1/12/18 Report - Palm Beach Beaches Low. John Brooks Beach. 17 Shipwrecks on Google Earth. Sea Level Rise Issue.

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

Groin Showing at Palm Beach
Photo by Joe D.

Joe D. sent in the following message with photos from Palm Beach.

 Hit Palm Beach at low tide this morning! Some spots are as eroded as I've ever seen them in many years! TONS of iron from the exposed steel groins everywhere, making any finds hard to come by! Literally thousands of pieces seen and unseen! Even when discriminating ( which I rarely use) still drove my detector crazy! Also backed down the sensitivity! Ive been keeping track of the  erosion in certain spots with pictures each time I visit here, and hope to find more old stuff soon, if it continues!

There were some things exposed that I took some pics of that I have never seen before that were interesting! The steampunk looking pipes were brass or bronze and where in a strange spot for such items! I would love to know what they are part of, and would probably be valuable salvage! Also some old pilings exposed and a anchor point for something!

Sea Wall at Palm Beach
Photo by Joe D.

Pipes on Beach
Photo by Joe D.

Posts on Palm Beach.
Photo by Joe D.

Thanks much for the report and photos Joe.

The first picture reminds me of some detecting that I did many years ago between exposed groins that produced many very high quality finds.

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John Brooks Thursday Near Low Tide

Surf at John Brooks Near Low Tide Thursday.

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17 Mysterious Shipwrecks You Can Find On Google Earth.   That is the title given by Live Science - not me.

Anyhow you might find it interesting and perhaps possibly informative in some way.

Here is the link.

https://www.livescience.com/60505-mysterious-shipwrecks-on-google-earth.html

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Whale saves snorkler from shark? That would really be an experience just to be so close to such a large animal.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/01/08/hero-whale-saves-snorkeler-from-tiger-shark-in-pacific-ocean.html

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Two days ago I mentioned an article that talked about how much we can expect the sea level to rise in the next hundred years  Champ F., a geologist, sent the following response to that.

As a geologist, one of my pet peeves is the brainwashing the media has done re sea level.

Yes, sea level is rising but a very important component of that is that the ground is subsiding too. Added to that fact is that for 100+ years we have greatly reduced our rivers' sediment load to the coastal areas by building dams and other flood control projects. sand is constantly being lost off the beach to deeper realms and if not resupplied, the beach will go away. (I am in No Way advocating for renourushment as it is currently done. Adding more sand at a point source, say at the mouth of a major river, over a long period of time and allowing nature to distribute that sand as she sees fit is probably a better way).

Its not just the sea level rise (and the implied 'global warming' or whatever the Tax/Spend politicians and their suckups call data falsifying these days), but also subsidence and sand resupply. and all this ignores that sea level rises and falls over time- thats the way it is and always has been.

I dont know costs, but there is an effective way to allow nature to resand a beach for you. just build a breakwater line x-feet offshore and the sand will fill in from the shore to the breakwater all by itself. probably best not to push this tho as it would lead to sanding in the area for ever. but remember, without the rivers resupplying sediments, all beach sand will eventually conveyor belt into deeper waters.

Good hunting!

Champ F.

Thanks Champ.

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Bathtub beach is closed for repairs again.  It is really ripped, as is often the case.

I think they are digging near the Port of Fort Pierce and will probably be dumping more sand south of the Fort Pierce Inlet before long.

I remember back in the eighties, John Books beach was very different.  At the edge of the water there was about a four foot drop-off where now the sand extends out many yards.

While sand has not been dumped on John Brooks down by the beach access, a lot of it has been dumped on the beach to the north and the longshore currents washed it down to John Brooks.

One year the erosion was all the way back to right in front of the condos to the north.  Now the beach is nearly a hundred yards out to the east of there.

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Google stats says the blog is drawing very close to having 2 million page views.

Back  a few year ago I started to work on a formula for metal detecting success and the factors that go into it.  I think that I'll refine and expand on that in the near future.

Another front will be coming through this weekend and the surf will bump back up to around six feet by Monday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/3/2015 Report - One Reason I Dig So Much Junk. CSS Pee Dee. Dare Back South. Remembering Dave. Better Beach Conditions Possible Next Week.

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

Here is one reason I dig junk.  This morning I was digging a big signal. The first thing that came up was a rusty big bolt or something.  It was nearly a foot long and completely covered by rust.  That object had a fishing line tangled around it, which was tied to a one ounce sinker. There was still a signal.  The next thing that came up was an encrusted nail.  There was still a signal.  It wasn't easy digging at this point.   I was trying to dig into shells and rock.  Finally out came this .75 troy oz. 14K ring.

The spot where I was working had a dip and some rocks.  As I said yesterday, it is one of the very few spots that I've been able to find lately where the sand has washed down to some older sand.

The eroded area moved farther south since yesterday.  I could tell that from the rocks and a couple of partly uncovered limbs or stumps.  Those things provide important markers.

While the north end of the dip that was there yesterday filled again, the south end extended farther to the south today.

Coins were found higher up on the beach near the foot of the cut.  Lower on the beach and down around the exposed rocks were a lot of corroded iron and junk.  I thought I might find a shipwreck spike, but failed at that.  A broken bronze spike was found right around there a year or two ago.

There was a lot of junk, it would have been an OK strategy to use discrimination if you just wanted to dig coins.  You would have got some coins and missed a lot of junk, but you probably would have missed the ring.

Strategic decisions always involve an associated risk.  If you want to discriminate, that can be a good strategy, but there is a definite risk.  You should be aware of the risks as well as the benefits when you make those kinds of decisions.

You never know what you missed unless you go back and check, but one thing you can do is keep good records and see if there is something missing.

My best example, and one that I've mentioned before, is from my early days of detecting, I was finding a lot of big men's rings but few small women's rings.  At first I thought women didn't lose as many rings as men.  Later, after I turned my discrimination down, I learned that there were a lot of small rings to be found, and I was missing them before.   Your records can give some indication about what you might be missing.

I have found lots and lots of watches.  I tend to think that a lot of people are discriminating them out.

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Before the weather turned bad the Dare surveyed an area 27 nautical miles along the coast and 6.5 miles wide with side scan sonar and magnetometer.  Although a couple of areas were found for further inspection the site of Lost Merchant was not positively identified.  With the weather turning bad the Dare returned to work the Atocha and Margarita sites.

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A team of underwater archaeologists from the University of South Carolina raised three Civil War cannons – each weighing upwards of 15,000 pounds – from the silty sediment of South Carolina’s Great Pee Dee River near Florence, S.C., on Tuesday (Sept. 29).

The two Confederate Brooke rifle cannons (11.8 and 12.25 feet each) and one captured Union Dahlgren cannon (8.9 feet) were artillery of the CSS Pee Dee, a 150-foot Confederate gunboat, a Macon-class gunboat built to patrol waterways and protect the coast...

To read more of that story here is the link.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/uofsc-archaeologists-raise-trio-of-civil-war-cannons-from-scuttled-css-pee-dee

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Concerning the memorial brick that I posted yesterday, Al C. sent me this email.

It jumped right out to me but I could be wrong. Dave Rust passed away from cancer several years ago. He was a long time treasure diver spending most of his time in that area. He had a few partners and worked with many of the old timers including Harold Holden. He and Chris Tisak, who is currently diving that area I think, were good friends and worked together for at least a few seasons. They were both good, generous guys and let me work with them when my schedule allowed.

Anyway, that came to my mind immediately.

Thanks for the blog and info and all of your effort. I read most everyday.

Al Coffey

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The waves are still hitting the beach straight on.  We have something close to a four or five foot surf.

The surf will be increasing, reaching up to possibly eight feet by Tuesday.  Now that is getting up there where you might expect some improvement in beach conditions.  The wind is also supposed to switch so that it is coming from the North beginning later Tuesday.  If we actually get the higher surf coupled with North winds, there is a very good chance that we'll finally get improved beach conditions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/22/14 Report - Gold Coin Found Nearly 3000 Years Old. Identifying Treasure Traps. Greatest U.S. Buried Treasure Ever Found. Joy of Problem-Solving.

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




Very Old Gold Coin Found by Diver.
Source: See link.

A diver saw a flash of a gold coin on the bottom while diving in shallow water.  The flash came from this coin, thought to be nearly 3000 years old.  It weighs only .63 grams.

Here is the link.

http://sofiaglobe.com/2014/09/09/diver-finds-2750-year-old-gold-coin-in-bulgaria/


Keep your eyes open.




Always be on he lookout for treasure traps too.  They can be found in a lot of different kinds of places and can collect items over long periods of time.   Not only can they collect items, but they often protect items from being found by other detectorists.

Lets start with sidewalks and roadways.   If there is a concrete walk leading up to your house, go out and drop a coin on the walk and see where it goes.   If it rolls, it might end up in the crack beside the walk.   Not only will things collect in the crack beside the walk, but they will likely not be found there.  For one thing, there is a good chance they will stand on end, and that makes it difficult to detect.   If the walk or driveway is concrete, it will likely have iron rebar in it that will keep many detectorists from detecting close to it.  So even if the site has been heavily detected, there is still a good chance that anything lost right beside the walk or driveway will still be there.

Some detectors can be operated closer to things like that than others.   With experience you can learn to detect around traps like that, getting at least some of those items.  Play around with your detector settings.   Also the sweep angle.  Maybe switch to a small coil. 

It could be an area where you can't use a detector very well but where you can dig and use a sifter.  Think of alternative methods for getting items out of spots that are difficult to detect.  

The key is to keep thinking about where there might be traps that will collect items and how you can detect or retrieve them.   A lot of detectorists will simply miss some of the best areas simply because an area is not well suited to their hunting style or techniques.

Tree roots can also trap items.   Not only can they trap items, but they will also protect items from other detectorists.  Some detectorists won't detect closely around obstacles or will give up digging when they hit a stubborn root.

Rocks can trap things too.  I've found gold rings under rocks on the beach. 

The currents will speed around rocks that are too big to be moved by the water, and that will move the sand and items will slip into the deepening depression.

I do not intend to give you an exhaustive list here, just a few examples to get you thinking.  I won't spoil all the fun of problem-solving for you, but as you scan a site always be alert to possible treasure traps and think about where things might be protected from other detectorists.

On a beach and in the water there various types of natural and man-made traps.

When I take a vacation or visit a new location, it seems that alarms are always going off in my head as I notice treasure traps and begin to drool over how much treasure has probably accumulated, and then my mind switches to thinking of different techniques for getting it out.  A whole lot of the fun for me is in the problem-solving process.


Coins from the famed Saddle Ridge Hoard, said to be the greatest buried treasure ever found in the United States, will be on display Oct. 9 - 11 at the PNG show in New York.  The display will include 50 of the found coins along with the rusty containers. 

One of the coins on display will be the finest known surviving example of a 1866-S Double Eagle without the motto.

Here is the link for more information on that.

http://www.coinweek.com/coin-clubs/saddle-ridge-coins-cans-coming-png-new-york-show/


There are no storms brewing in the Atlantic or Gulf.

The surf along the Treasure Coast today will be around one foot.  It won't be much bigger than that for a week or two. 

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/15/14 Report - Casting TV Show, Big Cut and Variety of Old Items Found

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

Every once in a while I get contacted by a TV production company to do a reality program.  I haven't seen any that I am interesting in doing yet.

I think what they should have for this one is a deep sea diver with a treasure resume.

Here is part of their banner.  They are also interested in some one with an interest in exploring the Bermuda Triangle.

If you are an experienced treasure diver and want to send them a resume, I'll give you their contact information.

It is a Los Angeles -based production company.


As you know yesterday I had to reset my Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Conditions rating back to a 1 (poor) after only one day of having a 2 rating.  There are however still some big cuts around.

They aren't well placed though.  My rating scale is for old shipwreck items, and these cuts aren't in any of the areas that would significantly increase the likelihood of finding those types of items.  Furthermore, the big cuts are in replenishment sand.  Replenishment sand seems to always be the first to go since it shouldn't be there anyhow.




Six Foot Cut Running For Miles.
Photo by Michael E. 

Here is one big cut that was still out there yesterday on South Hutchinson Island.

There might be some modern items below these cuts even though I wouldn't expect much in the way of shipwreck treasures.   There can be a surprise or two though.

Thanks for the great picture Michael!


Yesterday I talked about Disston saws and their medallions.  William M. found that nice web site because he had found a medallion and was doing he research.  

Below is a photo of the dug medallion that started him down that track.

In fact William has been making a lot of nice old finds lately.

Below are a few more of the finds by William M.







Dug Disston Saw Medallion.
Find and photo by William M.



Other Nice Old Finds by William M.
Photo by William.

 

 

Thanks for sharing William.



Eva S. continues to find items in shell piles up by Patrick Air Force Base, including another shark tooth and an old encrusted fork.

I've heard from some guys overseas that are seeing a LOT of coastal erosion.  Among the things that have been popping up is an 800 year-old leg bone, possibly that of a monk..

Here is the link for more about that.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/archaeology/10687989/800-year-old-monk-found-poking-out-of-cliff-face.html

 

Maybe some of you guys over there will want to reply to the TV casting call.  

 

 

On the Treasure Coast we're having GREAAAT!, as Tony the Tiger would say, weather.  Well, its not my favorite kind of weather.  I like wind and rain, but most people prefer this kind of weather.

 

We're going to have relatively calm seas the next few days.

 

Someone asked me about detecting in the River.  Remember that the submerged lands in Florida's navigable waterways, and most other water for that matter, are considered to be the property of the state and although for the most part there are no laws against detecting in those waterways, anything in them over 50 years old is considered to be the property of the state and not to be removed. 


I almost forgot.  I have some finds to post too.  I like having other people's stuff to post though.

 

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net