Cape Canaveral Restricted Area

[The Caped Canaveral]

Hi everyone, this is my first post! I'm a habitual beachcomber, and while I don't have a metal detector or anything, I've always been pretty interested in casual treasure hunting.

From what I understand though, the fact that I don't have a metal detector is probably irrelevant, because the area I beachcomb doesn't allow metal detectors anyway. I have access to the beach inside the restricted area at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and I love going out there because since it's restricted, it's like having your own private beach; I'm always the only person out there for twenty miles up and down the coast. You find some pretty cool things washing up on the beach there, especially after storms. In particular, there's this amazing little 30 meter stretch of beach just south of the tip of the Cape which seems to attract and 'catch' all of the large flotsam and jetsam coming into the area. I call it the 'Catcher's Mitt.' I have never seen so many large conch and whelk shells piling up anywhere along the Space Coast as I find in this one little 30 meter Catcher's Mitt. Great driftwood too, and occasionally flotsam from charter boats, but I also regularly find all these interesting concretions washing up...and I just wonder about them. It's also a source of fascination for me that so few people can even get out there, and it makes me wonder how many cool things have washed up on the beach over the years that are just waiting to be found...

Can anyone tell me about any wrecks that might be in the Cape Canaveral area? The specific beach which I'm talking about is literally the very tip of the Cape and the beaches flanking that.

Also, what am I looking for as far as concretions are concerned? How can I differentiate between naturally forming concretions and something that may have formed around a man made object?

Thanks in advance!

 

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[Vdubguy]

I don't have any info to give pertaining to your question. But, I used to live in Port St. John and I worked at KSC for almost 4 years. I lost my job at the end of the shuttle program and have since moved out of the area. I too remember always being the only person out there on the CCAFS beaches. Primo surf fishing. You name, I've hooked it on that beach. I still have many of the odd things I have picked up off that beach. Buoys, drift wood, and tons of big shells.

Just one piece of info on the concretions, due to the port routinely be dredged, they are removing old petrified (or fossilized?) sea life. A woman that I knew from the Brevard zoo has found encrusted fossilized crabs. These are the concretions that look like sandstone, not all of them of course. She broke one opened and showed me and sure enough, there was a claw inside this "rock" she picked up off the beach.

Hope this helps some, and bring a fishing pole next time you're out there.

EDIT: I forgot to say, "Welcome to Treasurenet"

HH

Vdubguy

 

[Tejaas]

I don't have any info to give pertaining to your question. But, I used to live in Port St. John and I worked at KSC for almost 4 years. I lost my job at the end of the shuttle program and have since moved out of the area. I too remember always being the only person out there on the CCAFS beaches. Primo surf fishing. You name, I've hooked it on that beach. I still have many of the odd things I have picked up off that beach. Buoys, drift wood, and tons of big shells.

Just one piece of info on the concretions, due to the port routinely be dredged, they are removing old petrified (or fossilized?) sea life. A woman that I knew from the Brevard zoo has found encrusted fossilized crabs. These are the concretions that look like sandstone, not all of them of course. She broke one opened and showed me and sure enough, there was a claw inside this "rock" she picked up off the beach.

Hope this helps some, and bring a fishing pole next time you're out there.

EDIT: I forgot to say, "Welcome to Treasurenet"

HH

Vdubguy

People helping people right there, that's awesome Vdubguy.

OP, you should post up some photos of your shells and other treasures!




~Tejaas~

 

[kingskid1611]

Sounds like my kind of place to relax. Congrats on getting it to yourself. Welcome to your first post on TNet.

 

[teklord]

Books on the subject you may find of interest:

West Of The Bull: A Brief Romance With Forbidden Treasure: T. L. Armstrong: 9781490509648: Amazon.com: Books

French Castaways at Old Cape Canaveral: Douglas R. Armstrong: 9781467977159: Amazon.com: Books

Wrecks located on the cape were worked on before the area was restricted.

Tek

 

[The Caped Canaveral]

Thanks for the welcome and feedback, everyone!

Just one piece of info on the concretions, due to the port routinely be dredged, they are removing old petrified (or fossilized?) sea life. A woman that I knew from the Brevard zoo has found encrusted fossilized crabs. These are the concretions that look like sandstone, not all of them of course. She broke one opened and showed me and sure enough, there was a claw inside this "rock" she picked up off the beach.

Oh wow, that's cool! I'll have to keep an eye out for them. Nice to meet someone who has also been out to the CCAFS beaches.

OP, you should post up some photos of your shells and other treasures!

Haha, I'm afraid if I posted photos of all the shells on my back porch, the Air Force might label me as a 'serial beachcomber.'

Books on the subject you may find of interest:

West Of The Bull: A Brief Romance With Forbidden Treasure: T. L. Armstrong: 9781490509648: Amazon.com: Books

French Castaways at Old Cape Canaveral: Douglas R. Armstrong: 9781467977159: Amazon.com: Books

Wrecks located on the cape were worked on before the area was restricted.

Tek

Those look like some very juicy reading! Thanks!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

If you have the specific job-related "in" to access that beach , then what determines what activities you can and can't do ? I mean, is it your employer that says: "yes you can collect driftwood and eyeballed nicknacks. But no you can't detect" ?

 

[Vdubguy]

If you have the specific job-related "in" to access that beach , then what determines what activities you can and can't do ? I mean, is it your employer that says: "yes you can collect driftwood and eyeballed nicknacks. But no you can't detect" ?

It's the government that says you can't detect.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

If you have the specific job-related "in" to access that beach , then what determines what activities you can and can't do ? I mean, is it your employer that says: "yes you can collect driftwood and eyeballed nicknacks. But no you can't detect" ?

Federal Law states no possession of or metal detecting on National Parks which includes Cape Canaveral National Seashore, you can not detect on NASA property either...

 

[dubina]

@ TCC

I have access to the beach inside the restricted area at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and I love going out there because since it's restricted, it's like having your own private beach; I'm always the only person out there for twenty miles up and down the coast.

I would like to watch a night launch from pad 41 on March 19th. Unfortunately, when the Atlav V launches at night, the restricted area is closed to motor traffic so so it seems. Is there any way to get closer to Pad 41 than the west suide of the Indian River ... without having a home in the restricted area?