After a seemingly successful beach driftwood project earlier this summer, I knew that the next trip to the beach would include a hunt for more treasures, perhaps even ones of the slightly buried variety. Again the family returned to Sargent and again the Texas tides did not disappoint.
My wife actually went to the beach with the kiddos a day prior to me and upon seeing her later that evening; she said “I saw a piece of wood you may be interested in.” “Cool!” I said, thinking that I have at least one more pirate on my crew. Believing that perhaps other family members wouldn’t laugh at me quite as much as I stroll amongst the debris, I looked forward to the next day.
I learned quite quickly that you do need to be pretty picky about the driftwood you do decide to pilfer from the waves’ wreckage. Among all the (disappointing) litter and limbs, twigs and trunks, you’ll occasionally catch sight of a milled piece of lumber. Then depending on its positioning you have to wonder; is there enough there to bother with? Is it rotted through and through or just in one spot? And more importantly, can I pull it from the beach’s gritty grasp?
The other fun part is always speculating on the origin of the finds. The thoughts range from the simple—someone threw this down here instead of in the trash while they were visiting the beach last week— to the spectacular— this drifted over from an ancient rum running boat that capsized in the Caribbean Sea in the late 1700’s after it was attacked by a giant squid. Thus, without the help of carbon dating equipment and with the aide of an expanded imagination, the spectacular usually wins out…. for me.
So yes, this trip provided a new set of discoveries. Surprisingly enough all three finds were all approximately 6 feet in length. One piece of shiplap type siding, roughly 7 inches wide, a 1×4 of either oak or mahogany and a heavy 2 inch by 6 inch (actual measurements) pine board that appears to have been in the water a long time yet seems to have help up well.



While I haven’t decided what exactly I will make with these beach boards, one thing is for certain, there will be a story attached. Perhaps an idea will come to me after a shot of some 200 year old rum and some calamari, now, where’d I put that bottle I found……?
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX






















14 comments so far
Thos. Angle
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4015 posts in 841 days
posted 793 days ago
And a fun time was had by all.
-- Thos. Angle
mot
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4901 posts in 915 days
posted 793 days ago
LOL…inspired by spirits to tell a story. That doesn’t happen very often. :)
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
MsDebbieP
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14096 posts in 1039 days
posted 793 days ago
ok you need to making something for the Philanthropy Event and write out the story that goes along with it—- pass on your creativity (with woodworking tools and with words).
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
RobS
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posted 793 days ago
Fun indeed.
Ms Debbie, I was planning on something else for the challenge but maybe. I also thought I may make something with these pieces for our friends/hosts at the beach, have to keep the suppliers happy you know.
Thanks for the comments.
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX
scottb
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3391 posts in 1206 days
posted 793 days ago
ooh, not a pirate ship, but pieces off a rum runner… that’s got my mind spinning (and with Bermuda like weather currently) It’s like I’m almost there… Don’t think the pine was on the boat though (at least not part of it).... but the others for sure.
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
MsDebbieP
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posted 793 days ago
oh good idea.
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Bob Babcock
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posted 793 days ago
LOL…are those cutlas marks I see on those boards?
I’ll be at the beach all day tomorrow. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for some booty.
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org
MsDebbieP
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14096 posts in 1039 days
posted 792 days ago
and I think a parrot did some nibbling here and there also
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
frank
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1492 posts in 1085 days
posted 792 days ago
Hi Rob;
—-rum runners of the Caribbean, originally based out of the West Indies were the curse of the seas as they often pillaged all that was within their eyesight….
These men and women often visited the beaches of southern Texas, especially around the area of Sargent, since they soon found that all is bigger in Texas. Often upon leaving the shores of this bigger then all that meets the eye land, they would run into those much dreaded northwestern winds of ‘rum blowing after hangover size’, that would shipwreck and capsize even the most stout ships, crewed by able bodied seamen and the best breed of pirate captains yet to be found….and then added to this, was the all to often fate of the ships and crews that were many times attacked by giant squid in the area. These squid of gigantic proportions are found to still be ranging the seas of today, hence the tales of the Bermuda Triangle have been told, so as to soften the truth of what really lives out there….
Rob; your story telling is in-deed very good and then there is all-ways the wait and see of anticipation as I await what kind of ‘wood treasure’ will yet come forth in your finds.
Thank you for sharing….
GODSPEED,
Frank
-- --frank, NH, http://frank.wordpress.com/
Bill
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2562 posts in 1040 days
posted 792 days ago
I am thinking a pirate’s chest would be a good idea for the wood. Afterall, you have to hold your booty somewhere. Why not under lock and key in a stout chest.
Hey, at least the theme matches the story.
-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com
RobS
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1231 posts in 1185 days
posted 790 days ago
Hey Bob, how’d your day at the beach go? Don’t tell your wife that it was my idea for you to go out to the beach looking for booty. :)
Thanks Frank for the story embellishment, more substance for my tale.
Bill, I’ll add treasure chest to the list of possibilities.
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX
MsDebbieP
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14096 posts in 1039 days
posted 789 days ago
we’re fast approaching “international talk like a pirate day” (Sept. 19) .... what great timing.
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
RobS
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1231 posts in 1185 days
posted 789 days ago
oh right, I would have forgotten, thanks matey! arrgh!!!
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX
frank
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1492 posts in 1085 days
posted 789 days ago
Hail ye Rob of Sargents cove;
And once when I was a kid, I heard a tale that taught me of mindin’ me own busyness on the docks off the coast of Texas….
”....spoon ye shackles up the mast their matey, ere ye be whizzen off them thur bow lines and we cast ye off for the buzzard sharks to go a harpon on ye inards and gizzards….”
Thats it, I’m out of here and
Thank you.
GODSPEED,
Frank
-- --frank, NH, http://frank.wordpress.com/