Sunday, August 30, 2009

Remnants of Hugo; Boolets, Gold, and Platinum!!

Last night I hunted for about two hours. I was not impressed with the beach but I was impressed by the wind. First real wind in ages, coming out of the SSW. Thought maybe it would move some sand. I thought this wind might be the remnants of Hugo.

This morning I was trying to have happy thoughts. A bad thought would come and I would overpower it with a good thought. Pretty soon I was in a pretty good mood.

Tried a section of beach that used to be one of my favorite places to hunt before the renourishment.

Looked like a possibility of a couple of holes in the surf. I grabbed the Excaliber and waded in. Neither hole had squat. One pull tab and one bottle cap.

The beach looked interesting with a fairly steep angle and then smoothing out. Started gridding up and down. A few targets started to pop, kind of like when popcorn first starts to pop. Then I started picking up some 50 caliber shells and bullets. One hole had four or five in one hole. Then the clouds parted, the heavens opened up and a gold ring showed itself. First gold ring in three weeks! I could read the 14K.
I was working my way back towards the parking lot to trade the Excaliber for the Sov because the Sov has the 10" coil. I was at mid-beach and I got a loud signal. I am staring at another ring. I pick it up and almost grunt it is so heavy. My mind is spinning and the word "Platinum" sprints through my head. I can't read the inscription. Then I remember that Tungstun Carbide is really heavy also.

When I get back to the VW I try to switch arm cuffs, steal the one off the Excaliber and put it on the Sov...but I lose the screw. Matter can neither be created or destroyed but a screw can sure get lost in the back of my VW.
I stick the arm cuff off the Goldquest back on the Sov. I try one more time to read the inscription and am pretty sure it says PT950. Maybe I won't starve to death.

I hunted a couple more hours, for a total of five. Some more change, a couple more bullets and one little piece of junk ear ring.
Three 50 caliber shells, ten 50 caliber bullets and one smaller caliber shell.
Here is the mess.
At last, I can use the magnifying glass on the ring in question.
Here is the ring on the scale. 21.9 grams. EeeeHaaa Baby!!!!
Platinum is at $1245 an ounce. I'll let you do the math...but I had a great morning!!!!!
I stopped by Taco Bell and celebrated.
Low tide is only six hours away.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Tenacity or Insanity...Ringdaddy #23, #24 and #25

This morning I hunted for three hours at Surfside Beach. The reason I went to Surfside is that MB has not been giving me anything. It is horribly sanded in. Still quite a few folks on the beach but the sand is heavily mounded up. Surfside gave me 51 pull tabs and $2.01 in change. That might be a new personal record for pulltabs.
Ran into Gene Patrick, another detectorist, in the campground and did a lot of complaining and whining.

51 pull tabs will make you do some soul searching...like what the hell am I doing?!

Decided to try MB again this evening, the same place I got my last gold ring. When I got there the beach looked almost exactly like it had a week ago. I waded down the shallow trough with the Sovereign and picked up an occasional coin. When I got to the spot where I found my last gold ring I had to play with the sensitivity to get the Sov to act right in the water. A few seconds later I got a signal...but not much of a signal. Two scoops later I was looking at the first gold ring in a week.


A short time later I got a foil sound and my mind says Gold Ring. Bingo!! Another one. This one had me thinking for a moment. Is it silver? and then I remembered the foil sound.

I was wearing out and finally turned around and headed for the car, still sticking to the shallow water. About halfway back I get another foil sound. This one put a smile on my face...could it be??


As a reality check; here is the mess.


Not many coins or pull tabs this evening. I'm not complaining after the 51 pull tabs this morning.

Monday, August 3, 2009

A lesson learned and Ring Daddy #22

The other day there was a post on the Surf and Sand forum from a man that had lost a platinum ring with a one carat diamond solitare in front of one of the motels in Myrtle Beach. This was his post...

My wife and were staying at the Ocean Reef Resort in Mytrle Beach SC last week. The resort is located between N 71st Ave and N 72nd Ave. She lost her diamond in the edge of the surf. We meet a gentleman who was searching the area, but found nothing, he told us to put a post on here and if anyone came across the ring they would probaly contact us and return it. It is a wide platimum band with baquettes and a 1 carat princess solitare. There is a ring sizer on the ring which may help with the description. If anyone happens to find it we would be forever greatful.

Well, I jumped up and ran out the door to find the lost ring. I post said it was lost at the edge of the surf. I misinterpreted that to mean at the edge of the low tide surf. Duh!!!

After two low tides I asked Glenn what day the ring was lost and what time of the day. Glenn gladly gave me much better information and narrowed down the area where the ring was lost. Low tide three found me hunting hard with hopes of finding the lost ring. I found quite a few coins and trash but no ring. The area may very well be sanded in since the ring was lost or someone else has found it.
Lesson learned; ask for details!!! and don't assume anything!!

I will check this area in the future but I no longer have a good feeling about finding the ring.

Today I ran behind and finally got to the beach right at low tide. I chose the Sov. Very little wind today but very dark storms working through the area. When I got down on the beach the waves were very small and the area in the surf looked promising...lots of shells showing. I waded in about knee deep and got my first target of the day...a fairly loud signal. I dug around in the shells and spotted a ring. Must be a mood ring or some ill begotten piece of junk. I picked it out and immediately knew I had either gold or platinum from the weight. The very first target was gold!!!


I hung in the surf with the Sov until it almost got drowned. Went up and grabbed the Excaliber from the car. Waded around until a wave finally went over my head.
Not a lot of targets but enough to be interesting. I will have to spend some more time in the surf.
Diana and I are going to celebrate at Chalupas. See ya there.