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PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:05 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2014 5:37 pm
Posts: 50
Aside from the camera I hope that you had a great trip. Looking forward to the write up.
I may be coming down in Jan\Feb for some practice trips. I cont make the trips that you have planned but I'll let you know when I am coming down.

Later
Paul Links
Aero70


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2016 2:07 pm 
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Location: South Florida
Hi Paul, the loss of camera is a downer. Some sage, such as Shakespear, must have said, "You can replace a lost camera, but pictures are lost forever." Maybe I'll get it back. AlexO is out now. I'll know Monday late, if he found it. We did have another great trip. One day had terrific winds. On a reach, we averaged about 7 mph for 18 miles from Keewadin Island to Cape Romano. But then our direction changed and the wind changed to on our nose--it was a slog for the next 18 miles. Hey, that is what makes for a good training trip for the Everglades Challenge.

Bacon, from the Keys wants to do a trip Jan 13-16. No plans yet, but a fishing trip to Middle Cape of Cape Sable is a possibility. Let me know if that is a possibility for you.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Tue Dec 13, 2016 5:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 7:53 pm 
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Location: South Florida
AlexO got back with my camera! He even took a picture of it laying where I left it 8 days ago on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico.

Image


Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Mon Aug 28, 2017 6:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 12:29 am 
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:30 am
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Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
Wooo Hooo!! Well done, Alex!!


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 5:34 pm 
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Location: South Florida
Training Trip 2: Bokeelia to Everglades City

Nov 30-Dec 4, 2016


Much thanks to my wife, Nancy, for generously delivering us, 2 Hobie Islands, and all our gear to our launch. Thank you, Nancy!

We decided to launch from a dirt ramp at the north end of Bokeelia. DancesWithMullet (Channing Boswell), a local, provided us with useful info. For example, the area was suffering from red tide with lots of fish kill. The ramp had dead fish all over the place. SMELLY!!

This is our route out to Charlotte Harbor.

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Dances with Team Partner, Debbie Turner.

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Once we left the ramp area and made our way to Charlotte Harbor, it was much better, plus we had a perfect southerly wind which gave us a nice ride over to Cayo Costa State Park. We did have to avoid Jug Creek Shoal, a 2-mile coral rock reef which stretched across our path. Again, Dances provided us with useful info. This is our track over to Cayo Costa.

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It had been a long day. Here Rick Parks is reflecting about it shortly after landing on Cayo Costa.

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We set up camp just before dark. Debbie, a backpacker, provided us some Mountain House meals from her stash. They are quite good. Rick, who said he had enough of freeze dried meals in Viet Nam, was converted. He loved them by the end of the trip. Next morning we were refreshed and ready to go.

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Over the next 4 days, we would make our way along the coast of FL for about 105 miles. Here are our tracks for each day.

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Cayo Costa. Our camp was at the far right.

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As we passed south through Pine Island Sound, we had very little wind—think, “Pedal, pedal, pedal.”

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About sundown, we reached Picnic Key (also identified as Dump Key on my GPS), just southeast of St James City and the southern tip of Pine Island.

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It was low tide when we left Picnic Key. Debbie hauling our boat out of the muck.

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Day 3 of our trip we made our way down to Keewadin Island, north of Marco Island. With decent wind, we made 35 miles. Light surf made the landing interesting. It was enough that one wave engulfed our stern and hit me full force up to my shoulders. We made it in safely 10 minutes before sunset.

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Keewadin sunset

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Day 4, as usual, found us ready to go. It was 8:50 AM. Remember, these are practice runs, not the real Everglades Challenge.

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Marco Island coming up.

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This is our 4th day. We took our only mid-day break of the trip at Cape Romano.

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The daily segments are shown on the Google Earth image. Day 4 is the yellow segment. We were on a nice reach from Keewadin to Cape Romano, but then our course altered, and we had to tack into the wind for the next 18 miles.

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Since our tacking carried us close to Panther Key, we considered camping there, but then headed to Camp Lulu because it would be a bit closer to the finish for the final day.

Camp Lulu, an island on the Gulf of Mexico. Unknown to us, my good friend Alex Oancea was camped on the long beach around the corner. Alex was out training for the 2017 Everglades Challenge. He knows the area well. He left at 2:45 AM to catch a favorable tidal current back into Everglades City where his car was parked.

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Unfortunately, when we left Camp Lulu, I left my camera above the beach in the grass. Next weekend, Alex found it laying where I left it 8 days previously.

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Another great trip with wonderful friends. Thanks to Alex, I had pictures for this story. And, again, thanks to Nancy for picking me up in Everglades City. Great ground support!!

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:50 am 
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Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
Thanks for posting that, Keith. Looks like a great trip.

Any issues sailing under the Sanibel Island bridge? I've been wondering about my route to sail from Delnor-Wiggins north to Cayo Costa but you've laid it out nicely for me now.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 8:29 am 
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Location: South Florida
Hi Bob,

As always, we had a great trip. Regarding the 3 bridges across the Sanibel Causeway, here is an image which sums it up.

image of 3 bridges to Sanabel

The high bridge is no problem and probably the one we should have used leaving Picnic Key and heading south. We could not get under the low bridge in the middle. The bridge ending on Sanibel is suitable for passage by a Tandem or AI 2 under the highest spans.

Regarding camping on Cayo Costa, we stealth camped. The official camping area is further south and 1 mile across the island on the Gulf of Mexico. The ranger station which gives out permits is on the east side of the island, about 1/2 mile south of where we camped. We got in late and were out early. No one bothered us.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 1:32 pm 
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Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
Thanks for that detail.

I was wondering specifically about the Cayo Costa camp site vs the sheltered beach. I believe that some of the Trailer Sailors have a camp out there during the year - although I'm unsure exactly where they camp.

I'm looking out the window at freezing rain and old snow on our lawn and champing to get south and kayaking again...


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 2:30 pm 
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Location: South Florida
I don't believe the Trailer Sailors are allowed to "camp" there like they did a few years ago. The Cayo Costa management is not that friendly, and they tightly control where people camp. We were in and out fairly quickly.

Yes, time to kick that ice and snow and head south!

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 7:04 am 
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Location: South Florida
Cancellation and new plans

Our planned one day, Jan 5, trip from Flamingo to Pelican Resort in Key Largo (formerly Bay Cove Resort, Everglades Challenge Finish) is canceled.

Originally, this was to be a 1 day trip from FLM to Bay Cove in Key Largo, but that involved a lot of complicated logistics for cars and people. Our new plan is a full-fledged camping trip, accomplishes much of the same thing, and is a round trip starting and ending in Flamingo.

Jan 13 Assemble in Flamingo at the Group site (near the toilet building) Not sure which group site, but there are only 3. We’ll figure it out.

Jan 14 Get out reasonably early (for some of us that means by 9 AM) and head to North Nest Key (32 miles) We plan to go through Crocodile Drag Over today. Camp on NNK.

Jan 15 Break camp, pass through Twisty Channel, and return to FLM campground. No group site, so those staying overnight will use the walk-in sites.

Jan 16 Those of us who are staying the day will be fishing. In the evening, about 5:30 PM, we’ll enjoy a fish fry and tall tales.
The people planning to do this trip are

1. Alex Oancea (AlexO)
2. Debbie Turner (WyomingWolf)
3. Randy Smith (Bacon)
4. Tom Lachner (BidGood)
5. Wayne Flatt (CaptBones)
6. Possibly Josh Morgan (TideTraveller)
7. Me (Keith Wellman, Chekika)

Paul Links (Aero70) has had to pull out in order to maximize his time available. Perhaps he can join us for the Jan 29-Feb 4 trip.

I have developed a couple routes for this trip complete with waypoints. I’ll generate a file to share with participants in a day or so. Prevailing winds are from the E to SE. We have not had a cold front pass through south Florida yet (almost Xmas), which is amazing. Consequently, it is still quite warm during the day. Nights cool down to upper 60’s and low 70’s. Unless this changes, our trip east to Nest Key will be a slog. The return should be nice.

There is plenty of space for more people on this trip. So, if you are thinking of joining us, drop me a line or call, 305-979-3362.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:59 pm 
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Location: South Florida
Modification of Keep-Out Lines

The past couple months, I’ve done some lengthy camping trips which involved being on the water from about 9 AM to after dark. I was disappointed to see that the flat bungee cords used in my Keep-Out lines (http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopi ... &start=720) were fraying. These bungee cords had not been in the sun that much, so they clearly needed to be replaced by something more weather and sun-resistant. I’ve replaced each with a 19” EPDM rubber strap. These straps are available from Ace Hardware, Home Depot, and Amazon. The Amazon link is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C ... UTF8&psc=1


The full Keep-Out line

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The new 19” EPDM strap

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Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:33 am, edited 3 times in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 2:57 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
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Location: South Florida
The Abuse We (I?) Inflict on Our Rudder Pins and Aka Brace Pins

A couple weeks ago, I replaced my rudder pin and Nylatron aka brace pins. The pins I removed are shown below.

The rudder pin as viewed from the stern of the boat. This rudder pin had been in use about a year. I don’t use my boat a lot, mainly on camping trips. From June to October, it was not used at all.

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Closeup side view.

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The used aka brace pins

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The one brace pin looks ready to go. I know exactly when that damage occurred. Joe Slama and I put in at a local marina to do a sail. Within 40 yds of launching, one rudder line pulled loose. I could only go in a circle. The 13-15 mph wind blew me back into the ramp docks. One ama struck the dock forcefully. If it had been a standard Hobie brace pin, it likely would have broken. Here is a picture of both the standard Hobie pin and the Nylatron pin I use.

Image


Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


Last edited by Chekika on Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 9:39 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2006 1:16 pm
Posts: 605
Location: Colorado
Always enjoy the write up and pictures from these trips. FYI, the bungee that you can purchase at West Marine seems to do a lot better in UV than the stuff from the hardware stores. They often have both white and black options and I "think" the black may be better but that is only based on that Hobie uses mostly black lines (is this cosmetic or for durability in the sun??). The rubber will also degrade over time for UV and I think whatever bungee that West Marine sells will outlast the rubber. Experience from my sailboat that sits in a slip for 4 months then outside in partial shade for the rest of the year in Arizona sun and heat.

Reminds me.. I need to swap out those pins this season!!


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 2:24 pm 
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Location: South Florida
Thanks for your comments, Walt. There may be better bungees or black rubber, but I will see how these EPDM rubber straps work--they are cheap and available from many sources. They have to be better than what I had, which failed simply being outside (seldom in the sun). I would like to think that the EPDM rubber straps used by truckers will withstand the weather and sunshine. It is a simple matter to check them every time you set up at launch: simply release the brace, pull the aka/ama back, and see that the keep-out line rubber strap is stretching without breaking. The idea is that the keep-out line stretches, absorbing some of the blow, allowing the aka-brace pin to break, but NOT allowing the aka/ama to fold back along the hull resulting in capsize.

Finally, I've had straps like these hanging in my garage for years, used occasionally, and they seem fine.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 3:03 pm 
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Location: Paoli Pennsylvania - East Coast USA
Chekika wrote:
I would like to think that the EPDM rubber straps used by truckers will withstand the weather and sunshine
FWIW, when I had my outrigger canoe and was using strips of truck inner tube to lash it together I found that the lashings would start getting ratty after two seasons in the New Jersey/Penna sun. .... So annual replacement seemed like a no-brainer to me - especially given the cost (zero).

If I were doing mine again (or when the eventually break down) I think I'll try strips of truck inner tube

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