1715 Fleet Detecting Discussion

[CptF]

Hello, I'm new to the forum but have used it before as a guest. I was supposed to be in Vero Beach earlier this week for some diving and detecting but US-Canada borders have been closed and will likely remain for couple more months.

I've been fortunate enough to amass a good sized collection of books about the 1715 Fleet, my personal favourite is Pieces of Eight by Kip Wagner. That's the reason why I got into this adventure. Feel free to chime in about gear, sites, advice, etc as it's going to be a long road ahead for me!

I'd like to make a visit next year if things are well, but I'd like to gather more resources and research in the months ahead.

For a detector, what would you recommend? VHF or PI? I was thinking the Sea Hunter MKII since it's PI which would be better for searching the beach areas.

As for sites, which beaches/areas would you recommend? I read an article about $6000 in coins being found on the beach in Wabasso in early March.

Finally, is it possible to find other artifacts like the K'ang Hsi pottery along the beach or waterline?

Thanks,

CptF

 

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[Digger_O'Dell]

I was down there detecting a couple years ago and it was an enlightening experience. First off, detecting in the water is illegal as they are leased from the state and highly regulated and restricted. The only legal detecting is done from the water line up to the top of the beach.
Secondly, the real heartbreak was finding that they replenish the sand beaches. What that means for detecting is that anything that had been washed up on shore is most likely under many feet of sand, and by my guess during my trip is it could be 10 to 20 feet down to the rocky layer where any heavy metals like coins would settle or get caught during big storms. I hit every public beach along the Treasure Coast while there and struck out. Best bet is to get in immediately after a big storm or hurricane has washed out the beaches and hopefully made some items accessible.
As for equipment, I had pretty good luck with my CTX 3030 and big coil. But for raw power and the ability to tune out most of the mineralization you really need a PI machine. The drawback there is theres no knowing what you are hitting on or how deep. I used my GPX 4800 with a 19" mono coil, and I hit on memorials over 4 feet down, countless big sinkers, and big bags worth of trash.
Hope this helps!

 

[xr7ator]

4 feet deep hit on a one cent coin. Very interesting.

HH ALL!

 

[vpnavy]

...I'm new to the forum but have used it before as a guest...

I noticed this was your very first post - so, Welcome Aboard CptF! Take a look at Forum: Canada for information (i.e., clubs, etc.) directly related to your country.

...I was supposed to be in Vero Beach earlier this week for some diving and detecting but US-Canada borders have been closed and will likely remain for couple more months...I'd like to make a visit next year if things are well...

You might consider browsing Forum: Florida while waiting.

...I've been fortunate enough to amass a good sized collection of books about the 1715 Fleet, my personal favourite is Pieces of Eight by Kip Wagner...

Jump over to Shipwrecks and search the forum for "1715 Fleet" - you will be surprised how many threads are posted - great information for your trip...

 

[PetesPockets55]

Yes, diving in the ocean is definitely a no-no because it is regulated by leases from the state. People have put good money into acquiring those leases and are rightfully protective of them.

With that being said, I don't know if metal detecting in the river is off-limits as well or if the leases are only for the Atlantic?

[Mini-lobster season has started (Wednesday, July 29, 2020 12:00 Midnight - Thursday, July 30, 2020 12:00 Midnight EST) and must be nerve-wracking for leaseholders.]

 

[CptF]

Hello again, and thank you all for your responses.

Digger O'Dell, you mentioned that because the sand is replenished the coins and "treasure" (other than pennies and sinkers!) is under 10-20 feet of sand. Do the coins wash up from sites off shore due to wave action and weather often or am I overly optimistic?

Vpnavy, thank you for providing further reading. I honestly had no idea how big this forum is! Maybe there's some folks in the area who have successfully done a pilgrimage to the Treasure Coast and would be willing to connect.

PetesPockets55, I would be a true pirate if I detected the lease areas, and would likely be punished like one as well! I totally respect the leases and the effort, work, and money put into securing them. Too bad the isolated finds program is no longer in existence and there's not really an easy way to dive/search the areas for an average Joe.

If you had to rate the chances of finding something on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being unlikely and 5 being probable for these beaches what ratings would you give? Here's a few i had planned to detect:

-Pepper Park Beach
-Treasure Shore Beach Access
-Bonsteel Park Beach
-Seagrape Trail Beach
-Wabasso Beach
-Turtle Trail Beach

I don't plan to find the Queen's Jewels, but being in the right area might increase my chances haha.

Thank you all for your help.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Odds of finding treasure coins are a 1 unless there has been a hurricane then maybe a 3 after a storm, but it is short window as they are quickly reclaimed by the ocean tides.

 

[gunsil]

Not to disappoint, but chances of finding 1715 treasure on the beaches where it is legal to hunt would be in the proverbial "snowball in haydes" area. There are folks detecting there every day for modern drops. As digger says, the most likely scenario for finding 1715 stuff would be right after a big blow like a hurricane and there will be others doing the same. There are a few brave guys who have hunted there during a hurricane who have found gold coins but they defied evacuation orders and risked their lives to do so.

 

[TheGreenBoy]

I was down there detecting a couple years ago and it was an enlightening experience. First off, detecting in the water is illegal as they are leased from the state and highly regulated and restricted. The only legal detecting is done from the water line up to the top of the beach.
Secondly, the real heartbreak was finding that they replenish the sand beaches. What that means for detecting is that anything that had been washed up on shore is most likely under many feet of sand, and by my guess during my trip is it could be 10 to 20 feet down to the rocky layer where any heavy metals like coins would settle or get caught during big storms. I hit every public beach along the Treasure Coast while there and struck out. Best bet is to get in immediately after a big storm or hurricane has washed out the beaches and hopefully made some items accessible.
As for equipment, I had pretty good luck with my CTX 3030 and big coil. But for raw power and the ability to tune out most of the mineralization you really need a PI machine. The drawback there is theres no knowing what you are hitting on or how deep. I used my GPX 4800 with a 19" mono coil, and I hit on memorials over 4 feet down, countless big sinkers, and big bags worth of trash.
Hope this helps!

As long as one is only navigateing the sea and takenig measurments along (i.e. using sonar and magnetometer) one is not brakeing any rules - right - or am i wrong?

 

[Digger_O'Dell]

Everything I have heard comes down to the point of it's up to the lease holder what can be done. Florida's rules seem pretty convoluted, and geared towards the state making as much money as they can off the finds. I think you can research the laws online in regard to what's permitted and not.