a zany proposal

[Tod Mills]

A while back, there was a guy on my local radio station talking about a game he has recently gotten started in: Geocaching. In case you aren't familiar with it, it involves using a gps to locate "hidden treasure" that other people have stashed. The treasure isn't really treasure, it's usually just some small container with some cracker-jack type prizes. The fun is in the hunt.

Anyway, I tried it out for the first time yesterday and was reading about the topic on the official geocaching page (http://www.geocaching.com/) and they also have these things called "travel bugs", little dog-tags that are picked up, taken to a different cache, and left for someone else to pick up. The travels are noted and recorded on the web so anyone can track it's path. Often, the travel bug has a specific goal, perhaps making a trip across country or across an ocean.

So, that got me to thinking, what if there were such a game (if there isn't already) among the sailing fraternity, a small object which travels by sailboat from place to place, getting stashed until another sailor seeks it out and delivers it on it's way.

Sound like fun?

[Neil Gordon]

I'm aware of the geocache thing... there were a number of caches in the woods I used to walk.

The sailing equivalent is an interesting idea. Where to put the boxes of trinkets, though? The Coast Guard probably won't want us storing stuff on buoys.

How about floating/mobile caches? You don't get there by GPS... you get there by hailing on channel 9 and swapping a trinket (and a beer) with someone else in our fleet. Drink the beer... keep the trinket on board for passing along to the CD you connect with next.

Okay... I've thought about it... forget the tinkets... swap two (or more) brews... drink one and add the rest to the cache, properly labeled as to origin, of course. Something like that.

[barfwinkle]

placing the booty in a small water proof container with its own "mooring" anchor (a brick prehaps) and toss it out in some quire cove where it can be found by either dink or whatever.

That way there could be several within a certain area and you could actually live up to the whole concept of geocaching. If enough CDSOA folks were to get involved there could be water caches all over the area.

Fair Winds

[Photo Chief]

I hate to mention it but while stationed in Key West I motored across someone's geocaching buoy while doing thirty knots. It wrapped my propellor breaking off one blade. This caused me to idle back to harbor for 3 hours during a thunderstorm. In view of this sad and unfortunate fact I propose that future small buoy proposals for geocaching in water should only be attempted by using small line that will self-destruct when subjected to extreme stress.

Now that I think it over... I have noticed several of these small buoys here in Chesapeake waters. Small white styrofoam thingies. I normally avoid them but perhaps I will now stop and pull them in to see what prize I can find.

[barfwinkle]

the use of 1/2" anchor line nor was I suggesting placing the caches within a major navigatible waterway where one might be doing 30 kts!. Next time I'll be more specific !

Fair Winds

[Didereaux]

Let me get this straight...you are listed with a Bristol 27 and you hit a crab trap buoy at 30 knts? I'll bet you one thing! Ol' Neil would be interested in a couple of THOSE brews! LOL

;)

[Tod Mills]

hidden on shore at an anchorage or marina or some such. And for our purposes, with a fleet traveling dog tag, it would just move around, with the latest placement reported here, I suppose, in the form of a general location and lat/long coordinates.

[Joe Myerson]

Tod,

It's an interesting idea, although putting buoys out there might not be a good idea.

Perhaps we could stick to marinas, members' moorings or, if we're having a float-in or Cape Dory Cruise, to specific spots along the way.

And Neil's right, swapping a brew would be nice, once you're anchored or rafted up. (Never while under way, of course!)

Just a thought---

--Joe Myerson

[barfwinkle]

That we have a Captains/Crews agreement that anyone participating would do so WITHOUT the use of GPS.

The biggest difference in land based and sea based geocache is a physical description of the location, whereas on the water a lat/lon would be too descriptive. So, IMHO we would need to find a location reachable only by H20, but not necessarily "on" the water. That way just plugging the lat/lon into something (gps or on a chart) would not lead directly to the cache.

JMTCW

[Steve Laume]

I don't see any problem at all with putting buoys all over the place except that they may be hard to tell from the usual lobster pot buoys. They would have to be very well marked as to differentuate them from lobster buoys. I would dread the thought of pulling a buoy thinking I had a geo job and find out by an encounter with a lobsterman that it was not the case. We happened on a letter box (several over the years) that was to be approached by canoe on a lake. It was at the base of a big pine tree near the shore. Small islands would be the perfect place for the box. The ones I have seen have a tupperware box with a little note book. When found you can sign or stamp the book. I believe there was also a stamp in the box that you could use to stamp a log that you might carry as proof you were there. Some people are really into it and plan all their hikes around finding or placing these things. I just like to walk in the woods, Steve.

[Neil Gordon]

And Neil's right, swapping a brew would be nice, once you're anchored or rafted up. (Never while under way, of course!)

I've got this almost figured out. You swap three brews for three... preferably local brews. Be sure to label the source... and leave room for more notes as the brews keep passing.

Next CD you meet up with... you can keep one of the swapped beers for your collection and pass two along. And so on. Once they're well distributed, a robust trading market might develop, much like old baseball cards. So how many of mine for one Didereaux?

[barfwinkle]

So how many of mine for one Didereaux?

I would assume that it would be a one for one

[Photo Chief]

Some friends of mind in Key West were instructors at the Army's Special Forces Scuba School. They would dive on the lobster pot buoys and liberate some spineys for their special parties. I am only reporting the facts here not condoning this behavior. Anyways, to really separate the sailors from the sailorettes... to get your prize after locating the buoy you would have to dive to recover the contents of the box. Additionally, the anchor string might have a water soluable link that would release the buoy after a certain time limit.The potential findees must then consult wind and tide to predict the current location. I haven't worked out the finer points yet but will keep working on it.

BTW, I was not a "sailor" in Key West, only a Navyman with a 20 foot go fast fishing boat.I bought the Bristol only in September in keeping with my more mature outlook. However, I have been told that Bristols do have a deeper forefoot compared to CDs and given that mine has a BMW engine she can probably do "near" 30 knts.

The only possible fault I have found with the Bristol is the icebox.
The box has two access doors. One in the cockpit and one in the cabin. At first I thought this was very convenient...then I realized that this would allow someone or something to board while I slept and steal beer from the cooler.

[Didereaux]

Neil,
I suspect 'Did-a-Rose' brews would fetch a healthy premium. Only hitch I see is that us folks down this way are gonna be at a handicap...brews in this heat have a longer life expectancy in a thirsty mans mitts than laying about in the heat... ;)

Photo,
Hey, just pullin' your leg. I knew that Bristol couldn't do no 30knts, why just the other day a local CD'er was saying that a Bristol couldn't
get much over 4knts in a hurricane! heheh

btw son just got his Chiefs anchors, after getting back in one piece from Afghan, last year and Iraq this year...he is/was with the USN's furry creature teams and driven a few of those go-fasters as well.

[Steve Laume]

I think we might be able to work out passing beers while under way. Extended boat hooks and a net bag may get it done. It may get a bit hairy while single handing in a breeze though. That could become a sport in itself. The part I am having trouble understanding is that you might be suggesting that these beers remain full until you are able to pass them along to another CDer, not just the next boat you see. Maybe it would be best to exchange 6 packs. That way you would have a better chance of at least one of those signed collectables surviving a "marine emergency". I will be on the lookout for large well found Cape Dorys with the probability of refrigeration or at least a very good ice supply. Bilge beer for cold ones would be a very good swap no matter who signed the things. Another great tip is that Bristols have free beer access ports in their cockpits. A few of those would go well with the spinnys. The things we didn't know when we were kids! Too much wet snow to sail today, Steve.