THE CACHE IS NOT LOCATED AT THE CO-ORDINATES ABOVE About the series: The theme of the Mercator Projection Series is locating a cache by projecting from a point or points some distance away. Having an interest in maps and navigation etc. might be an advantage.
This cache: Gerardus Mercator was born on 5th March 15AB, and this cache was published on his birthday and is dedicated to him. In 1522 a young Gerardus Mercator, who later became a famous map maker, stood at N51 38.BB6 E0 37.9A6 and noted a number: CDEF02. The notice board has gone! The telephone number was 750102.
He of course had no GPS nor calculator. He had only his trusty map, a compass, pen, paper, and his fingers and thumbs. In the 16th century the variance of magnetic and grid north from true north was zero degrees, probably.
Gerardus said: "I know the centre of the Big Circle is F6C metres away on a bearing of approximately EE(D+F) degrees from this spot." He walked to the centre (on land, just), surveyed the landscape and pondered:
"If the cache lies on the circumference of the Big Circle and I assume the area of the Big Circle is X square miles and the cache is on a bearing of X degrees from the centre, where lies the cache?"
Gerardus went round and round in circles, until he hit upon the answer. He also realised the cache is not within reasonable walking distance of the centre of the Big Circle.
The cache, a round container, contains a round geocoin FTF trophy and several round swaps.