9/4/18 Report - Tropical Storms Gordon and Florence. Local Beach Conditions Report.

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

Gordon, Florence and Third Area That Could Develop.
Source; nhc.noaa.gov

Tropical Storm Gordon is now in the Gulf and quickly moving towards Mississippi, possibly landing as a hurricane.

After a very quiet summer with nothing but souteasth winds and accumulating sand on the Treasure Coast, the Atlantic has become much more active.

Tropical Storm Gordon.
Source:nhc.noaa.gov

It looks like Florence (below) will stay out in the Atlantic and far away from us, the undeveloped system behind her could possibly come our way.

Tropical Storm Florence.
Source:nhc.noaa.gov

This morning the Treasure Coast beaches looked very much like they did yesterday.  There was no additional erosion, and in most places a small amount of filling in.

John Brooks Beach Tuesday Morning.

Here are two photos of John Brooks beach this morning.

John Brooks Beach Tuesday Morning.

Two Foot Cut Showing Layer of Seaweed.

About half way up the small cut shown above you can see a layer of sea weed.  That is not what you want to see.  It tells you that this sand is sand that accumulated during a very light surf.  And that means there is not much chance of coins being in that sand.

Three Foot Cut.

Above is another cut that I saw that was around three feet high.  This one couldn't be seen from the beach access.  It was around a corner and good walk down the beach.

The cut will often be either south of north of a bend, and the bend can hide good cuts.

The lack of sea shells is not a good sign either.

I haven't been up to the Vero and Sebastian beaches and haven't received any reports, so I can't way what they are like.

On the basis of what I've seen my beach conditions rating will probably drop back to a "one" by tomorrow.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/27/16 Report - Pistareens On The Treasure Coast Beaches In 1775. T. C. Beaches Today. Scams of Old.

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

Douglass Beach Looking North Near Low Tide Tuesday.

Heavily Eroded Fort Pierce South Jetty This Near Low Tide

South Hutchinson Island Around Noon.

Another South Hutchinson Island Beach Near Low Tide Tuesday

There were a good number of beach goers out taking advantage of the warm weather after Christmas.  There were no big crowds or anything, but a more people than normal for the Treasure Coast.

The beaches did not look very good for metal detecting.  There was one beach that had a firm front.  I will take another look at it in a day or two.

---

You are probably familiar with the name Bernard Romans, who published a book in 1775 concerning the natural history of Florida and in the process mentioned shipwrecks observed along the Treasure Coast and including a map.  For those of you who are not intimately familiar the Romans book, I decided to post a couple of excerpts from pages 273 and 274.  Here they are.

Not only did Romans see the remains of the wrecks, but he also made note of the fact that "pistareens" were repeatedly found by those walking the beach after "eastern gales."  He goes on to speculate that more would be found on the wrecks.  Remember, he wrote this in 1775, sixty years after the sinking of the 1715 Fleet.  

Here is the link to a facsimile edition of the book which you can read online.

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00095971/00001

Romans saw wreckage.  I read somewhere that wreckage besides ballast stones was visible still in the 1940s and 50s.  Today there is little left to see.  A lot of the ballast stones have been removed - some very systematically.

---

Here is another item from the "nothing new under the sun" category.  The email scams you see today were going on long ago - just without email.  The following excerpt is from a 1920 issue of the Washington D.C. Evening Star.

The letter goes on to tell the reader how to receive a reward amounting to one/third the amount stored in the trunk.

Who would guess todays email scams are just updated recycled scams.

----

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

1/13/15 Report - Treasure Coast Beach Conditions Remain Poor. Reale Values. Coat From Civil War Shipwreck Restored.

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

Treasure Coast Beach This Morning Near Low Tide.

The beaches that I saw this morning were poor.  Notice the sea weed in the above picture

Sand was washing up onto the beach too.  I put a dime in the wet sand.  Every wave that came over it moved it a foot or two towards the dry sand.  Good targets were not in the accreting wet sand areas that I checked this morning.

Lately the swimming beaches have been kept pretty clean.  You might have a better chance at a few coins by moving away from the main areas where the sun bathers accumulate.  That is where most is lost but it is also where most detectorists spend their time.

As I said yesterday, we do have some waves, but the wind direction has not been favorable.



Detectorist Using White's Detector This Mornring.

This chart can be found on the Mel Fisher web site by using the link below.

Notice that they have 2 and 4 reales valued higher than 8 reales for grades 1 - 4.   Grade 5 reales and fragments are valued the same for those three denominations.

Of course things like rarity can increase values.   And, as is stated, dated coins are more valued.

Here is the link.

http://www.melfisher.com/Library/COA_Appraisal.asp


A wool coat recovered from the wreck of the Monitor has been pretty much restored.

Here is that link.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-uss-monitor-20150111-story.html

They had no trouble finding spare buttons in the wreckage.  You might want to read about that.


On the Treasure Coast the surf is supposed to be around 3 - 5 feet today and will be decreasing a bit over the next few days.  Beach detecting conditions are poor.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

5/20/14 Report - What You Can Learn About Beach Detecting From Hunting Gold Nuggets, Great White and Magic Grapeshot

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


The higher surf didn't help conditions any.  It was hitting the beach straight on instead of at an angle, which resulted in more filling.  It wasn't that much higher anyway.

One Treasure Coast Beach Just After High Tide Monday Afternoon.

I showed this beach the day before yesterday.  There isn't much left of the cuts now.  Notice the sea weed, which indicates that the beach is filling.

Another Similar Treasure Coast Beach Monday Afternoon.

This one is filling in too.  Again, notice the sea weed.

It just goes to show once again that the direction of the surf is as important as the size of the surf.


I've often said how good it is to try different types of detecting.  Most people who read this blog detect beaches or shallow ocean waters a lot.  Although I know there are some, most of this blog's readers do not hunt gold in streams, however, if you ever get the chance or opportunity, try it out, because you'll have some fun, might find something, and perhaps most importantly, will learn something that will open your eyes to new opportunities and supply you with new useful skills.

There are many web sites dealing with hunting gold in or around a river or creek.   Here is a little one that in a few short paragraphs provides some helpful tips.

http://voices.yahoo.com/where-look-gold-streams-5724340.html?cat=11

I'll summarize a few of the key points from this article that apply to beach or shallow water ocean detecting.

1. Look around bends in the stream.  Why?   Because the water slows and gold will settle and collect there.  

Notice any familiar principles?   Yes, the same thing happens on a beach.  Where the water slows, gold and other heavy items will settle. 

Understanding the movement of water and where things will collect will help you on a beach too.

2.  Work the banks, not just the water.  Why?  The stream bed and water level will change over time and flood waters can drop gold on the banks.

That happens on a beach too.  The same basic forces are at work, the force of moving water, changing water levels, and don't forget gravity.

3.  Hunt around obstructions, such as boulders or cracks in the bedrock where gold will accumulate. 

Do the same in the shallow water or on the beach, especially in the wet sand or where the water has once been.

In the water or on a beach, rocks or other obstructions such as jetties or sea groins will also collect targets.

4.  The article also says, The most important step in panning a stream for gold is to develop a plan. Looking for gold in random place after random place can be frustrating and is an inefficient use of your time.

That is something I always teach here.  Randomly hunting is what many beginners do, but if you are going to become more effective, you'll develop a plan that guides your hunting.   As you hunt more, your plan should become more detailed and systematic.

I know the above web site is not the best site in the world for giving the details on how to find gold in a stream, but it quickly shows how one type of hunting can help you better understand forces and develop techniques that will help you become more productive no matter where you detect.


Here is a video of diver who encountered a Great White Shark off of Vero.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/Scuba-diver-takes-on-great-white-shark-in-Florida/260293699851/Comcast/TopVideos/?cid=sf_vidtray


Here is a web site showing the excavation of a 1700s pirate hangout up the Belize river called the Barcadares.   This is a new piece in LiveScience but is actually a rehash of previously published material.  Nonetheless, you might want to take a look.

http://www.livescience.com/15865-photos-pirates-caribbean.html


Magic grapeshot?   Archaeologists imagine that 18th century grape shot found buried in post holes under a foundation of a Caribbean plantation were magical in nature.  That seems unlikely to me.  What do you think?

Get the details here.

http://www.livescience.com/45696-artifacts-unearthed-in-caribbean.html


Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

11/15/13 Report - Another Find and Current Beach Detecting Conditions

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

Found One Reale 11/15

The one reale to the left was found on the Treasure Coast today.   It is a little healthier than those I've been seeing.  It weights 2.1 grams.  Still very much under weight for a one reale, but that is what I've been seeing from beach cobs.

A one reale should be 3.4 grams, so it has lost about one third of its weight.

Maybe I'll get some better photos and detail later.


The big news for me is that cobs are still being found on the Treasure Coast.  And it looks like there will be more this month, which has already been a good month - one of the best we've had for quite some time.  As I've said, November has traditionally been one of the better months for detecting on the Treasure Coast.

This morning the cut that I showed yesterday was about a foot less high.  It had filled some.  The beach in front of the cut had a fairly steep slope to it.  Some of it was firmer than at other spots.

Near the front beach there was a shell pile along the swash area, but you could not see the shells.  The shell pile was covered by a few inches of sand.  The shell pile contained some larger non-ferrous targets that could not be removed because of the surf.

The surf is going to be decreasing for a few days down to around 3 feet and then increasing again up to around seven feet.  As long as this continues there is a chance things will continue to improve. The high tides are still fairly high, as are the low tides.

There are a lot of places to check out.  I'll keep a 3 rating on my Treasure Coast Treasure Beach Detecting Conditions Scale for now.

Below are some shots from a day or two ago of Treasure Coast beaches sent in by Joan T.
Thanks Joan!

Walton Rocks.

Tiger Shores

Blind Creek

Fletcher Beach.

As you can see, different beaches are different.  Some nicely cut, some not cut and some scalloped. I was a little slow in getting these posted, so you might see some changes, but it will give you an idea.

A needle in a haystack is nothing to finding cobs on the beach.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/30/13 Update. Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Conditions Upgrade Issued.

Just wanted to get that posted.

Details and photos soon.

10/28/12 Report - Hurricane Sandy Delivers More Than Sand

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

Water Up In the Dunes Yesterday

I'm pleased that I made so many correct calls this time.   One thing I said is that Friday would be the key.  And it was.


The high tide on Friday got up into the dunes.  That is when we had the dune banger.  Actually the water hit the back dunes in some locations today too, but yesterday was the peak.

Above is a photo of one of the Treasure Coast beaches were the water got to the walkover and back dunes.  That hadn't happened for quite a while.

Some of our wreck beaches are broad and low like the one shown in the photo, and some are narrow and have a steep cliff at the back.  On beaches where there was a steep cliff at the back of the beach, it got hit and eroded to some extent.

I still have not seen a beach along the Treasure Coast that I would say was cut.  The only erosion was around the dunes, on beaches like that above, including John Brooks and Sebastian Inlet.  The reason we had high waves but no other cuts is that the water came directly up onto the beach and ran back down the same way it went up.  The cuts that bring cobs are caused by waves that hit the beach from and angle and create and arch, slicing away sand as it goes.  This up and down stuff doesn't do it.

Eroded Dune

Again, it takes more than high waves to create erosion.

The only time waves with out an angle will cut a beach is when there is an obstacle to the flow of sand like rocks or a jetty.

The shipwreck beaches in Indian River County were all closed this morning, from Amber Sands down through Turtle Trail.   It was only the wreck beaches that were closed.  Funny, isn't it?

There were cars waiting at all of those beach accesses this morning, including Wabasso etc., waiting for the access to open. 

A lot of people ended up going to the beach at the state park at Sebastian because they couldn't get in anywhere else.  I talked to locals as well as people that drove a long while to visit the wreck beaches and they weren't happy about it.   What a shame!

The story I hear is that the wreck beaches are closed so one person who works for the county can detect it himself.  I find it hard to believe that the county would allow that.  I'd like to find out for sure so I can put the rumor to rest.  If you can have details on the real story, let me know.

St. Lucie County beach parks remained open normal hours the entire time.  I don't know of any exceptions.

Tom Gidus sent me a couple of photos showing erosion down at Jupiter from the Carlin Park/Civic Center area.  See photo below.   Thanks Tom!

Hurricane Sandy, despite the lack of cuts, did deliver.  There were Spanish cobs that were found.  I know that for certain.

There were also other finds, some not cleaned and identified yet.  Plenty of clad coins, and even some silver US coins.

The wind is now out of the west and will continue out of the west for a few days.

The swells are decreasing, only being about five feet tomorrow and decreasing daily until they are down to about one foot by Tuesday.

As you know, it has been difficult to get out in the low tide zone lately.  As the swells decrease the next few days that should become easier.

Jupiter Area -  Photo by Tom Gidus

If you watched the waves crashing yesterday, you know that a lot of sand had to be stirred up.  And who knows what else.


I'm leaving my Treasure Coast Treasure Beach Detecting Conditions rating at a 3 for now.

It will be interesting to see what happens the next few days.

Sandy is well north of us now and headed towards the nations capitol.   Outer Banks get your equipment ready.

Sandy shows that it doesn't require a direct hit.  Sandy was pretty quick though.  A storm that just sits out there and churns can cause a lot of erosion.  Again, angles are important.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

10/27/12 Report - First Dune Banger in Years & Another Conditions Upgrade

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


I've had tons to write about lately but not tons of time to write.  I've been putting a lot of news and information on the back burner to keep you informed about Sandy.  There couldn't be a more appropriate name.  When I came in yesterday afternoon I had sand and salt water in my eyes, ears, nose and every place it could possibly be.

Yesterday afternoon we had the first dune banger we've had for some time.  I think it has been at least two and maybe three years since the last one.  What I mean by a dune banger is the ocean hitting the back dunes with force.

A lot happened since I wrote yesterday's report, which was based upon my experiences that morning.  The water got a lot higher at the next high tide.  It hit the dunes almost everywhere, and in many places with force, pealing away sand or knocking the face of  off the dunes.

There still weren't many cuts on the front or mid-beach.  Those areas were still sloped and sandy on most beaches.  However, the back dunes were getting hit and eroding.

Coins can be washed up onto a beach, or they can be washed out.   Of course they won't be washed out of the back dunes until the water gets back that far, and it did yesterday afternoon.  When the back dunes erode, especially from dunes where there is a steep cliff face of significant height, layers and layers of material from different time periods can be washed down and onto the beach.  When that happens, there is a also lot of water moving up over the front and mid-beach and things can get washed up too.

I have a diagram and explanation drawn up that I was planning on showing some time soon, but that is one of the things that will have to wait now.

Anyhow, the very high tides and water hitting the back dunes resulted in another beach detecting conditions upgrade.  Yesterday I issued an upgrade to a 2, and now I am upgrading my detecting conditions rating to a heavy 3. 

I mentioned some time ago that we often get a good northeaster in October or November, and it certainly happened this time.

These dune bangers are dangerous.  Be very careful.   When the water is hitting the back dunes, you can easily be knocked over or lose your equipment.  I've also seen some big logs washing in and out.  Watch out for floating debris.

Don't get caught in front of a cliff when big waves are hitting the cliff.    If you are in front of a cliff when a wave really hits it, the backwash can be stronger than the incoming wave.  It can catch you off guard and easily knock you off of your feet.

Be very careful.

I wanted to get this written and posted this morning, so I'm keeping it short for now.  I did want to issue the rating upgrade and tell you about the dangers.

I told you yesterday that some of the beaches were being closed.  Bathtub beach was closed yesterday too.

This is sort of an unusual level three conditions rating.  Most level threes are based upon cuts on the front or mid-beach.  This one is based primarily on the back dunes being eroded.

You'll see places where there was very high water, but no cuts.  I often tell you that it takes more than high water to create cuts.  You can observe that for yourself now on some beaches.

That is all for now.

I'll have to find time to post a lot of the other stuff when Sandy calms down.

Happy hunting,
Be safe,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/25/12 Report - 7 Foot Swells Now Predicted for Friday

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



From magicseaweed.com for Fort Pierce area.

I need to take some time to correct and clarify.  I've used some terms inconsistently and incorrectly.  Sometimes I've used the term "seas" when I should have used the term "swells."

To clarify, here is an explanation from an article on how to measure waves.

Seas refer to short-period waves that are still being created by winds or are very close to the area in which they were generated. Swells refer to waves that have moved out of the generating area, far from the influence of the winds that made them.

In general, seas are short-crested and irregular, and their surface appears much more disturbed than for swells. Swells, on the other hand, have smooth, well-defined crests and relatively long periods. Swell is more uniform and regular than seas because wave energy becomes more organized as it travel longs distances.

Here is the link to the article that explains all of that and more.

http://cdip.ucsd.edu/?nav=documents&sub=index&xitem=waves

As I said, I've used the term "seas" at times when I should have said "swells."   The boating reports are reporting 18 to 20 foot seas while the surf web sites are reporting swells of around eight feet on the Treasure Coast.  That is certainly a huge difference and could cause a lot of confusion.

I pay more attention to the surf web sites than the boating reports.  I'm much more interested in the water next to the beach than what is going on out in the Gulf Stream.  It is the water in the few yards next to the beach and the water that hits the beach that determines erosion and detecting conditions on the beach.

I'll try to be more precise in the future.   I generally go by the surf web sites rather than the boating reports.  You'll find a link to the magicseaweed.com web sites on my blog to the left of the posts.

Cuts that I showed a couple of days ago almost disappeared here.
Photo taken this morning.

I'll be more careful and precise about the use of those terms in the future, but when it comes down to it, it isn't an exact science.  I use the predictions but go out to check the beach frequently to get a first person view.  The predictions give you some idea of what you might expect to see, but there is nothing like first hand observation.

I took a look at the beach this morning and it hasn't improved yet.  The beach wasn't any better than it was two days ago.   At least that is what I saw on South Hutchinson Island.  The waves were hitting the beach directly instead of from an angle that would wash sand away.

You can see the photo of one wreck beach here.  Not much erosion at all.  Maybe the slope was a little steeper, but the slope was still very mushy.  

There was some erosion at Fort Pierce South Jetty where they piled up all of that new sand not too ong ago.  The jetty interrupts the normal flow of sand.

There very well could be some better spots that I didn't see today.

Fort Pierce South Jetty Park This Morning.

There are a few lightly eroded spots, but generally Treasure Coast beach detecting conditions have not improved significantly yet. 

Sandy, now a hurricane, is expected to pass a little closer to the shore than was once predicted.  The surf web sites are predicting around seven foot swells, peaking Friday.  You can see that in the graphic at the top of this post.

Friday and Saturday will be the key times for determining if Sandy will improve beach detecting conditions.   There is a good chance for improvement, but if it doesn't happen then it will be a bust. 

As I've explained before, high seas don't automatically mean erosion.

I saw some other guys out scouting the beaches this morning, but not detecting.

I have a lot more to talk about, but right now Sandy and beach conditions take priority.  I'll get to those other topics in the future.


The remains of a civil war era building and civil war artifacts were discovered in Fredericksburg where a new courthouse was planned.

Here is the link to that story.


http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2012/10/23/courthouse-dig-reveals-house-destroyed-in-battle-of-fredericksburg/


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/16/12 Report - Beaches Good Enough To Be Interesting While Conditions for Finding Cobs Remains Poor

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

One Treasure Coast Beach This Morning.

As you can see this beach had a lot of seaweed.  There was also a lot of sand piled up here. 

Different beaches were very different this morning.  I found it interesting.  You could look up and down the beach and see spots that were distinctly different.

There were some nice shell piles  containing light materials such as shards, zinc pennies etc.  I always like to look though the shell piles for the variety of items.  Shell piles generally aren't any good for finding old cobs though.  They are often good for finding other types of artifacts though -  shards, wood, copper sheeting and things like that.

I didn't bother detecting the seaweed beach at all.

Another Treasure Coast Beach This Morning.

Here is a better looking beach.  Notice the dip near the top of the photo.

I found a silver ring by the dip.  I had to walk a few hundred yards to get there.  I could see the dip that far away and walked down there because it looked promising.  I guess I'll show some finds, maybe tomorrow.

Look for dips that have a steep beach and a cut above the cut.  Items from the cut will be found below the cut near the dip.

A dip was forming here between the sand bar and the beach.

There was enough variety on the beaches to keep it interesting.

And a Third.

Here is a third beach, and it was different too.

There were actully some  two foot cuts here.  They were not the best cuts in the world, but enough to check.

I haven't said this for a while, and there are always new readers to this blog, but my beach conditions rating scale tells the likelihood of finding old ship wreck cobs.  That is the intent of the rating scale.

You can have decent conditions for finding modern era items while conditions for finding old shipwreck items remains poor.   They aren't the same. 

It generally takes a lot more to improve conditions for finding cobs and other heavier old items that aren't often exposed by moderate movements of sand.

Modern era items often are in the surface layers of sand, and it takes them a while to work down into deeper layers.

It is worth taking a look at finds to try to detemine how long they have been on the beach or in the water.  If all you are finding is recent drops that don't show any evidence of having been on the beach for a while, that is not a good sign for finding cobs.

The longer your finds have been on the beach, the better are the chances of finding even older items and possibly some cobs.

Finds by Bernie C. From a Short Hunt Sunday.

He was hunting the low tide zone near a good line of shells.

When you get onto a good line like that, work it thoroughly.  You never know what might pop up.

Among other things, Bernie's finds included four rings (2 silver) and a couple of knives.

Thanks for the report and photo Bernie.

I always like to browse through the shell lines, especially when they are composed of larger and heavier shells and stones.

In response to my question concerning the marks on the silver cross that I showed Saturday, Joan T. sent in this web site link which is very good for researching silver maker marks.

http://www.925-1000.com/

Real interesting and useful site.

By the way, the photo of that cross was as detailed as it can be.  It shows as much detail as I can see under any lighting conditions in person.   Many of the letters are just barely legible.   Did you notice the strange little symbol beside the diamond shaped one and the line of letters?  

And the little anchor I showed yesterday, James F. says is from a key chain.   He sent me a photo of a very similar one.   Thanks James.


The wind and swells are out of the southeast.  The seas will slowly decrease daily into next weekend.

I'd continue to check the low tide zone.  Conditions remain poor for finding cobs, but good enough to be interesting for modern items.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/8/12 Report - Happy Easter - Beach Conditions Upgrade

I didn't plan to post today, but I do have an upgrade worth mentioning. It probably won't last long, so I thought I better get it posted.

I'm upgrading my Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Conditions Rating from a 1(poor) to a 2.

Many parts of the beach have not eroded at all, but there are a few spots such as the one shown below that have eroded some.

Unfortunately there isn't a lot of erosion.

The beach shown in the photo had two to three foot cuts, but a lot of the area in front of the cuts was mushy. The sharpest cuts on this beach weren't caught in this photo.



One Treasure Coast Beach Saturday Showing Up To Three Foot Cuts.

I do believe that in those few areas where the water hit the beach just right a cob or two might be found.

You'll probably have to scout around to find the few better spots.

The water did get pretty high on the beach at high tide.

I'd call this a minimal 2 rating.


I do have some good historical materials for you, but won't post them until later.


Happy Easter.
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/7/12 Report - Beach Conditions Upgrade, 868 Pulled & TV

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

Wabasso This Morning.

A few surfers were trying to surf here this morning. Despite the waves and the steep cliff that you see at the back of the beach from earlier times, it didn't look very promising here.

To the south, both north and south of the Seagrape access there were some scallops, but nothing very interesting.

Seagrape Trail Looking North This Morning.

I saw one other dectectorist here this morning, but it didn't seem that there were many out this morning. Probably partly because of the timing of the tides.

You can see some of the scallops. You can also see that despite the seven foot seas, the water didn't get real high on the beach.

There is just too much of that beach renourishment sand in front of the beach. That stuff will have to move before these areas become very productive.

The beach at Turtle Trail wasn't much different from that at Seagrape Trail, although to me, it looked a touch better around Seagrape Trail.

Turtle Trail Looking North This Morning.

So you're probably wondering why the conditions upgrade.

There were some spots that were eroded on South Hutchinson Island.

I found three to five foot cuts down there on a couple of beaches.

Here is one of those.

Nice Four Foot Cut.

Besides the sand in front of the beaches, another problem was that the swells were hitting the beaches directly from the east. In fact this cut was being washed out more from the south.

The sand in front of this cut was fairly firm. There were stil very few targets despite the nice looking cut.

I've recently explained why I think that is.

My beach conditions upgrade today is from a 1 to a 2. As you probably know by now, my rating scale is a five point scale with one being poor and five, excellent.



Your voice has been heard. SR 868 was pulled. And it was pulled because of all of your calls and letters. It is important to be informed and active.

Two communities that worked together on this effort are the salvers and beach hunters. I hope that relationship is not just a one time act of desperation. That relationship hasn't always been great.

I caught parts of two different treasure hunting TV programs on the National Geographic channel yesterday evening.

The first was Diggers. I just saw the end. They were detecting on private property at a 17th Century mansion in Savannah Georgia, where evidently Civil War and Revolutionary War battles were fought.

They were digging up artifacts all over the place, but what surprised me is the condition of those artifacts. They looked like they were near mint. That made me a bit suspicious.

They showed digging the items and then went immediately to finding out the values. I guess the producers thought that is what people would want to see. I would have liked to learned more about the history of the sites and the artifacts. I might have missed some of the history of the site at the beginning of the program.

It sure made it look like anyone could get a detector and go out and find wonderful old artifacts left and right without any trouble at all.

The second program I saw was a psychic, remote reader and dowser trying to find an old buried Spanish Treasure. They were unsuccessful. That program didn't end how you might expect.


The seas are predicted to remain about the same through tomorrow and then decrease a little.

I'm not expecting much improvement from today if any.

I have some finds to show and a lot of other things that I don't have time for today.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/4/12 Report - Mounted Cobs & Predicting Beach Conditions

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

Silver Cobs in Gold Mountings.

I saw these mounted cobs for sale in downtown Fort Pierce. You can get nicely mounted locally found cobs several places on the Treasure Coast.

If you have your finds mounted, it costs a bit, but I think it is nice to be able to wear and display your finds. There are several places where they will mount your cobs for you.

Silver Cob in Necklace.

I didn't get the greatest photos, but you get the idea. Less exceptional cobs might bring better prices mounted.

As gas prices continue to climb, driving to a beach or anywhere gets more expensive. If you want to check out the different treasure beaches you might drive over sixty miles just going from one beach to another. And, of course, if you drive to the Treasure Coast from out of the area that means even more gas and greater expense. That is one of the primary reasons I started this blog.

I lived in South Florida and would drive up to the Treasure Coast to detect and very often it was a waste of time and expense. The Treasure Coast beaches aren't very productive most of the time. That can mean long drives and long days of hunting with very little except the expense to show for it, but if you know what the the beach conditions are like, you cut down on wasted trips and give your self a better chance of success. That is why I created my beach conditions rating scale.

My beach conditions rating scale isn't perfect. Predicting beach detecting conditions isn't easy. As you go from beach to beach, conditions can be different at different beaches. That makes predicting even more difficult.

As you know, the angle of the beaches are different. The beach doesn't run in a straight north/south line. There are also local variables that affect how a beach will react, such as jetties, sea walls, bottom conditions etc.

You can have one stretch of beach that is building and only a couple hundreds of yards away a beach that is cutting.

My Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Conditions Rating Scale gives an average rating for the entire Treasure Coast. If I rated each and every stretch of beach, most might be rated a 1, while another might be a 2 or 3. Although there would be some variation from beach to beach, there generally wouldn't be a greater variation from beach to beach than one or maybe sometimes 2 points.

It has been a long time since we had excellent conditions. The best detecting conditions were all the way back to after the hurricanes.

Back in 2008 we had what I rated as level four conditions one October. I don't really remember issuing level four conditions again since then even though I might have.

It has been unusually slow since then. We've had some of the slowest years I can remember, going back to the eighties. The past two winters have been very slow. We have hit level three conditions a few times.

A short period of extreme conditions will have affects that last quite a while. People often think that they get there too late after a hurricane, but things will show up for quite a while after something like that, either being washed out of the dunes or showing up on the front beach. Something like that moves layers of sand and churns up objects that haven't been moved for a long time.

On the other hand, it can take a long time to overcome extremely sandy conditions like we've been having. It will take a good storm to do something more than just move the top layers of sand around.

What started me on this today is that I wanted to point out a new site that I've been looking at that seems to be very helpful in predicting when conditions will improve or get worse on a short-term and local basis.

Here is one.

http://www.surfline.com/coast-swell-wind/florida/central-florida_2154

It gives an easy to view picture of how the wind changes through a day or a few days.

As I explained not too long ago, what has been happening lately is that these fronts have been coming through and the wind has been progressing through a regular cycle of first coming from the west and then from the north and then the northeast, to east, and eventually southeast and south.

If you've been watching you might have noticed that is what happened the last several fronts that have come through this winter. The result is that when the beaches cut during the north/northeast winds, it doesn't last long and only the top layers of sand get washed from the beach, then the beach fronts begin to fill as the wind shifts to the east and the same old sand is washed back up onto the beach especially when the wind comes from the southeast again. That cycle has been repeated several times this winter as one front and then another passes through. And the same layer of sand gets washed into the water and then pushed back up onto the beach again.

What we need is a good sustained period of high seas and north/northeast winds that keeps churning for a while.

Anyhow, you can see from the web site that it shows the direction of the winds throughout the day for multiple days along with high and low tides. Of course, a good angle at high tide will be more effective at causing erosion than a similar north wind at low tide.

I do find this particular web site easy to use and very helpful for predicting beach detecting conditions and you might too. It gives data for different spots along the Treasure Coast including Wabasso and Fort Pierce, for two examples.

If you look at the near shore model on that web site you'll see that the wind is going to go through exactly what I talked about above. The wind direction will switch around from north later Sunday to east and then south on Monday. That means that even if there is any cutting on the beach, it won't last long, and the same old sand will be washed off the beach and then back up again in a matter of two or three days. There will be a short window of opportunity and practically no opportunity for very old items to be exposed. The only possible exception being in areas where obstructions prevent the natural flow of sand and where in the recent past continued erosion has occurred as a result of the interruption of the natural flow.

Although the seas are getting rougher today and the wind is now blowing strongly, I'm not expecting much improvement in beach conditions until around Wednesday when the seas are predicted to be up to seven feet and above.


Happy hunting,
TreaureGuide@comcast.net

11/18/11 Report - Medallion, Belaying Pins, and Condition Watch

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

Medallion Excavated at Jamestown.

Looks like something you might immediately discard as child's play.

The excavation at Jamestown has yielded over a million artifacts including this medallion, which some think represents the father of Pocahantas.

The article reports that they have discovered the church and the spot where Pocahantas was baptized and where she married John Rolfe. Interesting story. Seems fanciful to me.


Here is the link.

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/11/14/us/CHURCH-3.html


This Saturday, the 19th, is the November St. Lucie metal detecting club hunt at Bonsteel park which will begin at 7:30 am.

Contact Bernie at twiprod001@att.net for information.


You might very well have wondered how the clump shown in my blog photo yesterday was identified as a pair of scissors. Well equipped conservation labs have access to S-ray, MRI and other technologies.


Belaying pins have been used on sailing vessels for hundreds if not thousands of years. I was wondering why I've never heard of any being found on any of the treasure wrecks around the Treasure Coast. A single galleon might have employed over a hundred belaying pins.

Although some ships used brass or bronze belaying pins, some were made of wood. The answer to my question must be that those on the Spanish shipwrecks of the 17th and 18the centuries must have been mostly wood. Otherwise I would think that they would be more often found.

If you don't know what a belaying pin is, they were used to secure lines from the riggings. You might be more familiar with those used by pirates as clubs.

Here are a bunch of pictures of belaying pins.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&biw=1243&bih=904&gbv=2&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=belaying+pin&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=#q=belaying+pin&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbm=isch&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=ac2da4d7a20b2719&biw=1027&bih=565

If you can tell me about a belaying pin being found on any of the treasure ships of the Treasure Coast, I'd like to hear about it.


The wind picked up Thursday night and seemed to come from a direction favorable for erosion. It was coming almost directly from the north for a little while, and is predicted to come from the northeast for a while. We'll see.

I checked a few spots this morning. There are a few little scallops and cuts. Small though, and didn't look like they would be productive. Not much has happened yet.

The past couple of days there was a lot of filling on the front beaches and what little erosion that did occur, so far is only eating a little into that recently accumulated sand.

You'll see a lot of recently accumlated sea weed, shells, sand and junk on some of the front beaches at this point.

The swells are coming too much from the east right now.

You might be able to find a few spots where there wasn't too much recent accumulation. That is what I would look for right now.

I can't upgrade my beach conditions rating yet.

There is some aluminum and other junk to be found along with layers of shells on some front beaches.

It shouldn't take long to know if this is going to improve conditions or be a big disappointment. The wind is continuing at 25 or thirty knots.

Tomorrow morning should tell the story.


Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

10/3/11 Report - Big Seas Coming

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

One Treasure Coast Beach Sunday.

I actually visited a number of beaches this weekend and they all looked pretty much like this one. None of them looked any good even though the water had been up pretty high. Mostly a lot of mushy sand and seaweed so far.


Below are a couple more beach photos from this weekend. As you can see they all looked pretty much the same - no good.

Thanks to Bernie C. for these two photos.

I saw some other beaches this weekend but won't post any more photos. They all look alike.


I'm surprised that no one seemed to know about the Stuart Bottling Works. At least no one sent in any information. So I'd still be glad to hear from any one that knows anything about it.


Bernie also sent some sad news - Mike Diamond, a member of the Saint Lucie metal detecting club passed away. Our condolences to the family.

Ophelia is now up by Newfoundland, and Philippe is headed out into the Atlantic, so we don't have any storms to be concerned about right now.

There are some Treasure Coast shipwreck finds up for auction on eBay now.

Below is a photo of one lot consisting of a cannon ball, musket balls, piece of pewter plate, and part of olive jar bottom.

This lot now has a bid of $200. Many detectorist overlook miscellaneous finds like this, but they can be valuable.

Many detectorists like these types of artifacts as much as they like coins.

There is a copper sheet from the Nieves site also up for auction with a beginning price of just under $40. It is about four by four inches. No bids on that one yet.

It seems the surf web sites are pretty much sticking with their predictions. They are now predicting eight foot seas for Fort Pierce by Sunday and 12.5 foot seas for Sebastian by next weekend.

The wind is now from the north and supposed to be from the northeast tomorrow and for the next few days. It looks very promising right now.

There is a lot of sand to be moved, but seas that high can definitely do it if the angles are right. Even if the angles aren't right, the water might be high enough to hit the back dunes enough to wash some things out.

This is the most promising prediction that I've seen for quite a while. Hope for good north/northeast winds.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/28/11 Report - Still Summer Weather Conditions

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


Salvage Vessel Working at Nieves Site This Morning.


It is kind of late in the year for the salvage season. We are still getting those southeast winds that bring hot humid air and relatively calm seas. Conditions should be improving as the seasons change and we get out of the summer weather patterns.


Oct. 8 is the first club meeting for the new St. Lucie Metal Detecting Club, and Oct. 15th they'll have a club hunt. The club hunt is really creative and very appropriate for October. You can also join the guys for a hunt this Saturday.

For information on any of that call Bernie C. at 786-246-9335.


There are a lot of places that you can get good leads on interesting places to detect. You'd never think of some of the places where you will get good leads. I just stumbled onto a good resource that I'll talk about sometime in the future.

I guess if you read a lot and are well informed you'll run into good leads.


Green Turtle Beach This Morning After High Tide.

Pretty mushy. Didn't look any good at all.

The water had been getting up pretty high at high tide but not high enough to do much good.

There are two named tropical storms in the Atlantic now, Ophelia and Philippe. Ophelia is the closer of the two, but will stay far out to sea and go into the mid Atlantic. Philippe is still very far away.

Normally in October of November we get a nice Northeaster that improves the local hunting conditions. I don't remember that happening last year. In fact, 2010 and 2011 have been the worst years for hunting cobs on the Treasure Coast that I can remember. I'm sure there must have been another bad year or two like this, but I don't remember them. It has been very poor for such a long time, with very few and only very small breaks.

As I've said before, November through February have been my best hunting months for finding shipwreck cobs over a period of about twenty years. This summer was poor, as summers usually are, except for the occasional storms and hurricanes.

Things should start to improve soon.

Here is one place where I saw a little erosion begin. This spot was starting to peal. I don't know if it continued. The tide was on the way down so I suspect that it didn't do much.


One Location Where a Layer of Shells Was Being Uncovered.

As I mentioned yesterday, be aware of the layers. It will help you understand what is going on and where to look.

I saw one spot today where the beach was scalloping and fairly large rocks were being left on the beach. I detected around there a little and found a few things that I need to clean and identify. They were pretty deep in fine sand in the scalloped area. The rocks were the first indicator.

I don't have time to get into a lengthy discussion today, so will keep that for some other time.

The sea will be calm for the next couple of days and then get rougher on the weekend. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the surf web sites have already decreased the predicted seas for the weekend, but not by much.


I'm a little late getting the report in today, so I'll keep some of the other topics for another day.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net