Bonsteel park south Brevard

[Overeasy]

Since things are a bit slow, I thought I would inquire about the Bonsteel park area of S. Brevard County. Somewhere along the line I have heard that coins were discovered in the area even though this area is about 4-5 miles from the northernmost 1715 wreck. I also stopped there just after a hurricanes and several MD folks were getting busy. At the time I was just happy to have my roof on my house. I wasn't interested in MD'ing then. There are many rumors in the South Brevard/Indian River area. Pardon me if I am rehashing something that has been discussed in lenght before.

 

[wreckdiver1715]

Overeasy, never a problem rehashing some of the old stuff. You are correct concerning Bonsteel Park. Actually, just north of that was the location of the old Chucks Steak House where coins have been found. While no shipwreck has been located in that area, it has been long suspected that one of the as of not yet found 1715 shipwrecks may be in that general location. I personally believe that no wreck exist at that location. However, I have not heard of any recent finds on that stretch of beach.
The long ago abandoned Chucks Steak House was torn down three or four years ago to make room for some new marine wildlife exhibit.

Tom

 

[chipveres]

This is/was the infamous 1/2 reale beach. Speculation has it that a salvage boat brought up a box or sack of 1/2 reale coins, but overturned before it could reach St. Augustine or Amelia Island. However they got there, their loss is our gain & it used to be a big beach hunting site. Could be again if the wind and waves happen to open up the right pocket.

Chip V.

 

[Overeasy]

Well, Tom, thanks fror the info, it's always good to have a verification. BTW, I was wondering, as long as we are at it, if you or anybody ever heard of any success that a dive boat had when it worked along the breakers off Sunnyland Beach about 10-12 years ago. I don't know the name of the boat, but I have a picture of it on my wall. It was about 32-35 feet with the prop wash elbows (i know there is a proper term for this but my mind is a blank). It was so close to shore that they tied it off to anchors that they placed on the beach. They ran a line from anchor to anchor and worked the boat up and down the beach in that manner. They had another anchor off the bow of the boat. The boat was in about 4 to 6 feet of water. They only did this on the calmest of days. I think i took my picture on the Forth of July weekend. I always wondered why they thought something was out there. Somebody was spending some money.

Larry

 

[Overeasy]

Hey thanks Chip, you may have answered my next question. Larry

 

[wreckdiver1715]

Overeasy, I am assuming that you are referring Sunneyland Beach that is adjacent to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and the Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park, also referred to as south Melbourne Beach.
The elbows are called Mailboxes or Blowers. Was the boat painted Blue and White, and can you post a picture?
Yes, small amounts of treasure have been recovered in that vicinity over the years. Mostly beach finds. However, some shipwreck artifacts were recovered a year or two back by Rex Stocker and his group who hold s state search lease along that stretch of coast.

Tom

 

[Overeasy]

Tom, Well, the picture is neatly framed but the boat is all white and may be longer than 35 feet. It looks like it may have been big enough to have crew quarters. Sunnyland is next to the Aquarina development. I took the picture standing on our crossover which is across from the fire station.. This was at least ten years ago. They worked up and down the beach for a couple of thousand feet. This is just south of SBI.

Larry

 

[mad4wrecks]

It sounds like John Brandon and his salvage vessel, the Endeavor. That stretch of coast is part of the Mel Fisher Center's E-89 exploration area.

There have been rumors of treasure (not Spanish, but American gold) off Sunnyland Beach for some time.

 

[Overeasy]

Hey Madwrecks, (or anybody else for that matter) I need a bit of a history lesson here, I am aware of the fleet of 1715, the British ship later than that and maybe a earlier Spanish gallon, but American gold off Sunnyland?? Tell me more and I'm out the door. Seriously, the history of the area is very interesting. The area has lots of things to be interested in: treasure ships, rum runners, 1930s gangs and beach babes. The whole place was a pineapple plantation once and I heard that Howard Hughes once landed a plane here on the barrier island. Lots of interesting items down here.So any history you have on the Brevard south beach area is interesting. Thanks.

 

[ourhistory153]

Indeed fascinating history of the 1715. It was written that the survivors of the wreck tried to carry their treasure salvage to St. Augustine but the weight of it made them bury it for retrieval later which supposedly never happened. Also that English pirate Henry Jennings did some salvage after the Spanish did their immediate salvage operation. No doubt salvage operators may have left treasure North of Wabasso
Beach but I am curious where the other wrecks ended up. Of the 11 ships that went missing only 4 are believed to have been found.
So that leaves 7 ship wrecks still unaccounted for.

Wow! seven treasure ships still out there. Plenty of treasure for us all eh?

 

[mad4wrecks]

Well, there may have been just 10 Spanish ships in the fleet, the 11th being the French ship, Grifon.

And six 1715 shipwrecks (or parts of them) have been found to date, with 2 more probable (Heartland Treasure Quest's site at Melbourne Beach and HRD's site off Vero)

As I mentioned in my private message to you, get the book Rainbow Chasers by Terry Armstrong and Tommy Gore for the latest news on the 1715 fleet.

Regards, Tom G.

 

[Overeasy]

This may be the longest time between posts on a subject but for some reason I forgot about the book Mad 4 Wrecks mentions..But My wife came through and got it for me for Christmas and it's a great book. I think anybody that sets a toe on the sand of the Space or Treasure Coast needs to read this book....The Rainbow Chasers, good reading.....

 

[deepsix47]

The 1/2 Reales were coming out of the Dunes in front of the old Chucks Steak House. The best area was just north of the steps that came down to the beach from Chucks. Those of us that hunted it always kinda thought there might be something under Chucks.

At one point, Kane Fisher had the Dauntless in there but found the sand was to deep. He sunk a pipe into the bottom 35' before hitting hardpan. The area still produces in a good storm when the waves are pounding the dunes. At one point Mel Fisher was very interested in the area from Chucks North to the old Aquarina (a anchor is in the surf line there) and there are several producing spots up to there. Unless you know the "Surfer accesses" though they are a long walk from either end.

Deepsix

 

[Overeasy]

I see the Polly L is back just south of Melbourne Beach, I wonder how far their lease goes to the south. Does it go all the way to the inlet? I thought I read somewhere that they thought their was a treasure ship off shore but the Polly L is about 300 yards off the beach.