King George's Sloop Traditional Cache
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One of the "Pirates Who Were Caching-Beings" series.
Good Luck to ye!
Arrrr! Here be a series of caches paying tribute to some of our local cache buccaneers! Each cache comes with a tale regarding its name sake. And as all true pirates were sea fairing men, you’ll be boarding ship to seek these treasures. One or two will be as smooth to grab as a swig of rum on the deck of a captured sloop. Others will have ye wading through snake infested malaria ridden swamps, using your cutlass to hack away at underbrush that seems intent on either blocking your trip to the treasure, or assuring you never reach port again after securing yer booty! In any event, may the winds blow fair on yer main-sail, and the tide run well and true to yer course! If ye be able to lay a touch on all six of these treasures then ye must surely be pirate material. A pirate who’s a Caching-Being!
(Note: That's supposed to be a play on "Pirates of the Caribbean"... get it? "Pirates who were caching-beings".... Hello? is this thing on?...)
In the years before the American Revolution a system came to be whereby “legitimate” ships’ captains could line their purses while raising money for their sovereigns at the same time. These captains were supplied with heavily armed sloops or other swift vessels that were fitted out with cannons and supplied with flintlock rifles and pistols, as well as a full compliment of grappling hooks and other tools of the trade of piracy. These were not pirates, though, they were known as “privateers”. So long as they provided the allotted portion of their booty to the sovereign that commissioned them they could act with impunity. One such captain, his real name now lost to history, was known only by his nick-name. A moniker earned through the skillful handling and profitable operation of his vessel. In more modern times it became customary to refer to an individual, enforcing his superiors will, as that man’s “muscle”, or his “gun”. In just such a way, this captain became known as “King George’s Sloop”. A compliment when spoken by a friend, and insult when uttered by an enemy. It was one dark night in a tavern ashore when a drunken sailor made the mistake of pointing out our captain in a derisive manner and calling him out as “King George’s Sloop”. In a flash, the captain had knocked nearly all of the drunks teeth from his gums, leaving him laying on the floor. When the local constable tried to get the name of the attacker (long gone) from the wretch, his bleeding gums only allowed him to utter something that sounded like “ing Geo Sleuth”. The puzzled constable recorded in his notes: “Be on the lookout for one known as Geo Sleuth”. But whoever “Geo Sleuth” may have been, a prisoner he never was!
This cache is a tribute to that never captured captain of long ago.
AVAST YE!!! It comes to mind that these treasures lie in an area known as The North Fork Migratory Waterfowl Resting Area under authority of the Indiana DNR. Geocachers are always respectful of the environment, and good ones practice “cache in/trash out” where we clean up after less considerate property users. (Also known as ignorant slobs.) Along those lines we will be recognizing that this area is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC from October 1st through April 15th to provide safe habitat for migrating ducks, geese, cranes, herons, and any other water birds passing through. Consequently, these caches will be de-activated by me on 10-1@12:00 a.m. and re-activated on 4-15@12:00 p.m. A wise captain knows not to run “afowl” (sorry) of the DNArrrrrr (sorry again). (And really, they’re not asking too much. And I kind of like how this regulation will keep landlubbers from waiting for the lake to freeze and walking out to these caches!)
(visit link)
NOTE: It was pointed out to me by various cachers that I have these a tad bit under rated on Difficulty and Terrain. Funny, darn near dying getting to these spots seemed like fun to me! But, using the ratings tools, it turned out I did go too low. My apologies to anyone that loses grid spots, but I think I really need to up-grade these.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgevat uvz hc!
Treasures
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