CACHE IS NOT AT THE POSTED NOR ANY OF THE VISIBLE COORDINATES. You will need to go to the posted coordinates to gather information.
YOU'LL NEED TO BRING A PEN. The final container is of a type and size that won't hold one and you may need to write on your hand to figure out where it is. Get over it. You'll be good til lunch or dinner.
This is at the site of one of our favorite geocaches soon after we had begun caching and finally worked up enough nerve to try something a little more involved than a traditional. We've recreated it here for you and hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did. Cache is not at posted coordinates but is an easy solve on site puzzle and a short, pleasant walk to the final and the nearby site of the original final.
The Ludington carferries began in 1897 with a single ship only five years after this type of craft was introduced on the Great Lakes. During the 20th Century a total of 14 ships served as part of the Ludington railroad car ferry fleet running between Ludington MI and Milwaukee, Manitowoc, and Kewaunee WI. The Ludington fleet became the largest carferry fleet in the world with as many as 9 ships operating at one time. These ships were an efficient means of bypassing the congested railyards in Chicago.
By the 1970s high fuel and labor costs along with faster and more efficient train handling and routing rendered the Lake Michigan carferries obsolete. The last cross lake railroad ferry ended service on November 16, 1990 when the former C&O ferry Badger made the final trip between Kewaunee and Ludington marking the end of a near century old tradition.
The Badger currently operates as an auto, truck and passenger ferry between Ludington and Manitowoc as part of the US10 highway route. Sailing May through October she is currently the last steam passenger ferry serving the Great Lakes.
Posted coordinates---Will take you to a historical marker that tells a bit more about the history of the Ludington carferries. You'll need to find some information there to get the location of the final container which may be a bit different than what you're used to seeing in this part of Michigan.
The final can be found at: N 43 AB.CDE W 086 FG.HIJ where
A =The last digit of the first year the railroad shuttled people and freight across the lake
B=The first digit of the number of crossings made in the peak season for the ferries
C=How many ferries are left operating as of the date this geocache was placed?
D=The number of letters in the first word of the name of the company that built the Badger
E=The second digit of the year the railroad figured out that duh, maybe we could send the railroad cars across the lake instead of unloading them on each end.
F=The last digit of the year the Badger was built
G=The sum of the last two digits of the year the Badger was built. C'mon, if you solved F this is kind of a gimme no?
H=The first digit of the year the Badger resumed service between Ludington and Manitowoc.
I=The last digit of the peak season year for the ferries.
J=The sum of the first 2 digits of the number of automobiles crossing in the peak season year.
Checksum=28 for N and 23 for W. Otherwise, check your math.