Mallows Bay is home to the largest shipwreck fleet in the Western Hemisphere. The mile long bay contains over 90 visible hulks and, depending on your source, 145+ littering the bottom.
Mallows Bay is part of the Lower Potomac River Water Trail, which goes from Washington, D.C. to the Chesapeake Bay. A special kayak launching area makes paddling access easy. The park is open 7 AM to dusk, year-round.
For more information about the launch, the tides and the Potomac Water Trail, visit: http://www.riverexplorer.com/details.php4?id=235
WARNINGS:
- It is a violation of Federal Law to climb on any on the ships. You do not need to climb on any of the wrecks to access this cache.
- The water in Mallows Bay can be hazardous. There are sharp metal and wooden spikes protruding from the water and and there are many metal and wooden hazards just below the surface. It is strongly recommended that you do NOT attempt this cache with inflatable kayaks or swim boards. Wooden kayaks and canoes may also get damaged.
The cache begins at the SS Accomac, a derelict car ferry, clearly visible from the launch. Paddle out to the Accomac and acquire the chirp, or find the prominent word on the side of the hull to complete the puzzle. The final can be retrieved from the water. The best approach to the final is from the river side. There is no need to pass through the sunken ships.
If you opt to do the puzzle, paddle around the side of the ferry at ground zero, and find the very prominent word on the side of the hull. Count the number of letters in the word (X) and use that result to solve for the coordinates:
N 38° 28.(X-4) (X-1) (X-8) W 077° 16.(X-6) (X-6) (X-3)
View of the SS Accomac from the Mallows Bay Park kayak launch
The first to find prize is an unactivated Titanic geocoin.
Special thanks to Moonpie10 for their help in placing this cache.