Everglades Challenge: Sunday -- Day and Night

8:00pm Sunday evening
After Sanibel Bridge, SandyBottom took the inside route 

SandyBottom is paddling on an inside route tonight at Ft. Myers Beach with other kayakers:  Sundance, HammerStroke, GoldenSun, and perhaps others.  She phoned home to say that she is in the process of deciding whether to paddle all the way to Wiggins Pass tonight (20 nm) or camp after only 8-10 nm. Considerations: she slept for 4 hours Saturday night, woke up Sunday morning and put on her cold damp gear, paddled into the wind most of the day,  will be protected from weather tonight on the inside route, tomorrow there will be more paddling into a head wind.

SandyBottom made it to Wiggins Pass by 12:14am. Phone home. Maybe will do an easy day tomorrow.

7:00pm Sunday
SandyBottom (blue),  SOS/PopTarp (red)

SOS and PopTarp reached CP2 at 11:28am Sunday.  Now turning the corner at the southern capes they would, no doubt,  love to have more wind tonight.  By  9:15pm they were 10 nm from CP3.  By 10:15pm they were 5 nm from CP3.   They arrived at CP3 at 12:42am.   

7:55pm Sunday
Somewhat sparse SPOT track for SOS and PopTarp 

Saturday night and Sunday morning, wind and tides were totally unfavorable for Mosquito's visit to CP2.

Apparently...    it seems...  SewSew left the water running... and the wind blowing... in the wrong direction when he left CP2.   The wind and tide were fine just before SewSew dashed in and out of CP2.   But after he left,  it was like walking up a down escalator.  Mud flats were a problem too.  It was like that brilliant maneuver you see in Hollywood chase scenes:  drive across the train tracks a split second before the speeding train arrives and thus escape by leaving the chasers stuck there waiting for the train to pass.

SewSew flew on to CP3,  sped on across Florida Bay, and arrived at the finish line today at 6:18 pm.  He is the overall winner this year with an amazing time of  1 day, 11 hours, 18 minutes which is a new record for his "Singles Class 5" category,  and the second fastest time ever in any class.   Well done,  SewSew !