How to find the Cache on Goat Island

{{{ {{Goat Island Hidden Cache}} }}} The Cache has been hidden on Goat Island. The coordinates are N33 degrees 12.971 minutes, W 83 degrees 15.485 minutes. For all of you who are really adept at using your GPS, this is all you need. For all of us who need some help, look at the clues below. I went out today, April 6 2004, and hid the cache. It is a semi permanent Glad container about the size that will hold two sandwiches. It is hidden under some leaves under a log. Inside the Glad container is several small trinkets and an index card for you to record your finding the cache. You are welcome to take one of the “treasures” and are requested to leave one of your trinkets. Record on the card what you took and what you left. Here’s what you do: Using your GPS head out in your sailboat and plot a course for Goat Island (up the Oconee channel from Rooty Creek). Make landfall on the island and using the coordinates above, try to locate the cache. If you must, use the clues. Open the container, record your name and date and what you take and leave. When you finish, hide the container in the same place for the next seeker. You get 20 credit points for finding the cache, plus the points for a cruise to Goat Island. You also get 5 points for finding a goat. I have added 5 additional points for seeing a goose egg. There are numerous Canada Geese nesting on the island. They are very protective of the nest and it may not be safe to get too close. We did however find a nest that was unattended and there was an egg. {{{Clues}}} The cache is hidden near the highest point on the island. Look NNE from a position at the summit and find twin trees (two trunks coming from the same base). There is or was a rock about 8 inches across near the base of the tree. Look NNE of the double tree about three feet and find one larger fallen tree and two smaller tree sections next to it. Move the middle tree section and the cache is a few inches under the leaves. Jimmy Harrell {{{Pictures}}}

Why Race Sailboats?

I’ve been asked by more than a few non-racers why we all bother to learn the rules and struggle up and down the lake on sometimes windless days. I’ve come up with two main reasons: first we race in order to sail more often and second, we race to socialize. Let me explain. In a typical year, many racers at OSYC were on the water for about 20 days of racing/sailing (with a few significantly higher numbers posted). Yes, some of those days were hot and windless, but some were nearly perfect and we were out there sailing and enjoying our boats and the lake. The typical non-racer didn’t sail nearly as often. It’s just that much easier to make the effort to go sailing when you know that others will be around for you to share the day with. And that brings me to the second point: racing is about socializing. We gather before the races and talk about boats and wind and weather and anything else that comes to mind. We gather again after the races and do the same thing. Even if you have nothing to say there are plenty of stories, jokes, and tall tales from the group to keep you entertained. So that’s our secret – racing is mostly about being there and sharing an activity that we all enjoy. I guess I should go ahead and mention that racing is also about improving your sailing skills and friendly competition, but you don’t need to be an expert to have fun by coming out on race day and just sailing around the course. This is definitely a case where more is better. There are more than 30 days of racing scheduled at OSYC this year. Surely a few of these fit into your schedule – if you haven’t tried it yet, you really should.

Lake Sinclair, Georgia