jsturg
Jr. Member
I just returned from a trip to the 1715 area and wanted to share my experience. I tried to take advantage of the full moon/low tide. I worked the areas hard for nearly 5 days without much luck. All beaches looked like they have had at least some sand work done. First...as a warning for anybody unfamiliar with the area: Beach detecting is allowed from the dune line to the mean low tide line only. Only in a few areas did I find good shell layers within moderate digging distance.
From the South:
Rio Mar
Slightly populated beach but beaches looked fairly built up. Didn't work it for long.
Turtle Trail
Parking area closed. Tried asking permission from foreman to park in a construction lot just to the North of the parking area but he said due to liability and concrete trucks in and out of there I couldn't park there. Suggested parking just outside the closed gates of the beach access. The walkover is partially on the ground. No repair work even attempted yet. Worked sand in construction site near dunes just to the South of the parking area with no luck. Worked beach North with little luck. Had a good repeatable signal at the tide line but it was deep. The more I dug, the more my hole caved in. Even at low tide, the hole was filled with water. Couldn't make progress. Had another detectorist hit the hole and he had a good signal. He dug a while to no avail also. Finally had to give up. Seemed like a large target.
Sea Grape
Parking lot open (sometimes...one day, they never opened the gates. That's when I went down to Rio Mar) Hit this beach a lot. Sand has been pushed up to rebuild the dunes for several hundred yards to the South. Look at the difference in the dune line half way up in the attached photo. I didn't work it North. Found some change in the wet sand area that has obviously been in the surf and sand for quite some time. Coins almost totally without features. Found a small chunk pretty deep that I think read silver. No corrosion on it though. Too light for lead. Has a pewter/silver look. My Quattro thinks everything is silver though. If it's silver in color, it seems to read silver on the display. Clearly aluminum stuff reads silver often on my Quattro, except for thin aluminum like pieces of the side of an aluminum can. Found a target in the side of a dune that read silver. Looks like the threaded washer that locks wires on a metal junction box. Looks like it might be threaded on the inside too. Heavily corroded. Unless the Spanish had metal junction boxes or there are some unbelievably rich people living there, I don't think it's silver or of value. Entire Corrigan's area was constantly being hit hard by detectorists. Nobody had any luck though.
Wabasso
Didn't detect here. Beach closed. Numerous dump trucks hauling in sand.
Ambersands/Cabin wreck area
Ambersands lot and walkover is open. Treasure Shores and the other big public beach to the South were both open.
Hit the area North of Ambersands towards the Kip's cabin/Mclarty's area pretty good twice. Beach was replenished about 2 years ago. Lots of aluminum & trash.
Mclarty's Treasure museum people said some people have been having recent luck up near old Chuck's area. Couldn't find parking area they suggested though (Bonsteel Park).
As a side note, Bob "Frogfoot" Weller is conducting a few seminars this Summer. Info can be found at http://www.atocha1622.com/wellerseminar05.htm I am not affiliated with him or the seminar and have not attended before. I will be attending May 6 - 8 though. I am simply posting it to be informative.
Wouldn't mind finding somebody that wouldn't mind diving one of the sites just before or just after the May 6 - 8 Frogfoot seminar. No metal detecting in the water! Just a 1715 site shallow reef dive. Of course, if somebody has a lease, I'd be glad to do some "grunt" work and would gladly share fuel costs. I am a divemaster and am certified through Trimix so I'm quite comfortable in the water. I have been on the Atocha with Syd and K.T. for a 10 year Atocha anniversary dive.
Jeff
From the South:
Rio Mar
Slightly populated beach but beaches looked fairly built up. Didn't work it for long.
Turtle Trail
Parking area closed. Tried asking permission from foreman to park in a construction lot just to the North of the parking area but he said due to liability and concrete trucks in and out of there I couldn't park there. Suggested parking just outside the closed gates of the beach access. The walkover is partially on the ground. No repair work even attempted yet. Worked sand in construction site near dunes just to the South of the parking area with no luck. Worked beach North with little luck. Had a good repeatable signal at the tide line but it was deep. The more I dug, the more my hole caved in. Even at low tide, the hole was filled with water. Couldn't make progress. Had another detectorist hit the hole and he had a good signal. He dug a while to no avail also. Finally had to give up. Seemed like a large target.
Sea Grape
Parking lot open (sometimes...one day, they never opened the gates. That's when I went down to Rio Mar) Hit this beach a lot. Sand has been pushed up to rebuild the dunes for several hundred yards to the South. Look at the difference in the dune line half way up in the attached photo. I didn't work it North. Found some change in the wet sand area that has obviously been in the surf and sand for quite some time. Coins almost totally without features. Found a small chunk pretty deep that I think read silver. No corrosion on it though. Too light for lead. Has a pewter/silver look. My Quattro thinks everything is silver though. If it's silver in color, it seems to read silver on the display. Clearly aluminum stuff reads silver often on my Quattro, except for thin aluminum like pieces of the side of an aluminum can. Found a target in the side of a dune that read silver. Looks like the threaded washer that locks wires on a metal junction box. Looks like it might be threaded on the inside too. Heavily corroded. Unless the Spanish had metal junction boxes or there are some unbelievably rich people living there, I don't think it's silver or of value. Entire Corrigan's area was constantly being hit hard by detectorists. Nobody had any luck though.
Wabasso
Didn't detect here. Beach closed. Numerous dump trucks hauling in sand.
Ambersands/Cabin wreck area
Ambersands lot and walkover is open. Treasure Shores and the other big public beach to the South were both open.
Hit the area North of Ambersands towards the Kip's cabin/Mclarty's area pretty good twice. Beach was replenished about 2 years ago. Lots of aluminum & trash.
Mclarty's Treasure museum people said some people have been having recent luck up near old Chuck's area. Couldn't find parking area they suggested though (Bonsteel Park).
As a side note, Bob "Frogfoot" Weller is conducting a few seminars this Summer. Info can be found at http://www.atocha1622.com/wellerseminar05.htm I am not affiliated with him or the seminar and have not attended before. I will be attending May 6 - 8 though. I am simply posting it to be informative.
Wouldn't mind finding somebody that wouldn't mind diving one of the sites just before or just after the May 6 - 8 Frogfoot seminar. No metal detecting in the water! Just a 1715 site shallow reef dive. Of course, if somebody has a lease, I'd be glad to do some "grunt" work and would gladly share fuel costs. I am a divemaster and am certified through Trimix so I'm quite comfortable in the water. I have been on the Atocha with Syd and K.T. for a 10 year Atocha anniversary dive.
Jeff
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