SAS Somerset Traditional Geocache
Hidden : 2/4/2017
Difficulty:
4 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

A quick spot for some - but more often a bit of a struggle!

This is where the SAS Somerset WWII ship was moored from 1988 to April 2024. It has now been scrapped after falling into disrepair.

Near the aquarium. Also look out for the seals.



The SAS Somerset was the last surviving Bar-class broom defence vessel in the world. These ships were used during WWII to lay underwater netting around strategic ships and harbour entrances in defence against submarines and torpedoes. They were made obsolete by improvements in underwater detection technologies.

The SAS Somerset was launched at Blyth Harbour, England, in 1941 and sailed to South Africa in 1942 to start duties in Saldanha Bay. The ship was decommissioned in 1986 and in 1988 transferred to the SA Cultural History Museum and moved to the V&A as a museum ship. It was sent to the nearby V&A drydock for scrapping in 2024.

In 1955 the ship was refurbished and renamed after the famous horse that carried Dick King 1000 km in ten days from Durban to Grahamstown in 1842 to get help for the English forces besieged by the Voortrekkers at Port Natal (Durban). The seahorse on the ships crest is in honour of this horse. Unfortunately, Ndongeni, Dick King’s servant who accompanied King nearly half the distance without a saddle (ouch) or bridle remains less well recognised.

A sister ship, the SAS Fleur, was scuttled in 1966 in False Bay south of Seal Island and is now a scuba diving site sitting at a depth of 40 meters at S34 10.832 E018 33.895.

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The cache is not in or under the floor boards or on the ground. You can spot it while walking down the boardwalk. Look with your eyes - no climbing or groveling on the ground required.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ybbx sbe n qvfpercnapl

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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