And We're Off to Florida

For another WaterTribe Everglades Challenge.   The 300 mile challenge from Tampa to Key Largo begins early Saturday morning March 2nd, with Alan (SOS)and Paul (DancesWithSandyBottom) in the Class 4 monohull division in our Core Sound 20 "Dawn Patrol", and me (SandyBottom) in class 1 kayaks and canoes, in my newly restored (thanks Alan) Kruger Dreamcatcher.

The WaterTribe forum is likely to have some fun chatter during the race, also the WaterTribe Mapper will allow you to follow the racers satellite tracking.

This is a sample mobile post, I hope to post a few pictures along the way if I have service.

Next

Finishing up final preparations for 2013 WaterTribe Everglades Challenge, the race starts on March 2nd.  This year is going to be very exciting, 107 boats on the start beach at Ft Desoto in St Petersburg Florida.

Then, after I finish, I'll be meeting up with a friend in St Mary's Georgia, as we'll spend two weeks paddling the new Georgia Coast Saltwater Paddling Trail.

I'll post a bit more information next week right before we leave, with a few links that might be of interest to anyone following the challenge and paddle (Mom).

Looks Just Like New

This year I'll be paddling the WaterTribe 300 mile Everglades Challenge in my Kruger Dreamcatcher.  I've had the boat since 2006 when Mark Przedwojewski, the owner of Kruger Canoes gave it to me as a gift after originally lending it to me to use during the 1200 mile WaterTribe Ultimate Challenge.  "Finish the Challenge and it's yours" he said, and so I did :)

The boat is Dreamcatcher #2, the second one ever made by Verlen Kruger.  It had certainly seen many miles, and I proceeded to add many more.  Below is a picture of me out paddling my Dreamcatcher.

And here's a picture of the same Dreamcatcher Alan (my son) brought home after refinishing it for me.  It's so shiny and beautiful.

The weekend was spent putting on the rudder, hardware, decklines and bungies.  I especially like this photo of Alan inside the back hatch.

Today I took her to the lake for a paddle.  Hard to believe with only 25 days left for the Challenge it's the first time since last March I've paddled a Kruger Canoe.  I'm a bit behind in single blade training for this year, but lucky for me it's such a dry and comfortable ride.

Alan will be back next weekend to put on the rub rails and help reinforce the deck for my Flat Earth Kayak Sail.  Then I'll get my decals added and be ready to go.  I'll post some better after pictures with a short blurb about the refinishing after we're all done.

Thanks Alan, my Dreamcatcher is absolutely beautiful.