Manning the Mast! Woronora, New South Wales, Australia
By The Hancock Clan on 16-Aug-16. Waypoint GA8384

Cache Details

Difficulty:
Terrain:
Type:	Traditional
Container:	Small
Coordinates:	S34° 2.130' E151° 2.558' (WGS 84)
	56H 319303E 6232179N (UTM)
Elevation:	7 m
Local Government Area:	Sutherland

Map

Whodunit Geocache

Description

A nice paddle up the creek followed by a bit of a climb!

Mast Manning

In August 1995, the city of Portsmouth in the UK held one of the last ever Mast Manning displays at the VJ Day Commemorations on Southsea Common. The Mast Manning Display Team was later disbanded. The Mast Manning used to be when sailors climbed the rigging to fix the sails on ships but then it became a display when sailors climbed a mast on shore to music. This was a site to see, as can be seen from the photo above, the mast is tall and one sailor gets to be the button boy on the very top. That year Portsmouth was lucky enough to host the mast manning team many times at different events in the city.

Mr H of The Hancock Clan was a young Royal Marines Bandsman at the time, and was in the band playing the accompanying music for these displays.

This cache is in memory of those sailors that climbed the mast!

Please note: a canoe/kayak, and medium to high tide, is required to reach this cache

(oh...and if you ever want to find out why the team was disbanded, just ask Mr H over a beer, or tot of rum, one day)

Hints

Vg'f va gur gvgyr

ROT 13:	ABCDEFGHIJKLM
	NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Decode

Logs

14-Apr-18

Nana Nel

Another adventure to beat the tides, up at 5.30 am. Soon located the tree that needed to be climbed. Wazza9 did the climbing while I thought I was holding us to the tree, until Wazza9 said I have to untie the rope. Signed the log and replaced. A big thanks to The Hancock Clan.

Rated: for Overall Experience

13-Apr-18

wazza9

Tftc,
out with Nana nel to get some more paddle practice. Enjoyed Manning the Mast and grazed my arm. I must be getting soft.

09-Oct-17

Team MavEtJu

The holidays are over, so let's enjoy a child free day and get some more difficult caches. At 10:00 I was at the boat shed to get my canoe for today and off I was!

After ducking for the bridge and spending some time under the water pipe, the caching started for real. When approaching I found a nice place to park the canoe and then climbed the mast like my seafaring forefathers would have done when my country ruled the seven seas.

TFTC!
*Overall Experience: 5*

Rated: for Overall Experience

20-Jul-17

rogerw3

Since I was in the area I thought I would have a look at this one, lucky for me the tide had just started turning and it was dry, so up I went with 2 bad knees!
Still got there and signed the log, got back down and onward to the next one.
Thanks for the cache.

Rated: for Overall Experience

19-Jul-17

Zalgariath

I timed this very poorly... If I'd come by boat! As it was, dead low tide allowed me to get to GZ without my feet getting wet. It was an accident, as I was caching for Tron's new puzzle FTFs but decided to see if navigation on foot was possible. It is... but be warned. The tide turns very quickly, and the water rises high. I next ventured further up stream and by the time I got back what had been dry land was now knee deep. It would be waste deep within an hour or two so do be careful if venturing up stream. Fun retrieval too here and perfectly dry. In great condition overall. Cheers Hancocks!

Rated: for Overall Experience

09-Apr-17

Wilbert67

Forgot the canoe as the tide was way to low to enter the water, in fact I was able to walk through the river in canyoning style! Glad I wasn't wearing my best shoes or walkers! Climbing therfore was a bit slippery.
TFTC Wilbert67

Rated: for Overall Experience

11-Dec-16

tronador

Another top cache. You weren't wrong when you said go at high tide. I knew it was low tide when I'd arrived but I never realised it was a king low tide. Bahahah....... Navigation was challenging to say the least. I enjoyed a lovely walk up the creek in places. No issues with finding a place to beach the kayak. I approached GZ and saw the cache, no issue with access today but would my poor injured foot be up to the climb. It managed admirably whilst the whole time I told myself not to fall out of that tree into the black stinking mud below. Thanks, this satisfies another challenge in the Summer Scavenger Series.

Rated: for Overall Experience

20-Nov-16

redbackspider

Find #47 - 1 for today. Found on 20/11/2016 10:46am
Thought I was too old to climb trees, but surprised myself in locating and getting to the cache container. TNSNLN. Thanks for the cache.

Rated: for Overall Experience

17-Aug-16

deemacvee

So happy after a FTF at Down By The Creek, feeling pretty confident of a 2nd FTF. If there were crocs in the Wonnie, they would live right where this cache is. Saw nothing but Azure Kingfishers, squawking cockatoos and a sea eagle today, Always a good day when I see an eagle. I was a little concerned about manning any masts, I had tried unsuccessfully to get a couple of mates to come along this morning in case any serious climbing or boosting was required. Let's just say, I got it 3 times. First, to write on the log. Second, to replace the pencil that I'd dropped while writing on the log. Third, to replace the cap that I dropped when replacing the pencil...... I earned this FTF. So happy! TFTC The Hancock Clan

Rated: for Overall Experience