EC'10: Onward from Check Point 1

Everglades Challenge news last updated at 1:00 am Monday

Read all the forum posts from the challengers [here].

Zoom in on a WaterTribe map of their progress [here].

Follow SPOT tracking data from SandyBottom [here].

View collected WaterTribe photos and video [here].

Meanwhile.....

In class 5 (multi-hulls), Jamie Livingston (Bumpy) and Kenny Pierce (MachoMan) and their Tornado catamaran reached the finish line in Key Largo at about 9:15 am Sunday and thereby set a new overall record: of 1 day, 2 hours, and a few minutes. The strongly northly winds this year were clearly favorable for them, but the secret to their success is expert preparation, training, and practice. This result is an improvement over the record time set last year via Tornado catamaran by Bumpy and Steve Lohmayer (Lumpy) at 2 days, 0 hours, 39 minutes. Congratulations guys!

In class 4, the cat-ketch monohulls are doing well. At 10:00 am Sunday, the team of RidgeRunner & GreyBeard in the Core Sound 20 designed by Graham Byrnes of B&B Yacht Designs was approaching CP2 in a close race with the Sea Pearl 21 of JarHead & HonestJohn.

In class 3 (kayaks with unlimited sails), ManitouCruiser's SeaWind Kruger Canoe with Balough sailrig appeared to be in the lead.

In class 2 (racing kayaks without sails), Ardio is in the lead --no surprise there.

In class 1 (sea kayaks with small sails), IronBob appears to be in the lead. The rest of the pack-of-16 kayakers (or peloton?) including SandyBottom are not far behind but are spread out over several miles.

Sunday 7:19 am

SB called home at 7:19 am Sunday with reports. She was a minute or two from launching away from CP1. The cold temperatures seem to be the biggest challenge. The temperature at 7:00 was about 47F degrees.

Summary of Saturday: In a word, "wind chill". Strong north winds, air temps below 65F degrees, and water temps at 58F degrees Saturday created cold spray and wind chill issues for everyone. SB was glad she took the "inside" route. Sailors who took the "outside" route in the Gulf of Mexico were battered by rough conditions. For example, SnoreBringGator broke an aka (i.e., outrigger) on his Balough sail rig. WindWalker suffered a broken universal joint on his expedition windsurfer. DaveonCudjoe's SeaPearl-21 capsized and he was rescued. The forecast for Sunday looks like a repeat but with air temps 2 degrees warmer. The challengers are moving south into waters that are only slightly warmer; for example, the current water temp at Naples, FL, is reported to be 64F.

Saturday night, soon after arriving at CP1, SB warmed by the campfire at the Grand Tours facility, had a meal, and then settled into her sleeping bag in her 1-person tent. At that point she experienced uncontrollable shivering and some nausea and vomiting and had to return to the campfire for most of the night to warm up.

Sunday morning SB said she was moving slowly due to not having slept well. KB and FS were moving more quickly and launched a little before 7am. KneadingWater and Seiche were still breaking camp at 7:20.

Progress: the 67 Miles Paddled on Saturday

Sunday 9:00 am

At 9:00 am SandyBottom was in Gasparilla Sound south of CP1, moving into Charlotte Harbor, and headed towards Bokeelia and Matlacha Pass.

9:00 am, south of CP1 and headed toward Bokeelia

Sunday 12:15 pm

SB called home to report she was having a lunch of smoked oysters on a sandy beach near Bokeelia with other class 1 kayakers: James Connell (Sundance) paddling a QCC-700, Will Schaet (Hammerstroke) paddling a Necky-Looksha-IV. KB and FS were about an hour ahead. SB is hoping to camp at or near Wiggins Pass on Sunday night. The northerly winds had been 10-15 but were somewhat calmer at noon.

Lunch break hear Bokeelia

Sunday 6:15 pm

SB reported that she was aiming to paddle 50 miles today and she expected that would require paddling until midnight or later.



Sunday 11:59pm

Another look at the SPOT tracking data just before midnight showed SB approaching to within a mile or two of Wiggins Pass, and by 1:00 am Monday she had reached Wiggins Pass. The Challenge Mapper showed SB, KW and Sieche had reached the Wiggens Pass area for camping at about 11:00 pm.





Go SandyBottom !