What a wreck Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size:
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Wreck Beach, named after the remnants of the Artisan, which foundered in 1901 . You will see part of the hull (just past the bog) and pieces of the steel work on the rocks at low tide.Use the co-ordinates to the car park(about 500m from GZ) and cross the bridge and walk along the beach .Look out for snakes in the warmer months The cache is a micro so b.y.o. pen
*FTF*" GONEFISHEN07" CONGRATULATIONS
The Artisan was built in 1881 by Stewart and Ritchie, at their New Brunswick, Canada shipyard..
The vessel was built at an estimated cost of 40,000 pounds. The British registered vessel is described in her original registry certificate as being 189.6 ft (57.8 m) long, 37.7 ft (11.5 m) in breadth and 22.4 ft (6.8 m) in depth. She was a 1155 ton (gross), single decked, three masted barque. The hull was of softwood construction and sheaved in felt and yellow metal.
The Artisan left Manila, Philippines on 18 February 1901 under the command of Captain Samuel Purdy, a crew of 15 and one passenger the captain's wife who appears to have frequently gone to sea with her husband. Captain Purdy, 39 years and of Canadian birth had mastered the Artisan for the past six and a half years.
The Wrecking
The Artisan had left Manila in ballast (500 tons) bound for Newcastle, Australia to take on a shipment of coal and return directly to the Phillipines. The Artisan's route via the Indian Ocean had been without incident and on Saturday 21 April the barque entered Victorian waters. That evening a storm struck,On 23 of April the Artisan had been forced as far as possible over the reef(that you can see from GZ) and was firmly stranded to all appearances intact apart for her sails. Standing in an almost upright position broadside to the beach with the bow heading a little southeast. The hull was sitting in 3 feet of water with the tide receding. . At low tide the crew and Mrs. Purdy 'walked' ashore taking a few of their personal effects with them. Miraculously there had been no loss of life.
Fortunately for the crew a short distance away was the only habitation within ten miles of the wreck. The hut was the residence of Mr. Richard Jennings and his wife caretakers of the Cape Patterson Coal Mine.
Salvage
On the Thursday morning the weather had abated sufficiently for the crew of the Artisan to return to their stranded vessel to remove personal effects and other valuables including the captains furniture, charts and navigation instruments and Mrs. Purdy's bicycle and organ. The fate of the barque was obvious to all concerned for her back had been broken dispelling all hope that she could be refloated. Martin Sanne constructed a house at Kilcunda from Artisan timbers. The captain's table originally acquired by Martin Sanne and passed down over the years is now in the possession of Jack and Agnes Phillips of Inverloch and serves to this day as the family dining table. The Dalyston Catholic Church for many years summoned its worshippers with the Artisan bell and the late Mr. Jim McDonnel of Wonthaggi claimed that railing and posts for his fences had been split from the masts of the Artisan.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Qharf haqre onaxfvn
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