accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

[GOHO]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

Bill, ths chart was made in 1776... If you look close at Ays Inlet it shows Leech Shoal in front on the Ays Inlet so it has to be in the same place as the old St Lucie Inlet.....

 

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[barney]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

Not to derail the current discussion, but I came across this article and I was wondering if perhaps there are a couple 1733 vessels mixed into this area (aside from all the other wrecks known in the area), or perhaps this was just debris from the Keys that had drifted north?

October 3, 1733, London newspaper article....

 

[billinstuart]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

Someone's spending too much time inside..must be the weather.....

Anyhow, I don't see the "Leech SHoal" named. but do see the foul area. Now, we do have a Leech Mansion here in Jensen Beach, built on top of an old midden. The name "leech Shoal" escapes me.

The area I suspect as the original location is just south of the House of refuge. Because of the outcropping of rock there, erosion south of it is expected. This is the area that was breached during the hurricanes.

 

[GOHO]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

He didn't label Leech shoal in that chart but he did draw it in as the "x"s, He did label it in this one...

 

[billinstuart]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

I've gotta map that shows the "Leach Shoal" further north, but it's too large to post.

Found this site..

nauticalcharts.noaa.gov

that has some interesting stuff from the 1800's. One shows the OLD Ft. Pierce inlet from the 1920's.

 

[mad4wrecks]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

There are a couple of problems with that Roman's map

1) He shows the north fork of the St Lucie river extending almost to El Palmar-way north of where it actually ends

2) The St Lucie inlet was never the inlet of the Ais

3) He shows the Bleechyard as a bit north of the St Lucie inlet. It is actually much further south. If you have ever driven this stretch of highway, there is just one area like that described- down near Hobe Sound- an area of high hills with bright white sand...almost looks like snow on the hilltops. The highest point has an elevation of just over 80 feet! ( 27.1.088N / 80.6.678W). Notice Romans says hill (singular) There is an observation tower on this spot today (in Jonathan Dickinson State park). From sea, this landmark would have stood out for many miles.

 

[billinstuart]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

The "bleech yard" is at Jensen Beach, although it no longer resembles a bare slope, having been built on. There is a prominent and steep sand ridge just west of downtown Jensen, running north for a 1/2 mile or so.

 

[GOHO]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

Tom, The Bleach Yard is what we call today "Mt Elisabeth" which is located north of St Lucie River near the long peninsula.. Bernard Romans states in his book that he dead reckoned the the river so it is not exact..

 

[itmaiden]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

I have read a couple of historical accounts giving indication that 1733 wrecks were off the East Coast of Florida. I've read differing accounts of the number of ships wrecked from that fleet.

itmaiden

Not to derail the current discussion, but I came across this article and I was wondering if perhaps there are a couple 1733 vessels mixed into this area (aside from all the other wrecks known in the area), or perhaps this was just debris from the Keys that had drifted north?

October 3, 1733, London newspaper article....

 

[itmaiden]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

How come you're not treasure hunting today ?

Now me personally...I would love to trade this snow, and cold as well as my respiratory infection for some warm Sebastian sunshine and a vigorous treasure hunt.

Send some sunshine up to Arkysaw will ya ?

itmaiden

Someone's spending too much time inside..must be the weather.....

Anyhow, I don't see the "Leech SHoal" named. but do see the foul area. Now, we do have a Leech Mansion here in Jensen Beach, built on top of an old midden. The name "leech Shoal" escapes me.

The area I suspect as the original location is just south of the House of refuge. Because of the outcropping of rock there, erosion south of it is expected. This is the area that was breached during the hurricanes.

 

[GOHO]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

I've gotta map that shows the "Leach Shoal" further north, but it's too large to post.

Found this site..

nauticalcharts.noaa.gov

that has some interesting stuff from the 1800's. One shows the OLD Ft. Pierce inlet from the 1920's.

Leech shoal begins at Bath Tub Beach and extends to the SE for a couple miles, if you look on google earth you can see it still there. They had to cut through it to build the present day inlet but it extends even farther south than the St Lucie Inlet...

 

[billinstuart]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

On further examination......

my map does show leach shoal off of "hillsborough Inlet", also named "spanish admirals inlet" a mile or so north of the present St. Lucie location. Interestingly, AYS inlet is a couple miles south near Peck Lake. Proceeding south, there's blowing rocks (rocks on shore) the Jupiter or "Granville" inlet.

I don't know where I copied this map, and it's too large (1.6mb) to post.

Bill

 

[Darren in NC]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

Bill, send me the map and I'll resize it and format it for showing here.

Luis (Chagy) and I did some research years ago on the Bleach Yard and determined that there were two of them. So Tom and Greg, you are both actually correct. We kept getting them confused since varying documents were very detailed as to their locations. We figured they both must be correct and not one and the same. I thought that Romans' reference correlated with today's Ocean Breeze Park (about a mile east of Mt Elizabeth), in which you can still see a couple of large patches today. I'm not sure why the Hobe Sound location has such a defined circle, but I haven't traveled that direction in some time. Those who live there can share with us better than I. My files are buried right now, so forgive me for not posting my references. I'm sharing this from memory.

Best,
Darren

 

[mad4wrecks]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

Darren, the actual "landmark hill" is still south of the area you pointed out, although it may be part of the same ridge. The tallest point around, it is at 27.1.088N / 80.6.678W. There is an observation tower built atop of it today...and yes, you can see it from sea.

 

[Darren in NC]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

You are correct, Tom. I can see that spot now about one mile south. That's what I get for trying to recall from memory Maybe I can go dig my files out and give the references for what I found back then. This has been a great thread!

 

[billinstuart]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

"Mt. Elizabeth" is actually a midden located directly on the Indian River. Upon it sits the "Leech mansion". This is located about a mile SSE from the "Bleech yard" at Jensen Beach/Ocean Breeze Park (a town, btw).

Maps clearly show the "bleech yard" located north of the St. Lucie river...that's why I discount the Hobe Sound location. That part of the coast is identified by the "blowing Rocks" at the park by the same name. Somewhere down near blowing is a "fresh water spring in a rock". Where is that??

 

[mad4wrecks]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

This is from a previous post by Chagy:

Bleach yard is not one sandy spot but an entire area that goes from Jupiter to St. Lucie with several sandy spots........The first one to give it its name was Bishop Calderon fom Cuba back in the 1600s the original name was "ropas extendidas"

 

[GOHO]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

Every Chart i can find except one shows the Bleach Yard North of St Lucie River but i did come across some interesting accounts.....


On the west of Hobe Sound, the land rises into hills and ridges of light
sand, scattered over with shrub pines and vacciniums, This tract is marked
on the old charts, the Bleach Yard. On Gomez Island, north of Jupiter
Inlet, is the old plantation of Padre Torry, now grown up with bushes, but
embracing several fruit trees, that contend with the cabbage-palms for possession.


1715. On the 31st of June of this year, a Spanish fleet of fourteen sail
of galleons on their return from Mexico through the Gulf of Florida,
ran foul of the reef near Carysfard, through the ignorance of the Admiral
Don Rodrigues de Torres. Every ship but one was destroyed. The
Captain of the ship that was saved disobeyed the signal of the Admiral and
bore away. An immense treasure was lost. The Spaniards, some time
afterwords, fitted out a company of wreckers and dives, and sent them to
attempt a recovery of the specie and bullion that was on board the galleons,
were very successful, and raised a large quantity of the treasure.

1716. The English in Jamaica, learning how the Spaniards were
employed, fitted out two ship and four sloops, under the command of
Captain Henry Jennings, who immediately sailed to the Florida Keys,
anchored his fleet, and sent three hundred men on shore to attack the
spanish guard, which consisted of sixty men, who fled into the woods and
abandoned to the English three hundred and fifty thousand pieces of eight,
which was carried in triumph to Jamaica.


You might be right Tom..... When you bring minds together new things are learned...

 

[mad4wrecks]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

It has been an interesting thread for sure. I don't claim to know much. Other than actually getting out on the water or exploring the beaches first hand, much of my 'research' is dependent upon the research of others.

Sometimes I like to play the "devils advocate" too, just to keep the discussion rolling.

 

[itmaiden]

Re: accounting for the 1715 fleet vessels by their own " offical records"

Definition: Bleech Yard

n' a general term for an area of ground, either inland or beside the sea, laid out for the playing of golf

FOUR !

itmaiden

This is from a previous post by Chagy:

Bleach yard is not one sandy spot but an entire area that goes from Jupiter to St. Lucie with several sandy spots........The first one to give it its name was Bishop Calderon fom Cuba back in the 1600s the original name was "ropas extendidas"