Gulf coast.... seahorse reef off of cedar key

[wfoster74]

Up late one night i found some information from a treasure site that indicated a rumur of a shrimper netting some silver bar south of seahorse reef. I could not find any more details of this find. As i undersand it, the history of cedar key is riddled with tales of spanish ocupaton in the 1500's to cival war battles. Has any one else have information to validate the find as a true story?

 

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[kevino1960]

I cannot confirm this info, but for what it is worth here is a story of Cedar Key. I know a guy, who has dug and searched FL all of his life, he has a lot of artifacts (found legally) and has worked with the state on several occasions. He told me he got a call from a guy (this has been years ago, 15+) that searched Cedar Key for treasure regularly. The guy said he had found a chest (buried) and had taken the loot but, there was small stuff left if my acquaintance wanted to go back and sift through the hole. Apparently the guy took the big stuff and got out before he could be discovered and forced to explain etc. The guy I know said he went to Cedar Key, located the site and found reeles and a few gold pieces. I cannot validate this story, was not shown any of the 'loot' or given the location. Allegedly the original finder said he was going to Europe where the 'find' would be easier to fence, more lenient laws and such and no one has heard from him since. I don't know that the story is absolutely true however, I do think Cedar Key and the vicinity was occupied by Spain and there are still artifacts to be found there.

 

[DR]

Hi, I've been Spending a good majority of my weekends and vacations in the the Cedar key area for the past 21 years and have many friends there. Some of them Pretty old and been there all their lives and I am allways asking about the history of the place and I can't say I have ever heard that one.
Next time I'm there I'll ask a couple of friends of mine, a retired fish and game warden who worked and grew up there and another friend who is currently a Department of Environmental Protection officer who also grew up there about it.
I'll let you know what I find out.
In the mean time there is a really good book about the history of Cedar Key written by a transplant living there called "Off the Beaten Path" that is a world of wealth about the more recent history of the island group.
It should pop up on a GOOGLE search.
DR

 

[wfoster74]

To add to the lure of the location, there is a bunch of wrecks to be found from the civil ware error and early 1900’s. It seams that on January 16, 1862, the Union vessel Hatteras sank the Anna Smith, Ancilla, Dudly, Rattler, Stag, Nye, William H. Middleton, and an unnamed ferryboat and sloop. These vessel sizes ranged from 50-200 tons.

Here us the original article that grabbed my attention from http://www.treasuresites.com/nfl.htm


“One Spanish silver bar has been netted on the S. side of Seahorse Reef, which would make sense, since Spanish treasure fleets would have turned south with the Gulf current just north of Cedar Keys, and a hurricane coming from the Yucatan Peninsula would tend to blow a ship over the reef, hole it, and sink it on the S. side of the reef.”

Resource:
Robert Neeser's Statistical and Chronological History of the United States Navy 1775-1907

http://www.treasuresites.com/nfl.htm

Official Records of the Union & Confederate Navies of the War of the Rebellion cites the Mary Nevis, cutter rigged sloop, as being grounded, bilged, then burned, at Bayes Pass, Cedar Keys.

I guess its time to refit my sailboat with some underwater sonar and make the 14 nautical mile trip.

 

[DR]

I guess its time to refit my sailboat with some underwater sonar and make the 14 nautical mile trip.

Are you out of Crystal River?

 

[wfoster74]

I sail out of Inglis which is one river north of Crystal river. Basically if you head out of CR and cross over the barge channel the next set of markers is Inglis. I am about 12 nautical miles from Cedar key channel marker if i stand on marker #1 in Inglis.

 

[DR]

10-4
If you ever get to where you just gotta go take a look and could use a hand, drop me a PM.
I got fresh hydro's on the tanks and the Excal is always charged and ready to go get wet.
DR

 

[wfoster74]

Right now i have nothing solid, but i have been hitting the aerial photos and sat images and found a few targets. I would really like to get a side scan on my boat and ping some of the targets to get a 3D image. I am not to interested in diving this location unless i can see bottom from my boat, this area is really muddy and full of sharks. Visibility is probably 0 - 3 foot. An ROV would be best, and maybe help me get out of the design phase of my and onto the building phase.

If i do get something and need some help I will let you know, An extra hand is allways usefull, especially when the wife wants nothing to do with sailing and treasure hunting.

 

[DR]

10-4 again.
I haven't ever fished on Sea horse, but I think it's about time for a little trip out there.
I would have thought the visibility would be better than that out that far.
Around Cedar Key in close it can get pretty dark, what with the tea stained Suwannee River pouring out to the north and all, but the river right now is about as clear as I have seen in 20 years.
At 30 feet you still don't need a dive light.
I don't mind low visibility diving or sharks but I get your point.
No need to if you have better way.
An ROV would definitely be a better way than diving with the the sharp toothed fishes in the dark!
DR

 

[wfoster74]

The river in Inglis is just as clear, the lack of rain is a blessing in some since. No rain water run off, no tannic acid from the leaves to darken the waters. I have been on the trail of one possible civil war wreck that lands me in the dark waters of cedar key. The USS Hatteras took over the keys and sank a couple and destroyed morein Jan 16 of 1862.

Follow this link to read offical naval records from that time.

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-...otisid=ANU4547-0017&coll=moa&frames=1&view=50

Check this out, Its a enhanced photo and i have this location from two different fly overs and this one had the most detail. What i see and correct me if i am wrong, A bow, and possibly two or one broken mast or masts. But then again i could be completely wrong and it simply could be prop cuts in grass.

 

[G.I.B.]

My wife's grandfather grew up fishing there. Grandmother didn't much care for the area as the 'evil spirits' were everywhere. The soldiers eventually ran the pirates out, and the military took over. They started a pencil factory with the cedar wood and a hurricane eventually destroyed the place because of the killings. Grandfathers father (last name Booth) had the first car in Cedar Key. According to the grandparents they could not go out at night because of the spirits. The rumors abound over treasure scattered about. Separating fact from fiction is the tough part so far.

If I'm able to pry out any actual facts, I'll let you know. And yes, they still believe the pirate loot is scattered about.

Now, on to reality...

I do know that the silt is so thick that anything there is going to take effort to recover. I don't know anything about the side scan sonar, about how far it will reach thru silt? Would this be better for a mag?

 

[G.I.B.]

Might you have located the 'Sea Drift', a Schooner that went down in that area in 1871?? Maybe the 'Eagle', a sloop sunk in 1872, same area. Soooo many possibilities, so little time...

 

[DR]

Not at all sure what I see in the picture but I am intrigued.
Here is a copy I doctored up some more.

 

[G.I.B.]

Mother nature very rarely makes straight lines or right angles. Could be onto something here. Only way to tell for sure is to get wet.

I believe several folks have volunteered to help look. How deep is the area? Are there rocks, shoals in the area, or was this a 'struck by lightning and burned to the waterline' wreck?

Keep us dreamers informed!

 

[wfoster74]

i would think the mag would be a better choice. However i have neither so right now i am just hoping for some luck with aerial images.

 

[wfoster74]

Most leads i have are of the civil war records and they are vague. I have not scaled the image so i am not sure of the size yet but i would imagine its around 100 foot or so. The image has a channel that is reported to have a depth of 11 foot. So it should be in around 5 - 8 foot or water. If its civil war error and related to the 1862 battle then it was sunk or burnt to the water line. As for the others reported above i know no history of them. This might be a good time to dive this location since no rains have fallen and their is minimal run off to cloud up the waters.

I have to finish my new main that i have been making and some minor repairs on my jib then i am ready for a weekend or two of hunting. If i get some good location pics i will post them. I also may just talk my father into letting me use his 35footer open fisher to do some quick discovery trips. 12 miles is nothing for twin 200's and a full tank of gas.

 

[florida miner]

i just read this and am wondering if yu ever looked at the site up close and personal. i live in bronson and am tring to find a way to look out at the cedar key area if you need a hand let me know im interested in going out and helping.as for the sharp toothed fish...... i love em..........fried!

 

[wfoster74]

I have not gone to this location yet, I have been looking for more information and histroy on this area, mainly civil war info. But recently their was another post of some people intersted in this area for the Spanish wrecks we have on this side.

I have a area i am going to search about 100 square miles. (This will take a life time). My method of searching will be the same i used to use when i was in the navy stationed on a mine sweeper. My starting point is about 12 miles away from my boat slip and the closes is about 7 miles. Its nice to live so close to the water and having my boat allready in the water at the doc.

What i really need is a side scan. for spot searching i am just going to use a home made ROV.

 

[OldGold74]

Is this the same area you were swimming around Corny?

 

[Salvor6]

Yes, this is the same area Corny was swimming around. He gave me the location and I made three trips there last year. Found nothing. I have a mag and a sidescan sonar so if anybody has any sites out there I am willing to check it out.