Moat-er Boats
by Todd Etter, Brent Holman, Chris Harris
Answer: RACHEL CARSON
The first step is to create each moat by finding two occupations that can be described by a single moat piece. These will form a circle with each occupation nestled between two different moat pieces. Each occupation will have two red letters and will have one or two numbers on either side. The leftmost number means to take the first red letter of the occupation, and the rightmost number refers to the second red letter. This should form a unique ordering from 1 to N, spelling the name of a famous naval captain, real or fictional. Here are the moats and their captains:
Elias Hoseason
| Left Clue | L # | Occupation | R # | Right Clue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gets blitzed | 1 | QUARTERBACK | . | performs Hail Marys |
| performs Hail Marys | 3 | PRIEST | 8 | tries to save people |
| tries to save people | 2 | LIFEGUARD | . | sits in a high chair |
| sits in a high chair | 7 | TODDLER | 9 | pays the price if caught lying |
| pays the price if caught lying | 12 | POKER PROFESSIONAL | 5 | hopes for a great deal |
| hopes for a great deal | 11 | SHOPAHOLIC | 6 | can't resist outlets |
| can't resist outlets | . | ELECTRICIAN | 4 | is often seen with a screwdriver |
| is often seen with a screwdriver | 13 | DRUNKARD | 10 | gets blitzed |
Jack T Colton
| Left Clue | L # | Occupation | R # | Right Clue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gets really high | . | STONER | 7 | might use several types of pot |
| might use several types of pot | 6 | CHEF | . | chops up things |
| chops up things | 1 | LUMBERJACK | 4 | wields an ax |
| wields an ax | . | GUITARIST | 9 | is often miked on stage |
| is often miked on stage | 3 | ACTRESS | . | is obsessed with lines |
| is obsessed with lines | 10 | GEOMETRY TEACHER | . | goes off on tangents |
| goes off on tangents | 2 | WANDERER | 11 | leaves the path behind |
| leaves the path behind | 5 | MOUNTAIN CLIMBER | 8 | gets really high |
Captain Nemo
| Left Clue | L # | Occupation | R # | Right Clue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| knows the rules of Double Jeopardy | . | JUDGE | 9 | their sentences may induce crying |
| their sentences may induce crying | 5 | ROMANCE NOVELIST | . | provides a plot for customers |
| provides a plot for customers | 2 | UNDERTAKER | . | hires people to dig up dirt |
| hires people to dig up dirt | 10 | GOSSIP COLUMNIST | 6 | is known for magazines |
| is known for magazines | 7 | GUNSMITH | 4 | has a collection of 45s |
| has a collection of 45s | . | DISC JOCKEY | 11 | is annoyed by scratches on a track |
| is annoyed by scratches on a track | . | HORSE HANDICAPPER | 3 | might wager on a Daily Double |
| might wager on a Daily Double | 1 | GAME SHOW CONTESTANT | 8 | knows the rules of Double Jeopardy |
Dwight Towers
| Left Clue | L # | Occupation | R # | Right Clue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| knows what to do with nails | 3 | MANICURIST | 7 | does a lot of filing |
| does a lot of filing | 8 | ACCOUNTANT | . | is great with numbers |
| is great with numbers | 5 | ANESTHESIOLOGIST | 12 | hopes to hit a vein |
| hopes to hit a vein | . | PROSPECTOR | 6 | does a lot of panning |
| does a lot of panning | . | MOVIE CRITIC | 11 | reviews the stars |
| reviews the stars | 4 | ASTROLOGER | 10 | knows the personality of a bull |
| knows the personality of a bull | . | RODEO COWBOY | 2 | shows their skill on top of a horse |
| shows their skill on top of a horse | 1 | WOODWORKER | 9 | knows what to do with nails |
Barney Doyle
| Left Clue | L # | Occupation | R # | Right Clue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| drives people home | . | BASEBALL PLAYER | 9 | gets paid to catch flies |
| gets paid to catch flies | 2 | EXTERMINATOR | 8 | finds and removes bugs |
| finds and removes bugs | 3 | COMPUTER PROGRAMMER | . | is likely a Java expert |
| is likely a Java expert | 1 | BARISTA | . | grinds for a living |
| grinds for a living | 7 | MALE EXOTIC DANCER | 4 | people eagerly await his package |
| people eagerly await his package | 10 | UPS DELIVERY MAN | 6 | rings your bell |
| rings your bell | . | CHAMPION BOXER | 11 | is proud to have the title |
| is proud to have the title | . | CAR OWNER | 5 | drives people home |
Captain Corcoran
| Left Clue | L # | Occupation | R # | Right Clue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| may receive headshots online | 7 | CASTING DIRECTOR | 8 | might give you a part |
| might give you a part | 5 | BARBER | 10 | likes grooming and sharp cuts |
| likes grooming and sharp cuts | 15 | DOWNHILL SKIER | . | may use a lift |
| may use a lift | 2 | BRITISH LANDLORD | 9 | helps with flats |
| helps with flats | 11 | TOW TRUCK DRIVER | 6 | pulls a lot of cars |
| pulls a lot of cars | 1 | LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER | 12 | wears a striped cap; blows a whistle |
| wears a striped cap; blows a whistle | 4 | FOOTBALL REFEREE | 13 | might end the game due to a storm |
| might end the game due to a storm | 3 | FORTNITE PLAYER | 14 | may receive headshots online |
Each captain is famously associated with an eight-letter boat. You can write the names of the boats clockwise, one letter per moat segment, using the given letters as a placement guide.
The letters of the towers spell SIGNAL, which is a hint to use semaphore flag code. If you encode (using semaphore) each of the letters in the word SIGNAL, the captains' arms will be pointing at two letters from their boats' names. When taken in lowercase roman numeral order, it will spell out the answer RACHEL CARSON, noted marine biologist and author.
| Captain | Boat | Roman Numerals | Target Letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack T Colton | Angelina | 2,6 | A,L |
| Barney Doyle | Grayfish | 9,4 | R,H |
| Captain Corcoran | Pinafore | 5,1 | E,R |
| Captain Nemo | Nautilus | 8,10 | A,S |
| Dwight Towers | Scorpion | 11,3 | O,C |
| Elias Hoseason | Covenant | 7,12 | C,N |