Photo of Scareman Sailing Downwind on Broad River Bay- by KiwiBird 2010
I tried my first EC this year in 2010 - solo paddling my Tandem Seaward Passat Sea Kayak rigged with Wildwasser Nomadic Outriggers and a 1.5m^2 Pacific Action Sail.
Due to a bad virus and dehydration days Wednesday night before the Saturday morning start, I was only able to paddle from CP2 to CP3 and complete the Wilderness Waterway.
Paddling for Melanoma - I was determined to make the 2010 EC to promote Melanoma Awareness as I survived melanoma in 2007. I had planned on paddling in the 2008 EC, but the Cancer surgery affected my training and readiness. The cancer also impacted my ability to make progress with my Lok N Lod invention, which I am now selling on ebay and donating proceeds to the American Cancer Society. Lok N Lod on ebay
Due to a bad virus and dehydration days Wednesday night before the Saturday morning start, I was only able to paddle from CP2 to CP3 and complete the Wilderness Waterway.
Paddling for Melanoma - I was determined to make the 2010 EC to promote Melanoma Awareness as I survived melanoma in 2007. I had planned on paddling in the 2008 EC, but the Cancer surgery affected my training and readiness. The cancer also impacted my ability to make progress with my Lok N Lod invention, which I am now selling on ebay and donating proceeds to the American Cancer Society. Lok N Lod on ebay
See the Lok N Lod video on YouTube.
Virus Got Me - Could not Make Start - Due to the virus that hit me hard on Wednesday night before the start, I was unable to begin on Saturday and paddle the first two legs. I was not going to miss this experience though. So I paddled the Wilderness Waterway. I made it to Ft DeSoto/Mullet Key at 10 AM and was inspected and cleared by SaltyFrog. By 1 PM, I was on the water and almost collapsed. I could not even close the front cockpit cover I was so exhausted. Recognizing this, I made a great decision to not paddle/sail to CP1. I quickly called my wife and SaltyFrog to advise of my plans. Chief isn't kidding when he says half the battle is making it to the start. So I paddled and sailed a bit before packing up again and heading to CP1.
Ouch – Broke a Nail – Well, between a nasty broken right thumbnail assembling my gear Saturday at Mullet key and a carbon fiber splinter in my left pointer finger I had a few injuries before hitting the water. I did not realize how much of a burden the right thumbnail was until every time I touched something, tried to use GPS, or bumped my paddle – IT HURT LIKE HELL! The thumbnail break was beyond the part where it bleeds when the nail was ripped off – Good Times! I always wear gloves at work and outside of work to protect my hands. Whether working for Petty Enterprises teaching the Safe Driving Program and setting up “Big Top” type tents or changing tires when I raced cars, I always wear gloves to protect my hands. Time to toughen up – at the start. Not to mention where I work, safety is a condition of employment and gloves are required.
Lost 3 Sailboats 1st Day - Also, the weather caused wind and waves to build on a beautiful sunny day. The waves claimed boats that became damaged or needed repairs. Also, three sailboats were lost at sea on Day 1 – and these were good sailors. All Captains were rescued, but the boats were left in the Gulf (Salvage Rights Anyone?).
Party at CP1 - Saturday night I traveled to CP1 at the wonderful Grande Tours Family Outdoor Center and camped under the boat shelter. I was amazed to see ArdieO land and leave. I studied SharkChow. ManitouCruiser and Whitecaps - Toby was ready to go!. Chief came in and needed some rest. PenguinMan and OceanDiva landed and then began repairs. Watching NiteSpirit6 land was amazing. Flotsam blistered the Marathon, and I had to travel to Placida to meet him when we were paddling from the same boat ramp in Albany, GA and never met before. Many more landed until in the morning the turf covered ramp was full. I recommend lurkers watch the start, and then help at CP1 to observe and learn the feeding and sleeping habits of this strange and wonderful WaterTribe animal!
Day 2 - Finding DaveonCudjoe's Sea Pearl off Manasota Key - Finding and helping recover DaveonCudjoe's Sea Pearl on Sunday also helped me learn about gear. Seeing his kits float and his dry bags soaked helped me decide to repack my gear before I launched from Choko. Thanks to ShallowMinded for helping with the Maggie Recovery. And Thanks to the Manasota Beach Club for letting me run through their property and use their sit-on-top to assist in the discovery of Maggie.
Leaving CP1 to Meet SeaFrog - While we tied Dave's boat to the Indian Mound dock, we noticed SeaFrog sailing down the ICW. I called SaltyFrog to check on their position. He was unsure of their location as SPOT was not functioning well, and they were late. I headed down to Grande Tours to launch and meet SeaFrog on the ICW. I paddled out of Placida Sunday night to meet SeaFrog and Knottyhead and found them in the darkness on the ICW. It was enjoyable to paddle back with them from the swing bridge – even though they were lucky to make .5 mph after they lost the 2nd of their 3 paddles when demasting under the causeway bridge – plus they found the submerged piling before making it to Grande Tours. Thanks for the Denny’s SeaFrog!
Camping at CP1 again Sunday Night - After paddling in with SeaFrog and Knottyhead, we headed out for dinner and to check on DaveonCudjoe's boat. Dave's boat was not at the Indian Mound dock, so we headed to Denny's for dinner. The bath house is nice. Sleeping under the boat shelter is nice, and the boats make for a great place to dry gear. Grande Tours is a wonderful place.
Paddling a Tandem Solo in 20+mph Winds on Wilderness Waterway - I knew paddling my tandem solo was possible up to 20+mph winds, but I did not expect headwinds for about 95% of the Wilderness Waterway that I paddled. I was hit with some gusts I estimate 35mph+ on South Joe River and was hunkered down behind Mangroves letting Running Mouth paddle on until Seiche and KneadingWater offered an in-line tow to the South Joe Chickee. I knew my boat wouldn't point under 30+mph winds. I stayed on the Chickee as Hammerstroke and Sundance joined until we left around 8 PM for the 11 mile run into Flamingo. Winds for Friday were high risk in both speed and direction for my configuration, so I enjoyed the ride with Root to Key Largo and the Bay Cove Motel.
Nomadic Outriggers - Awesome! - The Nomadic rig from Wildwasser didn't seem to be a big burden. In fact, the leeboard helped me handle the boat in the conditions. Many paddlers seemed “impressed” with the rig and my progress. RunningMouth couldn’t stop talking about how cool the rig looked – and I wonder why he has the name RunningMouth! I only had about 2 miles of downwind run where I went way East to Broad River Bay when Sandy Bottom, Kneading Water, KiwiBird, and Seiche took the shortcut. I needed the downwind run, and it was a blast getting to 5.3 mph under 1.5m^2 PAS sail alone. Thanks Landis and Wildwasser!
GPS Not Good - Bought 400C between CP1 and CP2 - I learned my GPS needed help and had to get a 400C on Monday – Thanks West Marine! Could not get my 76CSX to function with BlueCharts, Topo, and City Navigator loaded onto 2 micro SD's despite Garmin telling me it would work as long as the # of maps was less than 2000.
Everglades City Wilderness Waterway Permit (C'mon man!) - I learned that at Everglades City it helps to mention I was a WaterTriber. The young guy talking with me spent 45 minutes (until they closed at 4:30) telling me that I should only paddle 8 miles. Despite my insistence that I have paddled my expedition weighted sea kayak 30 miles in one sitting, he insisted only an 8 mile paddle and loop. At least they took my money, filled out 2 sheets for permits, never issued the actual permit due to the “discussion”, but I had a receipt for 2 campsites; Lostman's Five and Oyster Bay.
Camping at Lostman's 5 - I made Lostman's 5 and was joined by Sandy Bottom, KiwiBird, Kneading Water, and Seiche on Tuesday night. They all camped in tents while I used my cot, Mountain gear sleeping bag, and bug shirt over the top of my sleeping bag. The vultures didn’t want to leave this decked ground campsite when I landed. The rats were running amuck until the other 4 paddlers arrived.
Camping at Shark Point - On Wednesday night I caught up to RunningMouth on the Gulf and we stayed at Shark Pt with Rats and Mutant Super Dextrous Raccoons (Watch out for One-Eye, he has no shame). The red ants consumed our gear on the clothesline, so I used bug spray on the lines and trees to limit the army of ants on our drying gear. However, I forgot to check my drysuit for Ants Thursday – maybe the hundreds of welts and grapefruit size swollen foot and ankle reflect the bites. Not to mention my foot and toes are still numb and tingly. I camped Wednesday night in my MSR Mutha Hubba tent with gear inside to keep it from escaping with the raccoons. I also used my Lok N Lod fabric under the tent – works great for a footprint and protects the tent as it is tear-resistant. The One-Eye Raccoon was very adept at getting into RunningMouth’s Kruger cover, zippered dry bag, and into the honey bag within minutes of landing. Luckily the Wildwasser cockpit cover on my front cockpit was super tight and hard to install because I heard the bungee pop only to see a disappointed One-Eye Raccoon’s attempts foiled – HA! See video of Scareman Landing on Shark Point and RunningMouth's recap of the encounter with the racoonns.
Lok N Lod Usefulness - The Lok N Lod came in handy many times. Key uses were tying off to South Joe Chickee on the leeward side as 6 other boats landed on the chickee. I learned that getting into an Outriggered kayak can be tricky in 30+ mph winds with oysters on the pilings with 6 other boats on the chickee. I also used the Lok N Lod when I was fortunate to trailer the boat on Lugnut’s Sea Pearl trailer that Root drove from Flamingo to Key Largo. The Lok N Lod marked the back of my kayak and held it down onto the trailer.
See the Lok N Lod video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YBCQqX2Wj8
Tides - Tides were fun to learn, experience, enjoy, and wait. Launching from Choko, a sailboat’s crew (Hobart?) advised their wisdom would allow the water to do the work and they let the tide come in to reduce the effort of launching through the mud. I soaked up my apprenticeship time and was thankful for the help from Dr. Kayak and Denise. I used my 3 foam funnoodles to roll my 22’ kayak with outriggers through the mud and into the water. Leaving Lostman’s 5, I rode the tide out for a bit before heading against it as Sandy Bottom was catching up to me. Heading down Broad River by Nightmare, I waited at the Chickee as the half-high tide started going out. I dried out a bit, ate some peanut butter and honey tortillas, enjoyed a Gatorade from a powerboater that stopped by to use the port-a-pottie, and enjoyed the day before heading out with the tide. I rode the tide out that last little bit and was able to catch RunningMouth on the outside. Launching from Shark Pt, RunningMouth and I waited for the tide to come in to help us launch from Graveyard Creek and ride the tide in on Shark River. After the wind subsided Thursday night, I rode the tide into Flamingo with Hammerstroke and Sundance to the dam.
Training - Solo Paddling Tandem, Hypothermia, Blindfolded Paddle Float Reentry - The Passat is a boat I had, and I had been training in it with many 25+ mile paddles in it over the last year. I had several 20-30mph windy training days in the Passat paddling it solo also.
I had actually completed Hypothermia training where my body temp got into the 95 Degs F.
I completed blindfolded pool paddle float reentry training – yes BLINDFOLDED paddle float reentry training – Thanks Albany State University HPER GYM. (will post video soon).
Great NRS GEAR - I ordered great gear from NRS due to the cooler water temps. I actually wore my drysuit every time I was on the water. I was pouring out a cup of water from each of my booties on Wednesday and Thursday. I will rethink gear options for next year as I move South.
Great Wildwasser Gear - Nomadic Outriggers, Pacific Action Sails - I am grateful Wildwasser got me the Nomadic Outriggers in time. I had to blitz the install for the base plates and the Pacific Action Sail rigging as I received the gear on Tuesday before the race. The virus slowed me down a bit, but I was glad I had taken Thursday as vacation to finish the rigging. Landis was great help. The Nomadic system did not seem to be a penalty and impressed many folks with its appearance and functionality. I just wish I was well enough to have sailed downwind on Saturday's start, but I was not in a condition to start after recovering from the virus. Great Nomadic gear and I was able to get some small use out of the 1.5 PAS sail - remember 5.3 mph under sail alone for the brief 1.5 mile downwind run on Broad River Bay.
Virus Got Me - Could not Make Start - Due to the virus that hit me hard on Wednesday night before the start, I was unable to begin on Saturday and paddle the first two legs. I was not going to miss this experience though. So I paddled the Wilderness Waterway. I made it to Ft DeSoto/Mullet Key at 10 AM and was inspected and cleared by SaltyFrog. By 1 PM, I was on the water and almost collapsed. I could not even close the front cockpit cover I was so exhausted. Recognizing this, I made a great decision to not paddle/sail to CP1. I quickly called my wife and SaltyFrog to advise of my plans. Chief isn't kidding when he says half the battle is making it to the start. So I paddled and sailed a bit before packing up again and heading to CP1.
Ouch – Broke a Nail – Well, between a nasty broken right thumbnail assembling my gear Saturday at Mullet key and a carbon fiber splinter in my left pointer finger I had a few injuries before hitting the water. I did not realize how much of a burden the right thumbnail was until every time I touched something, tried to use GPS, or bumped my paddle – IT HURT LIKE HELL! The thumbnail break was beyond the part where it bleeds when the nail was ripped off – Good Times! I always wear gloves at work and outside of work to protect my hands. Whether working for Petty Enterprises teaching the Safe Driving Program and setting up “Big Top” type tents or changing tires when I raced cars, I always wear gloves to protect my hands. Time to toughen up – at the start. Not to mention where I work, safety is a condition of employment and gloves are required.
Lost 3 Sailboats 1st Day - Also, the weather caused wind and waves to build on a beautiful sunny day. The waves claimed boats that became damaged or needed repairs. Also, three sailboats were lost at sea on Day 1 – and these were good sailors. All Captains were rescued, but the boats were left in the Gulf (Salvage Rights Anyone?).
Party at CP1 - Saturday night I traveled to CP1 at the wonderful Grande Tours Family Outdoor Center and camped under the boat shelter. I was amazed to see ArdieO land and leave. I studied SharkChow. ManitouCruiser and Whitecaps - Toby was ready to go!. Chief came in and needed some rest. PenguinMan and OceanDiva landed and then began repairs. Watching NiteSpirit6 land was amazing. Flotsam blistered the Marathon, and I had to travel to Placida to meet him when we were paddling from the same boat ramp in Albany, GA and never met before. Many more landed until in the morning the turf covered ramp was full. I recommend lurkers watch the start, and then help at CP1 to observe and learn the feeding and sleeping habits of this strange and wonderful WaterTribe animal!
Day 2 - Finding DaveonCudjoe's Sea Pearl off Manasota Key - Finding and helping recover DaveonCudjoe's Sea Pearl on Sunday also helped me learn about gear. Seeing his kits float and his dry bags soaked helped me decide to repack my gear before I launched from Choko. Thanks to ShallowMinded for helping with the Maggie Recovery. And Thanks to the Manasota Beach Club for letting me run through their property and use their sit-on-top to assist in the discovery of Maggie.
Leaving CP1 to Meet SeaFrog - While we tied Dave's boat to the Indian Mound dock, we noticed SeaFrog sailing down the ICW. I called SaltyFrog to check on their position. He was unsure of their location as SPOT was not functioning well, and they were late. I headed down to Grande Tours to launch and meet SeaFrog on the ICW. I paddled out of Placida Sunday night to meet SeaFrog and Knottyhead and found them in the darkness on the ICW. It was enjoyable to paddle back with them from the swing bridge – even though they were lucky to make .5 mph after they lost the 2nd of their 3 paddles when demasting under the causeway bridge – plus they found the submerged piling before making it to Grande Tours. Thanks for the Denny’s SeaFrog!
Camping at CP1 again Sunday Night - After paddling in with SeaFrog and Knottyhead, we headed out for dinner and to check on DaveonCudjoe's boat. Dave's boat was not at the Indian Mound dock, so we headed to Denny's for dinner. The bath house is nice. Sleeping under the boat shelter is nice, and the boats make for a great place to dry gear. Grande Tours is a wonderful place.
Paddling a Tandem Solo in 20+mph Winds on Wilderness Waterway - I knew paddling my tandem solo was possible up to 20+mph winds, but I did not expect headwinds for about 95% of the Wilderness Waterway that I paddled. I was hit with some gusts I estimate 35mph+ on South Joe River and was hunkered down behind Mangroves letting Running Mouth paddle on until Seiche and KneadingWater offered an in-line tow to the South Joe Chickee. I knew my boat wouldn't point under 30+mph winds. I stayed on the Chickee as Hammerstroke and Sundance joined until we left around 8 PM for the 11 mile run into Flamingo. Winds for Friday were high risk in both speed and direction for my configuration, so I enjoyed the ride with Root to Key Largo and the Bay Cove Motel.
Nomadic Outriggers - Awesome! - The Nomadic rig from Wildwasser didn't seem to be a big burden. In fact, the leeboard helped me handle the boat in the conditions. Many paddlers seemed “impressed” with the rig and my progress. RunningMouth couldn’t stop talking about how cool the rig looked – and I wonder why he has the name RunningMouth! I only had about 2 miles of downwind run where I went way East to Broad River Bay when Sandy Bottom, Kneading Water, KiwiBird, and Seiche took the shortcut. I needed the downwind run, and it was a blast getting to 5.3 mph under 1.5m^2 PAS sail alone. Thanks Landis and Wildwasser!
GPS Not Good - Bought 400C between CP1 and CP2 - I learned my GPS needed help and had to get a 400C on Monday – Thanks West Marine! Could not get my 76CSX to function with BlueCharts, Topo, and City Navigator loaded onto 2 micro SD's despite Garmin telling me it would work as long as the # of maps was less than 2000.
Everglades City Wilderness Waterway Permit (C'mon man!) - I learned that at Everglades City it helps to mention I was a WaterTriber. The young guy talking with me spent 45 minutes (until they closed at 4:30) telling me that I should only paddle 8 miles. Despite my insistence that I have paddled my expedition weighted sea kayak 30 miles in one sitting, he insisted only an 8 mile paddle and loop. At least they took my money, filled out 2 sheets for permits, never issued the actual permit due to the “discussion”, but I had a receipt for 2 campsites; Lostman's Five and Oyster Bay.
Camping at Lostman's 5 - I made Lostman's 5 and was joined by Sandy Bottom, KiwiBird, Kneading Water, and Seiche on Tuesday night. They all camped in tents while I used my cot, Mountain gear sleeping bag, and bug shirt over the top of my sleeping bag. The vultures didn’t want to leave this decked ground campsite when I landed. The rats were running amuck until the other 4 paddlers arrived.
Camping at Shark Point - On Wednesday night I caught up to RunningMouth on the Gulf and we stayed at Shark Pt with Rats and Mutant Super Dextrous Raccoons (Watch out for One-Eye, he has no shame). The red ants consumed our gear on the clothesline, so I used bug spray on the lines and trees to limit the army of ants on our drying gear. However, I forgot to check my drysuit for Ants Thursday – maybe the hundreds of welts and grapefruit size swollen foot and ankle reflect the bites. Not to mention my foot and toes are still numb and tingly. I camped Wednesday night in my MSR Mutha Hubba tent with gear inside to keep it from escaping with the raccoons. I also used my Lok N Lod fabric under the tent – works great for a footprint and protects the tent as it is tear-resistant. The One-Eye Raccoon was very adept at getting into RunningMouth’s Kruger cover, zippered dry bag, and into the honey bag within minutes of landing. Luckily the Wildwasser cockpit cover on my front cockpit was super tight and hard to install because I heard the bungee pop only to see a disappointed One-Eye Raccoon’s attempts foiled – HA! See video of Scareman Landing on Shark Point and RunningMouth's recap of the encounter with the racoonns.
Lok N Lod Usefulness - The Lok N Lod came in handy many times. Key uses were tying off to South Joe Chickee on the leeward side as 6 other boats landed on the chickee. I learned that getting into an Outriggered kayak can be tricky in 30+ mph winds with oysters on the pilings with 6 other boats on the chickee. I also used the Lok N Lod when I was fortunate to trailer the boat on Lugnut’s Sea Pearl trailer that Root drove from Flamingo to Key Largo. The Lok N Lod marked the back of my kayak and held it down onto the trailer.
See the Lok N Lod video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YBCQqX2Wj8
Tides - Tides were fun to learn, experience, enjoy, and wait. Launching from Choko, a sailboat’s crew (Hobart?) advised their wisdom would allow the water to do the work and they let the tide come in to reduce the effort of launching through the mud. I soaked up my apprenticeship time and was thankful for the help from Dr. Kayak and Denise. I used my 3 foam funnoodles to roll my 22’ kayak with outriggers through the mud and into the water. Leaving Lostman’s 5, I rode the tide out for a bit before heading against it as Sandy Bottom was catching up to me. Heading down Broad River by Nightmare, I waited at the Chickee as the half-high tide started going out. I dried out a bit, ate some peanut butter and honey tortillas, enjoyed a Gatorade from a powerboater that stopped by to use the port-a-pottie, and enjoyed the day before heading out with the tide. I rode the tide out that last little bit and was able to catch RunningMouth on the outside. Launching from Shark Pt, RunningMouth and I waited for the tide to come in to help us launch from Graveyard Creek and ride the tide in on Shark River. After the wind subsided Thursday night, I rode the tide into Flamingo with Hammerstroke and Sundance to the dam.
Training - Solo Paddling Tandem, Hypothermia, Blindfolded Paddle Float Reentry - The Passat is a boat I had, and I had been training in it with many 25+ mile paddles in it over the last year. I had several 20-30mph windy training days in the Passat paddling it solo also.
I had actually completed Hypothermia training where my body temp got into the 95 Degs F.
I completed blindfolded pool paddle float reentry training – yes BLINDFOLDED paddle float reentry training – Thanks Albany State University HPER GYM. (will post video soon).
Great NRS GEAR - I ordered great gear from NRS due to the cooler water temps. I actually wore my drysuit every time I was on the water. I was pouring out a cup of water from each of my booties on Wednesday and Thursday. I will rethink gear options for next year as I move South.
Great Wildwasser Gear - Nomadic Outriggers, Pacific Action Sails - I am grateful Wildwasser got me the Nomadic Outriggers in time. I had to blitz the install for the base plates and the Pacific Action Sail rigging as I received the gear on Tuesday before the race. The virus slowed me down a bit, but I was glad I had taken Thursday as vacation to finish the rigging. Landis was great help. The Nomadic system did not seem to be a penalty and impressed many folks with its appearance and functionality. I just wish I was well enough to have sailed downwind on Saturday's start, but I was not in a condition to start after recovering from the virus. Great Nomadic gear and I was able to get some small use out of the 1.5 PAS sail - remember 5.3 mph under sail alone for the brief 1.5 mile downwind run on Broad River Bay.
Great Hydration Bladder - I used the 6 Liter MSR Dromedary Bag , and was very pleased. I had never used it before this trip, but knew I had to have a bladder system. I attached it to the back deck of my kayak with carabiners.
Seaward Passat – Great Solo Kayak, Awesome Tandem Kayak. Maybe I’ll actually paddle this with 2 paddlers sometime. Excellent paddling solo as well. Seiche and KneadingWater were asking how it handled paddling from the front cockpit. Not sure? I’ll look at configuring the rudder control to the front and try that. Great idea guys!
Wildlife - Leaving Choko I saw a bald eagle and caught it on tape as I was filming a dolphin. I had a dolphin swim under and around my boat several times, catching one time on film after it surfaced and I confirmed that it was a dolphin. Only 1 alligator was visible on my Wilderness Waterway journey. I saw vultures that did not want to leave the Lostman’s 5 campsite, along with several rats that were glad to see me. Shark Point had 3 raccoons that were adept at getting into RunningMouth’s boat, boots, and around us at the picnic table. However, I only saw one rat on Shark Point. On the canal heading into Flamingo, I saw many red eyes on the shore which I assume were the American Crocodile, but I never could see more than the eyes once shining a better lamp on the glowing eye. Did I mention the ants that swarmed our gear on Shark Point? The big red ones were on the clotheslines that we dried our gear, and I noted to RunningMouth that I would have to check the gear i nthe morning. Well, I didn't when I dressed at 3 AM. My left thigh had hundreds of welts, my left ankle became swollen like a grapefruit, and I still cannot feel the bottom of my toes and ball of my left foot - one month after the fun! Love it!
Worried Wife - My wife was hysterical while I was in the Wilderness Waterway. She had no access to the spot links, the mapper page, had no idea where I was and if I was OK, and she was battling serious matters back at the house with the kids. The computer crash and 6 weeks without a computer through January and February still wasn’t completely fixed as I left for the EC. It was my fault my wife couldn’t access everything because I just had not shown her how to access the info needed before I left. But my co-workers had the links, and my sister was getting the SPOT OK messages. I sent the OK messages for my wife to our web e-mail that she could not access.
SPOT from LONDON - I was impressed with the SPOT updates from London. Yes England where Sundance’s daughter was getting SPOT updates and updating Mrs. Sundance quicker than we could get updates when Sundance was 11 miles from us at Key Largo.
Track Me 360 - I am very grateful that TrackMe360 supports the WaterTribe with rental options for SPOT - which is required gear for WaterTribe events. I rented mine for a few weeks and was grateful I could rent a SPOT 1, because the SPOT 2's are backordered after the recall.
My advice to any lurkers contemplating the Everglades Challenge…Just get in the water, get the gear, and try it. The beauty of the land, water, wildlife, sky, nights, and people are captivating. You will be amazed and amaze yourself! Paddle several 30 mile trips in one month (paddle in one seating). Paddle many training sessions with durations from 1 to 3 hours in length to help condition your muscles. Practice your safety skills with your gear, including hypothermia readiness (maybe not get hypothermic), boat reentry at night, tether all of your gear (Even in a sailboat or Kruger – ask Chief or DaveonCudjoe), and most importantly – be prepared mentally to take it one stroke at a time and relax your back and grip on the paddle no matter how hairy the conditions get!
Next Year - Maybe paddle the tandem from the front after I move rudder pedals up there, maybe a Vivane, maybe a Seaward single, maybe paddle the Passat tandem with TWO PADDLERS - WHAT A CONCEPT!
My advice to any lurkers contemplating the Everglades Challenge…Just get in the water, get the gear, and try it. The beauty of the land, water, wildlife, sky, nights, and people are captivating. You will be amazed and amaze yourself! Paddle several 30 mile trips in one month (paddle in one seating). Paddle many training sessions with durations from 1 to 3 hours in length to help condition your muscles. Practice your safety skills with your gear, including hypothermia readiness (maybe not get hypothermic), boat reentry at night, tether all of your gear (Even in a sailboat or Kruger – ask Chief or DaveonCudjoe), and most importantly – be prepared mentally to take it one stroke at a time and relax your back and grip on the paddle no matter how hairy the conditions get!
Next Year - Maybe paddle the tandem from the front after I move rudder pedals up there, maybe a Vivane, maybe a Seaward single, maybe paddle the Passat tandem with TWO PADDLERS - WHAT A CONCEPT!
