Jet Ski.

[Peg Leg]

I was wondering if a Jet Ski with a small mail box attached would move some sand in a very shallow spot.
Thanks
PEG LEG

 

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[transplant]

yes but you got to have some way of anchoring the jet ski.the only problem will be with the water intake on the jet ski. i have also use a small pump with 3/4 inch pump pipe you put the pump in a small boat the you take the discharge line with the pipe and blast away. the longer the pipe the deeper you can reach, it don't take a lot of pressure to move sand in shallow water.

 

[Peg Leg]

Thats is along the line I was thinking about.
As far as anchoring the craft that is no problem since the location is only about 10 feet from shore.
I am thinking about putting the Jet Ski about 10 feet away and up stream so that the sand does not get into the pump and adding somekind of hose to the water outlet and blowing the sand away this way.
Not sure yet.
I have been told that I can do the same thing by putting a MINI MAILBOX on an outboard motor. This would be a lot cheaper than using a Jet Ski.
Thanks
PEG LEG

 

[spez401]

peg
I don't remember when, but someone posted pics of a mailbox for an outboard. Do a quick search, and you'll probably come up with it

steve

 

[rgecy]

Here are a couple picts of the outboard blowers. My design was based off salvor6's (Pete's) blower design. I added a longer extension tube to mine for greater depth.

The plans can be found at the link below. They only show the tube construction not the brackets.
My Gallery - Blower Plans

Robert

 

[Peg Leg]

Robert, Great photos and great looking attachments.
It sure appears to be a simple rig. Now I will get dong to some planning.
Thanks
Don

 

[NC_Bob]

Peg, you say "upstream" which implies river?

This probably won't work, but maybe it's an outside-the-box suggestion that might get some other ideas flowing. There are two areas I see as likely problems which may be insurmountable or irrelevant.

You can buy a submersible pump (intended for powering waterfalls in pods and landscaping) that will move a lot of water. One quick search dropped me on this page
http://pondsolutions.com/high-volume-submersible-pumps.htm
where they have a 1.5 HP pump that costs about $750 and will move close to 300 gals of water per minute. I don't know how that would compare with a jet-ski wash, but think about how long it takes a garden hose to fill up a 5 gal bucket and how much dirt you can move with a garden hose and I think this flow rate could really move some muck.

There are out-of-water versions of these pumps as well.

This pump draws 16 amps. You might even be able to drive that from an inverter from an auto battery (engine running) but you can pick up a small generator that will handle it for under $500. Cheaper than a jet ski.

Having the generator on shore would make sense, as although it could be put in some sort of float/boat (hookah style) you'd want to be really sure there was no way it could capsize and join you in the water. That possible electrical issue is one of the two potential problems I mention. The pump iteslf is insulated (otherwise it would kill the fish!) but if it developed a fault... Second prolem was whether these things are OK with saltwater?

--and putting part of it on shore pops a new idea into my head: how about simply using a gasoline-powered pressure washer? I don't know whether a pressure washer needs positive input water pressure to work (i.e. from the house water pressure) or whether just putting the intake hose into the water would allow it to draw on its own. You'd probably need some serious filtering of the input water, especially if it's sandy. I've seen used pressure washers advertised for under $200, so that would be a real budget option, and if dirty water burns up the pump you're not too badly out of pocket. I suspect saltwater would not be OK here, although if it was used for a few hours and then thorouhgly flushed with fresh it might be OK?

Hey, wicked idea: you could even _RENT_ one

-- Big boat folks - how much "wash" do you get from a scooter? If the obviousl electrical issues prove to not be a problem might the a pond pump with a long hose be a better way to wash out under rocks and so forth? That's probably been done a dozen different ways before, but perhaps this is a cheaper version? That same page has pumps that will push 1400 gals a minute which is probably way more than a diver could control...

Bob.

 

[Peg Leg]

Bob,
There are no rocks in this area and the water is not salty.
The material is about 5 feet under the sand BUT it is about 12 feet down to hard pan. I do not want to wash the sand enough for the items to end up on the hardpan.
I have another question is there a MD that can tell me what the material is like Iron, Gold, Silver or whatever. I guess I should scan the area first with a MD with a discrimator.
I have already used a FISHER PULSE 10 DETECTOR and pinpointed the locations and have probed the locations this is why I know it is at 5 feet. We hit something at every spot the detector said there was something there.
Now I guess that my next step is to find out what it is and then go and get it.
Thanks
Peg Leg

 

[ScubaFinder]

Don,

I speak from experience when I tell you that an outboard with Robert's blower design attached works well....just brace it up real good.

 

[spez401]

scubafinder
If i recall, there was some discussion about using nylons/panyhose to cover the inlet ports on the outboard to act as a filter. Do you use anything to cover them?
steve

 

[rgecy]

Steve,

I didn't see a need to this time. We were deep enough that the boil was behind the boat and not right up under us. If we had been very shallow where the sand and shells could have been sucked in, then yes, I would have put something similar over the intake.

I only wear pantyhose on special occasions, so I didn't want to use my good ones.

 

[spez401]

LMAO...

ummm Bob.... that was a little too much information for the children

steve

 

[ScubaFinder]

I had a whole "Robert only uses pantyhose to stuff his Speedo" comment ready, but he beat me to it. LOL

Yes Spez, you can sure tear up a cooling impeller quickly...we were at the Jupiter Inlet site this time...but when we start blowing in 10-12 feet on the Fisher leases Robert will sacrifice a pair of nylons for the good of his boat. On the new boat, we won't have to worry about that anymore, and Robert will have a closet to hang his stockings in.

Jas

 

[rgecy]

For the record, I do not wear a speedo (or Pantyhose for that matter).

I will throw Pete under the bus on that one! Although, Pete's Speedos are a bit more conservative than the regular "Banana Hammock" version.


Back on topic:

PegLeg,

I think the jet ski idea would work great. You should be able to find a PVC elbo that might do the trick and just bolt it on. As for the outboard blower idea, it is very doable. The cost of the blower is minimal in materials, its the labor that will eat you up!

 

[Peg Leg]

Robert this is for a one time use only or may two at the most.
A friend of mine is a Certified Welder and will do the welding for free but the PVC idea is great.
Thanks guys.
Peg leg

 

[badbrains]

Gentlemen, if I can interject with my opinion, . 'blowing' is better suited for final excavation/recovery. What needs to be done is dredging or 'sucking' of overburden. Properly implemented, this method allows you to place the sand far from the site as to avoid murking up the water Anything caught up in the dredging can be screened at the outlet. Cost: about $300.

 

[Peg Leg]

This may sound nuts and just came to me.
What if there was a way to get a screen under the objects and then blow the sand and let the objects go to the screens.
But first things first.
I must KNOW for sure what the material is that I am trying to recover. This can only been done by MDing the objects with a MD that will tell me if the objects are gold or what.
I think that a MD with some type of probe can do this with out much of a problem.
Once this has been confirmed I could drive a section of PVC tube or pipe over the object nd then use a auger type blade inside the PVC.
Yes it may cause some damage to the objects-but I do not think so-not much anyway.
The objects are reported to be 6" long x 2" x 1.5".
All I need is to recover ONE BAR. Then I would use a Backhoe or a Clamshell bucket and get the rest.
Like I said before it is only 10 feet from shore and the shore line is very solid and would support a Crane. It is on Private Property and I have permission.
The whole operation would only take about 2 hours.
But I must know what the material is FIRST.
GOT ANY IDEAS?
PEG LEG

 

[badbrains]

I see, Peg. Mud is a different ball game. You say they are loose bars or in a chest? If loose, the pvc idea may work but 6 inches doesnt give much room for miscalc. If you can center the pipe over the object i would use a 'water auger' instead of the metal auger. You can blast the muck up the tube with water pressure. Since one end will be in the muck it wont have much choice but to go up as it gets liquefied. You should be able to 'feel' the bar at the end of the pvc as it finally reaches it or the you can turn the auger off and probe the hole with the end of it. That is, assuming you are directly over it. This will cause less damage, if any. if you have access to one you can drop a camera in the pvc with an LED light.

 

[badbrains]

Guys, I just wanted to add the it should be done with minimal pressure as to decrease the chance of further entrenching the object. My 2 cents.

 

[Peg Leg]

pharez,
Thanks for the idea which leads to other ideas.
I am not thinking about using a much larger type pipe or tube structure.
I am thinking about using several 50 gallon plastic drums attached. Now all I have to do is come up with a VERY BIG BLADE.The drums are 32" in dia. But I can have the blade made from aluminum which is very simple to do. For the power I can use a gas powered Post Hole digger and with a few changes it would be almost totally quite.
What do you think?
Peg Leg