Stacks-Bowers-Galleries/Mar2015-Baltimore/SBG_Mar2015_Balt_Kendall_Catalog_LR.pdf


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In the past I've encouraged researching your family roots.  I've found that by doing that not only did I learn more about who my ancestors were and where I came from, but also in the process learned a lot more about local history and located good new detecting sites, some of which were on my ancestor's properties but also some that were not.

The first place I ever did any metal detecting was at the site of an old house where my grandmother once lived as a child.   There was a standing stone chimney and some other remains of the house, but not much.   I remember seeing the well.  That was over fifty years ago.  I hadn't thought of that much, but it was my very first metal detecting outing.  It was a great site too, even though I didn't fully appreciate it at the time. 

The detector, as I remember it, was maybe a Radio Shack model.  I don't think it would detect much more than iron.  And we did find some iron pieces, but not much else.  I'd love to be able to go back in time and do the same site now as it was then with a good detector and with a lot more knowledge.

Funny that I never thought about it much before, but that was the very beginning of my metal detecting.  I didn't get seriously into detecting until years later.  We didn't use that old detector much after that one outing.  I don't think it would detect coins, and we gave up on it.   But thank you grandma!  She never knew what a journey she started me on.

Anyhow I've encouraged you before to dig into your family tree, and if possible, go hunt some of the sites where you grew up or where your parents or grandparents lived.  Digging up a piece of personal history can be very meaningful.

It is now possible to dig into your roots in another way.  Ancestry.com offers a DNA testing service.  For $99 you receive a kit in the mail.  Follow the instructions, mail it in and then receive the results back in the mail.

The kit comes with a tube which you fill with spit.  It takes a good bit.  Then you ship it back to be analyzed.

The results include data such as the following example from their online ad.

They will also connect you with others who share your genetic line if you want them to.   You can specify how private you want to be and if your name is to be made know to others or not.

They will, however, if requested by law enforcement, provide your DNA to them.   Even if you haven't committed a crime or anything, you might not want your results out there.  I guess it is also possible that you might learn something that you don't care to know.  Think about it before doing it.  If you do decide to do it, it might be a lot of fun.

Read more about here.  Otherwise browse ancestry.com DNA.

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We have a two to three foot surf today but a really nice tide.

Happy Spring,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/19/15 Report - First Gold Of The Year From Santa Margarita Site. Nice Treasure Coast Finds. Cave Explorers Find 2400 Year Old Treasure.

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

Here are some great finds and photos from Robert H.

Very nice Robert!  Thanks for sharing.

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The weather down in the Keys has been good for hunting lately, and Captain Andy and the crew of the Magruder found the first gold of the year.

They were on the site of the Santa Margarita when they found a ballast stones, a musket ball, a spike and a gold ring with a clear stone.

They were using a GoPro when the ring was found so they have the find recorded.

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The Northern lights were seen as far south as West Virginia Tuesday night.  For anyone that hasn't seen them, it is very impressive.  I've seen them a few times.

That could also mean a possible increase in electrical interference in the atmosphere.

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A couple spelunkers found 2400-year-old treasures while exploring a cave in Israel.  Included were coins showing Alexander the Great.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/09/middleeast/israel-ancient-treasure-found-in-cave/index.html

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Aqua-Cycle Water Trike.

    You've seen these.  I received an advertisement today that reminded me of the time I was metal detecting in front of a hotel that rented these things.   There was a nice couple pedalling along not far out from shore, and a kid, maybe about 12 years old, got on a jet ski, took off like a torpedo on a curved path and hit the back wheel of the water trike, instantly breaking the wheel.  The trike listed to one side and sank.  I thought that was hilarious.  It was even funnier seeing the people involved and the expressions on their faces.

I don't think I'll ever forget that.  That kid on the jet ski looked like a torpedo.

------  

On the Treasure Coast today we had a surf of about three to four feet with the wind coming from the East.  The surf will decrease slightly through the weekend.

Not much very promising on the weather front.  At least we're having some good tidal action.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net            

3/18/15 Report - Surface Hunting Old Bottles To Locate Old Detecting Sites. Accu-Sound Pinpointer.

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

Miscellaneous Bottles Found While Surface Hunting On The Treasure Coast Yesterday.

Besides doing good library research, another way to find good detecting sites is to simply go out and scout around.  One of the first signs of an old site will normally be broken pieces of class or pottery on top of the ground.

A lot of people dig for bottles, but they can also be found on the surface on beaches or along waterways.  I found my first old bottles after Hurricane Andrew when I was hunting silver coins with a detector and noticed old bottles floating in the surf.  I started picking up the bottles, and that was the beginning of my bottle collecting.

Below is the type of area where these bottles were found.  Their were many more modern bottles, broken bottles, pieces of glass and other junk.  The few older bottles were partly buried, except for the small ones.

Areas Where Bottles Were Found.

At this particular location I've found mid-19th century bottles and a surprise horse tooth fossil.

If you find a cluster of old bottles, it might be a good sign of a nearby old detecting site.

None of these bottles are very interesting, and they aren't worth much, but if you are in an area like that something more valuable might also be found.   It is worth looking.  You never know what you might find.

Generally there will be so much junk in an area like this that it won't be worth detecting.  You might however detect the original site that is the source of the bottles.

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A bottle of wine from a blockade runner that sank in 1864 was opened and drank.   The verdict - yuk!

Here is the link to that video.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/Uncorked-Wine-From-1864-Shipwreck/414769219890/Comcast/Today_in_Video/?cid=hero_sf_TIV

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An Inexpensive Pin Pointer.

I got this pinpointer free with the purchase of a metal detector.  It is one of the less expensive pinpointers.  It is also not very effective.

I tested it with the four objects shown above and you nearly have to touch the object to get a signal.  It could be of some help I guess.  But if you really want a pinpointer, you probably want something more effective.  I never use a pinpointer myself, and my experience with this one did nothing to convince me that I should.

A pinpointer is not as much help if you beach detect.  You can sift sand fairly quickly.  If you hunt in muddy soil or clay, a pinpointer might be of more use.

I personally pinpoint rather well with my metal detector, being able to determine a lot about the location, size, shape and depth of the object from the detector.  There are also other helpful tricks that you can use instead of a pinpointer.  I've talked about some of those in the past.

Some detectors provide easier pinpointing than others.

I actually made a video showing the use and effectiveness of this particular pinpointer but haven't managed to get it uploaded to the blog yet.

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Sotheby is auctioning a large selection of valuable travel and discovery books including some on the Indians of North America and various voyages and wrecks.  If you are looking for good lead information or just like to read history, this auction will give you a good start.  You don't have to buy the books, but when you see one you like, you can do an internet search for digital books, cheaper replications, or other material you might find by the same author.

Here is a link to the auction lots.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2015/exploration-discovery-library-franklin-brooke-hitching-l15411.html

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There is little hope for improved beach detecting conditions on the Treasure Coast in the near future.  The surf is smooth today.  Tomorrow (Thursday) we're supposed to get something up to about five feet, but the wind will be southerly.  That's too bad.  Maybe we'll get a little stirring.

Happy hunting anyhow,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

 

3/17/15 Report - An Eighteenth Century Camp Site. Seeing Faint Marks On Rusty Implements. Ancient Coins Discovered.

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

Axe Heads Found At A Florida Site
 

A few days ago I gave you a link to a Florida Archives web site.  One interesting article I found through that site provided a new method of reading invisible marks on rusted iron implements.

That article and the picture shown here was  found in the Journal of the Florida Anthropoligical Society, volume 26, Dec. 1973, no. 4.

The article title is An Early Eighteenth Century Work Camp.  The archaeological site yielded a number of artifacts, mostly from the period of British occupation.  You might find it very interesting.

I can't find the direct link to the PDF file right now but you can use the link I gave in my 3/15/15 post and then do a keyword search.  I might find some time to do that for you myself a little later.

Anyhow here is the method for reading marks on rusted iron.

First some of the rust was removed.  Then they did the following.

From the marks they were able to determine who likely made the axe.

That is a new method that I plan to try some time in the future.

Even if you won't be using this method, I still think you'll find plenty of interesting reading in the article.

---

 

The past few days I've experienced a lot of what people call coincidences.  Some people say there is no such thing.  Maybe they are right.  I don't know.  I can easily imagine that there is a purpose behind everything and that everything is ordered in one way or another.

Anyhow, I have reels of old 8mm family film made decades ago.  I didn't have a projector to view the movies and intended to buy one.  I kept putting it off, not wanting to spend the money, not knowing for sure exactly what I needed or how trustworthy the used units selling on the internet might be.  I had something I needed to do and kept putting it off, but last Saturday decided to go do it.  On the way, I spotted a yard sale, and although I almost never go to yard sales, made a U turn and went back.  One of the first things I saw was an old movie projector.  I asked how much the lady wanted and she said ten dollars.  She said it worked, but I could see a missing piece.  I decided to take a gamble on it for the small price of ten dollars.   It worked. 

So I have been looking at old family films.  There are pictures of mountains, waterfalls, tourist attractions, and all of the types of things that people want to capture in photos.  But I discovered one thing.  The thing I love to see is the people.   Most of the other stuff just doesn't seem that interesting.  I like seeing my parents, grandparents, my friends and relatives, and even me.   Many of those people are no longer alive, and the others are now some fifty years older.

The point of this is that it is the people that matter.  We want to go, do and have, but when it comes down to it, it is all about the people.  

PS: Old films can be used to find old detecting sites too.

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There was a rumor of ancient coins stored in a collection somewhere at the University of Buffalo.  Finally one faculty member decided to try to find them.   Eventually he did.  There were 40 silver Greek coins, three gold Greek coins and a dozen Roman coins that had remained hidden in the archives for decades.  The coins dated from the first century A. D. and back.

Here is that link.

http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2015/03/020.html

How many other coins and artifacts remain forgotten in a university or museum?   A lot I'm sure.

Yesterday I reported from a source that said that something like 84% of the 366 billion U. S. coins in circulation are actually in storage or hoarded.   That doesn't sound right to me, but if it is anything near close, that means that something like 209 billion are stored away somewhere.  I find that hard to believe, but even if it is way off, there are undoubtedly tons of them.  Many will be forgotten, like those ancient coins.

---

On the Treasure Coast today we have a two-foot surf.  The wind will be from the West for at least a while.

There will be a negative low tide too.

Have courage, and be kind.  (Some of you will know where that comes from.)
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/16/15 Report - U. S. Mint Tests Coins Made Of Alternate Materials. Nonsense Pattern Coins. How To Build A Coin Counter & Identifier.

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

Table From U. S. Mint Study Showing Some Of The Metals Tested.
See link below.

The U. S. mint has been conducting studies to decide if U. S. coins could be made more cost-effectively.  After spending money on studies, they concluded that no change should be made now but that more studies should be conducted.

Most studies conclude that there should be more studies.  Why shut down the milk cow?

One of the big obstacles to changing our U. S. coins is the vending business, which would have to change all of their machines if the coins are changed.

Vending machines use both mechanical and electromagnetic methods for identifying coins.

Below is a link giving the results of one of the U. S. mint studies.  Despite the recommendation for no immediate change, it is interesting.  See the above table.

If coins were changed it would also mean that your discrimination settings would be off.  Some metals might make discriminating much more difficult. One metal that was tested but not shown in this table is aluminum.  Also steel and iron.

Here is one link to read about that.

http://www.coinnews.net/2014/12/15/us-mint-not-recommending-new-coin-compositions/

Here is a link to another report on one of the mint's studies.  This one discusses production costs of various alternatives and shows the results of some of their corrosion testing.

Nonsense patterns were used on test coins.  The test coins were made using the standard die striking process.  I wonder if any of the test coins got out of the mint.  One type featured Martha Washington.

I actually found catalog values for a 1759 Martha Washington test coin, which was actually made recently.  I was surprised that they have catalog values since they weren't supposed to leave the mint.  The values weren't extraordinarily high either for something that I would think should be very rare.

Here is a link showing one Martha Washington test coin and some test results.

http://news.coinupdate.com/us-mint-reports-findings-of-alternative-coin-materials-research-1765/

The total number of coins in circulation in the US is estimated as follows.

One-Cent: 240 billion 5-Cent: 29 billion Dime: 44 billion Quarter Dollar: 43 billion Half Dollar: 0.3 billion (from Method # 1 above) Dollar: 9 billion.  Total: 366 billion .


They speculated that of the estimated 366 billion coins in circulation 84% are being hoarded or in some type of storage.  They based their estimates upon data collected by other countries.  

I don't know exactly how  "hoarded" is defined.  I've never seen estimates of the number lost or destroyed by corrosion or whatever.  I bet that number is bigger than they think.  It has to be huge, and detectorists should be thanked for returning many lost coins to circulation.

Here are a number of recommendations offered by the mint.

• Maintain coin dimensions (thickness and diameter) for all future coins regardless of materials of composition since the conversion coins for coin processing equipment would be too large to justify any changes.
• Maintain the current materials of construction for the cent. After accounting for metal and production cost, copper plated steel one-cent coins would offer no cost savings compared to the current composition of copper-plated zinc. Aluminum alloys were fond to jam or destroy coin acceptance or coin handing equipment, removing this composition from consideration.
• Further develop copper based alloys for the composition of the nickel. Although these alloys would not bring costs to parity with face value, they would produce material cost savings. The alloys considered have a yellow cast color or golden hue color. The US Mint would achieve an annual cost savings of up to $16.7 million based on March 2012 metals pricing and 2011 production rates. There would be conversion costs for private sector coin acceptance equipment ranging from an estimated $11.3 million to $56.4 million depending on the alloy selected.
• Consider copper based alloys for use in the dime, quarter dollar, and half dollar coins. The US Mint would achieve an annual cost savings of approximately $2.2 million annually for the quarter dollar and $3.9 million annually for the dime based on March 2012 metal pricing and 2011 production rates. There would be conversion costs for private sector coin acceptance equipment estimated at $9.20 million for the quarter and $6.92 million for the dime. It was noted that one of the copper alloys had a slight yellow cast, which might cause confusion between the quarter and $1 coin.
• Maintain the current composition for the $1 coin, as none of the alternative material costs showed an improvement in cost.
• Continue long range research of surface engineering of zinc or steel for one-cent coin as a useful technology to reduce costs associated with copper plating. The report mentions the example of inexpensive paints or colored particles on bare zinc covered with a wear resistant coating.
• Continue research and development on stainless steel as a potential alternative for lower denomination coins. Also continue development of stainless steel alloys clad to copper alloy for higher denomination coinage to mimic the current electromagnetic signature of the dime, quarter, and half dollar.

My guess is that before we see many changes in our coins they'll go out of use.  I'd say digital.  Something like BitCoin.   There are now vending machines that will let you pay via smartphone.

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I thought you might find the following interesting.  Here is a diagram for a coin identifier and counter such as would be used in one of those coins-for-cash machines you see.

Basic Schematic For Coin Identifier and Counter.
Source: Following link.

The following article explains the diagram and shows you how to build your own coin counter and identifier.

http://www.best-microcontroller-projects.com/coin-detector-and-counter.html

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On the Treasure Coast we'll have a calm surf.  The wind will be changing.  Tomorrow it will becoming from the south.  The low tide is around 11:30 today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/15/15 Report - Florida Research Resources. The 1795 Rebellion. Things To Watch For.

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


Old Florida Tourist Brochure

I found a good research resource the other day.  It is the State University of Florida library archives.  They have a lot of old miscellaneous stuff.

One example is this brochure which appears to me to be from the twenties or thirties. 

Below is one page out of the brochure which states, Caches of pirate gold are still found occasionally on Amelia Island, where buccaneers of old careened their ships and held their revels.

This is a tourist thing, yet there is probably some truth in it, and might be worth a little further research.

Here is the link if you want to read the brochure.  It is pdf and takes a little time to load.

http://digitool.fcla.edu/R/KSLA4HA2YKM8VSJKLU12BFQSC8PR811K71KQFLBY9F1MQ92H18-01054?func=search

You can also find other kinds of things in the archives, including detailed academic papers.  One that you might find interesting is a history thesis for the Univeristy of North Florida by Cormac O'Riordan, The 1795 Rebellion in East Florida.

If you go to the archives and search "1795 rebellion" you'll find the thesis. Anyone interested in Florida history will find good information about daily life in Florida during that time period.  There are also some nice detecting leads and a great bibliography at the end for additional reading.

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Reading is one good way to get new detecting leads.  Another is to be alert while driving.  I mentioned a couple of small beaches near a causeway bridge the other day.  I'm told those two beaches are hit regularly by detectorists. 

A couple of things caught my attention as I drove by.  First was two models trying to do handstands at the water's edge while being photographed.  It looked like a professional shoot.

The activity caught my attention because that is the type of behavior that causes a lot of losses.  Some beaches attract older and more sedentary crowds that don't lose a ton of stuff.  Younger and more active crowds tend to lose more.  As a detectorist I am always alert to things like that.

Another thing I noticed right away was the situation of one of the beaches.  There were concrete blocks at the edge of the beach where the beach was steep and eroding.   Sometimes while most of the ocean beaches are not doing much, you can find other spots that are situated differently that are eroding.

Good timing can lead to good finds even when a beach is over-hunted.  If you are at the right place at the right time, it doesn't matter.  If you are there right after something is lost or if you are there right after something washes out of the bank, you have a good shot at it. 

I've seen people lose valuable items.  I've been here when it occurred. I've also seen people on their hands and knees hunting newly lost items.  You can help those people.

One fellow that I knew, would sit where he could see out over a busy beach and watch what type of activities took place at different beach locations.  He would often see someone lose and item and offer to find it for them, but he got a good idea of what type of activities took place at different locations.   When you see it done once (such as the photo shoot), it probably happens at the same location at other times. 

I used to frequently hunt a couple of beaches that you will often see in TV advertisements or other TV programs and movies.

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If you ever wondered why the sand along the Florida East Coast travels south when the Gulf Stream travels north, here it is.  Sorry I lost track of the source after I clipped it. 

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Well I think the mystery item that I've been posted has now been identified with remarkable specificity.   I'd say it is a Khukuri tie pin. 

A Khukuri knife is a curved Nepalese knife.  Here is a link.

http://www.thekhukurihouse.com/catalog/product.php?id=313037fe4d5

Thanks to Ian A. for that link.  Looks like the item might have had a chain and/or a scabbard at one time.

Ian's British coaked sheave is still one of my favorite finds and mystery items.

----

Nothing exciting about Treasure Coast beach conditions.  We'll have about a two-foot surf. 

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/13/15 Report - Public Access To Florida Beaches and Waterways. Minelab GoFind Metal Detectors. Mystery Object Again.

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

New Minelab Detector

Minelab is marketing a new series of less expensive metal detectors, the GoFind 20, 40, and 60.  The design is attractive, though it reminds me quite a bit of the Garrett ATX (appearance only, functionally it is nothing like the ATX).

You pay for what you get.  The 20 is the least expensive and has the most basic features that you need to get started.  The 40 and 60 provide additional functions.

The 20 might be a good inexpensive detector for a beginner.  The 40 or 60 might also be a good inexpensive first detector.

Here is the Minelab link for more details.

http://www.minelab.com/__files/f/264637/4907-0802-1%20Brochure,%20GO-FIND_EN%20Universal%20A4%20%28for%20web%29.pdf

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Add caption

Concerning the mystery scimitar object again, David S. said,

  The photo of the backside of the sword tip shows a hook to capture the end of a hinged needle that was on the other end.

  I have seen these before on older costume jewelry pins and broaches.  The hook makes it difficult to remove the needle because the needle must be pushed to the side to clear the entry of the hook. A hinged needle is necessary to have with such a hook because it moves in a narrow plane.

  The piece could be a hatpin or a could be used on a narrow tie by piercing the fabric in the back of the tie to hold it up on the tie and then the blade would lay against the face of the tie.  It looks wide enough to work that way depending on the tie style of the day.

Looks to me like that is right. 

To the right and below is a picture of a iron drawn wire safety pin like those made in the 15th Century. 

To the left is a 19 Century drawing from a patent application.

Notice Fig. 2 on the left, particularly the part called the hatch, which is the hook.

Both of these pictures are from a wonderful web site.  Here is the link.

http://museumofeverydaylife.org/exhibitions-collections/current-exhibitions/a-visual-history-of-the-safety-pin

I feel pretty sure now that the mystery object was a pin of some sort.    I enjoy the sometimes slow process of discovery.  At each step you learn something new as you get closer to the whole truth.

In my March 2 post, Kenneth H. gave us the great phrase "the will to discover."  I think that is a big part of it.  I don't have either the space, time or the ability to begin to do that topic justice.

The joy of discovery is a big part of the joy of life.

--------

The subject of accessibility came up the other day.  Some fancy hotels or resorts (and others) will discourage the public from coming onto "their" beach.   In Florida the waterways (almost all bodies of water, and certainly all navigable waterways, ocean and otherwise) are state owned.  The public therefore almost always has right of access to the water and land below the "high mean water line."  You are allowed to walk along the waterways adjacent to private property as long as you are below the high mean water line. 

It might be difficult to determine where the high mean water line is, but you can usually get a decent idea just by the look.  However, the state conducts surveys, and sometimes you can actually see survey markers.

In some places along Indian River Drive for example, the properties extend down to the lagoon.  If you walk along the intercoastal at some locations, you will be able to see a number of survey markers along the river.

The high mean water line changes over time.

Here is link to a web site giving some explanation of the significance of "high mean water line."

http://www.floridageomatics.com/publications/legal/mhwl.htm



In addition to the area below the high mean water line, just because someone doesn't want you on a beach does not mean that you have no right to be there.  A lifeguard at a private beach club once told me that I couldn't detect there.  I called the county office and learned that I had every right to be there back to the markers where the beach was renourished with public funds for public use.

 

It is good to know your rights, but I still do not recommend confrontation.  There are usually more subtle ways to go about things.  I won't put those out there.  You'll have to do some thinking.

Obey the law.  Know your rights and avoid confrontation when you can.

Matthew 10:16 says, " ...Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

 

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On the Treasure Coast we have something like a four foot surf today and more southerly winds.

 

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@Comcast.net