The Search Continues

THE SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE!

11/2/05

As you may know the Golden Anchor was not recovered this year (we fear it may be lost forever). The loss of the anchor is sad for all of us, but it also creates an opportunity for you! We will still be giving away the $1000.00 (Smith Diving Gift Certificate) prize.

ANNOUNCING THE FIRST EVER

SMITH DIVING SCUBA BOWL WEB QUIZ

Beginning Wednesday November 2, 2005 we will post a weekly question on the Scuba Bowl page of the website. Each week's question will be available on the website and at the diveshop for 1 week only. Participants will attempt to answer as many questions correctly as possible. All questions will be somehow related to diving. There will be a new question posted each week throughout the winter and whoever turns in the most correct answers at the end of the hunt will win the prize. Participants may work alone or as part of a team, but only one answer will be accepted from a group or individual for each question at the end of the contest.

Click here to jump to the Scuba Bowl Page

The legend...

The Golden Anchor was discovered by accident one day a few years ago during the excavation for Smith Diving's new 750,000 gallon indoor artificial reef. One of the workers unearthed a very old wooden box. Inside this box, sealed in oilskin was a journal describing the life and travels of the hated pirate "Scaley" Pete D'Ermis.

Pete was a pirate who sailed the waters off the East Coast of North America in the early eighteenth century. D'Ermis and his band of cut-throats boarded and sacked more than a dozen ships before disappearing one spring into the fog of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Neither captain or crew was ever seen on the high seas again.

With a cargo hold filled with gold and priceless jewels, Pete & his crew sailed into the Saint Lawrence which, through a combination of good luck and a series of wrong turns led them eventually to a strange land. A land that would later be known as Minnesota.

By the time they arrived here most of Pete's treasure had been lost in a great storm, or had been traded with natives for the pirates' survival.

Pete's journal has led us to the conclusion that at least one piece of his treasure has survived. - A 20 LB. GOLDEN ANCHOR!

It is your job to locate this anchor and bring it up from the depths where it has lain so long.

Through exhaustive research, we at Smith Diving have uncovered a number of clues to help you in your search. One clue will be posted on the Smith Diving web site each Wednesday by 3:00pm until the anchor is found. In addition random clues will be posted at the dive shop throughout the search.

THE RULES (& SOME HINTS)

The lake where the anchor is located, is accessible from public land.
You do not need a boat to get to the anchor.
The anchor must be returned to us by a buddy team.
Divers must be certified to be eligible for the prize.
Divers must follow safe diving practices at all times.
Divers must follow all applicable laws & ordinances
The hunt will officially end when the anchor is returned to us or at the end of business on September 21st, which ever comes first.
We will announce when the anchor is found on this site and in the dive shop.
The anchor must be returned to us as soon as possible after locating it.
A new clue will be added on this site each Wednesday at 3PM* during the event.
The reward will be $1000.00 in Smith Diving Gift certificates (to be shared by the winning dive team.)
We will present additional clues, at the dive shop only (these clues will not be available on the web site), randomly through out the event. You may obtain a complete list of all clues during normal business hours at the dive shop.

ANY VIOLATION OF THESE RULES WILL CAUSE YOU TO BE INELIGIBLE FOR PRIZE.

* - Due to the nature of the internet, Smith Diving will not be responsible for technical problems which result in the delay of publishing of clues. Smith Diving may, at its discretion, change these rules at any time.

SOME CLUES TO GET YOU STARTED

Pete marked all of his treasure with the initials -"SD"
D'Ermis and his crew traveled up the Mississippi and landed near the present location of Smith Diving.
Fearing a mutiny by the crew, Pete took his anchor and went off in search of a place to hide his treasure. Pete returned to camp 5 days later. Using modern scientific methods we have determined that he traveled no more than 10 leagues from their camp.
By taking into account the original placement of the anchor, along with the history of regional flooding and geographical shifts, and by use of the most current Satalitic Hydrobaro Tracometers, we now know that the anchor lies in less than 43' of water.

GOOD HUNTING!

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