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Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7276		 Page 31 of 80
Author:  stringy [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 6:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
I had no problems with the 8" tyres on the little Aunger trailer I first got. At first I would regularly stop and check the hub for high temps after high speed driving but as they never got hot I stopped worrying. No flats yet either!
Your wheels should be fine.
Author:  NOHUHU [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
They should do great at moderate speeds.

Keep an eye on the wheel bearings seal and wash her down good! Should outlast the boat. :mrgreen:
Author:  tonystott [ Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Keith, I was worried about my galvanised trailer until I saw yours lasted 20 years, plus another 7 as a cut down kayak trailer. I wash mine thoroughly after every trip (including inside the tubes), and I would be happy if my trailer lasts past my 90th birthday :mrgreen:
Author:  Chekika [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
We're Going to Miss You, Terry

Cape Romano, Mar 28-31, 2014


As so often is the case, when friends and relatives get together to remember a friend, it is a joyous occasion. Such was the mood of this trip─an enjoyable trip as we remembered our friend Terry Wilson.

Originally, about 20 people planned to do the trip, but weather and work cut that to about a dozen. It was a very friendly, fun dozen. We left from Goodland for a relatively easy trip (7 mi) to Cape Romano.
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I used my new trailer, and it worked fine hauling our boats the 200 mi round trip.
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Here is part of our group: Josh Morgan, Allison Whedon, Pat Owen, Don Haynes, Royd Whedon, and Toby Nipper. Josh, Royd, and Toby did the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge this year. Unfortunately for Royd, the base mast-step bolt tore out of his Adventure Tandem hull off Chatham River which ended his EC. He was very disappointed, but Hobie is delivering a new hull to him immediately after this trip. He'll be back next year for sure. If you don't know, the Everglades Challenge is a 300 mile, adventure race from Ft Desoto, near St. Petersburg, FL, along the coast, through the Everglades, to Key Largo. It is a small boat race, and must be completed in 8 days--many competitors do it in 5-6 days, and some in as few 3 days or less. Check out the WaterTribe site: http://watertribe.org/
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This is part of our encampment. That is Nancy and Pat.
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Toby is enjoying a book. His tent is hidden away in the mangroves behind him.
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Here is most of the group having appetizers. Seated, clockwise, are Toby, Allison, Royd, Don, Steve Sanders, Maria Sanders, Nancy, and Josh. Pat is standing. For appetizers, Don brought a huge platter of Chesapeake Bay blue crab cakes, Josh brought sausage and cheese, Nancy had a couple kinds of crackers, and Maria put out a black bean-veggie dip. There was so much that no one bothered to make any dinner. Missing here are Charlie Fast, who would arrive shortly, and Alex Oancea, who would come in after dark in the best WaterTribe fashion.
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Josh built a great fire. Nancy and I were already in our tent, but others were seated around the fire when Alex Oancea paddled up─it was dark. He had left from Everglades City and paddled 22 miles. Alex also did the WaterTribe EC this year. Therefore, this was just a training run for him─for next year's EC.

Josh never spends more than one night on these trips. We saw him off early Saturday morning.
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Alex got this picture of Don, Toby, and me discussing how high the tide would come today.
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Alex got another picture in a lighter moment.
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Alex also got a couple great shore shots. The first is of birds, pilings, and the "dome" house which is melting into the sea. It was clearly constructed by someone with more money than brains. It was originally on shore in the 1960s (global warming?). It must have been a fun place until the first hurricane came through. A great picture by Alex.
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This picture shows it can get quite rough off the tip of Cape Romano. The conditions are a combination of northwesterly winds meeting a variety of opposing currents. The birds? Royal Terns, I believe.
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A number of our group went out to catch fish or try. Here is a series of pictures showing Alex─a very strong kayaker─taking his first ride on an Adventure Tandem Island. Maria photographs the event. Note Steve's new spine board hakas. Very nice.
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Steve instructs Alex on inserting the fins.
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Then, Alex, insert your feet into the pedal straps─so you can pedal hard!
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And, we're off....
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Even Don is going to try his hand at fishing. Don certainly has a most uniquely colored AI. His hull is a beautiful blue.
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I didn't go out because I know you can catch fish from shore. A 27" redfish (dinner.)
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After I cleaned the fish, Nancy sautéed it.
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It started to rain about 6 pm Saturday evening, so we took shelter under Steve & Maria's large gazebo. Pat, Maria, Steve, Nancy. Our group of 11 fit. Maria is whipping up some delicious mashed potatoes. The bouquet is for Terry. The rain and stormy weather lasted about 5 hrs.
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Nancy serves up the fish.
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After dinner, Steve demos his new "old-style" flint lighter. I'm not sure what Maria, et al, are laughing at. It couldn't have been anything I said.
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Sunday morning everyone, except Nancy & me, returned to the mainland. Toby is at far left in his Kruger with his small sail up. Charlie Fast is piloting his tandem at far right. The canoe belongs to the Whedons. Remember, the Whedons will get their new TI hull when they get home. They will be travelling in style again.
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Charlie Fast came in late Saturday and left early Sunday. I didn't get any pictures of him. I've zoomed in on him here. Charlie is tall─about 6' 7". The TI fits him perfectly.
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Allison & Royd head back.
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Pat demonstrates excellent "forward stroke" technique.
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And, Don....
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Finally, Steve and Maria head off.
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It was pretty quiet Monday morning, only a couple blue herons to keep us company.
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Of course, our thoughts turned to Terry. Here are a few pictures. This one was when Terry pedaled/paddled out here to Cape Romano in Nov, 2012.
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Here she is relaxing on the rugged western shoreline of Cape Romano.
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Arriving back at Goodland─it was during this trip Terry began to think about getting an Adventure Island.
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Terry is with Josh and me at the start of the WaterTribe 2012 Everglades Challenge on Ft Desoto East Beach.
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Before Nancy & I left Cape Romano, we made a little memorial to Terry. Everyone else took a flower to lay on the water as they returned to Goodland.
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Terry loved to toast the sunset. It is low tide off Pavilion Key Dec 6, 2013, and those are shore birds on a flat.
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We'll miss you, Terry.
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Keith and Nancy
Author:  Tom Kirkman [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Outstanding. Thanks for sharing the photos.
Author:  Roadrunner [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Keith, what a great write up! Your pictures and narration made it feel as if were there as part of the group. And what a wonderful eulogy to Terry! I wish her Godspeed! Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
Author:  NOHUHU [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Well done, Keith. Perfect, in fact.

Thanks for bringing us along.
Author:  Chekika [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Thanks, RR & Tom. We really had a wonderful group of people. The weather was very problematic and scared a few people away: 6 hours of rain Sat night with some wind. But, those that came out had the right mind set: "Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." This group loved a little adventure, all to remember our friend Terry.

Keith

PS Thanks, NOHUHU.
Author:  Slaughter [ Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
As you know, we all love these trip reports Keith, but this one was special. Really nice tribute.
Author:  stringy [ Sat Apr 05, 2014 1:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Thanks for that Keith. A very fitting trip report and tribute for Terry.
I really like that last pic of Terry in her newly outfitted AI, though I'm saddened every time I see it. She had set it up so well but she only had a limited time with it before her tragic passing. Very sad.
Author:  snjsanders [ Sat Apr 05, 2014 10:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Thanks to all for making it such a memorable trip. A special thanks to Keith and Nancy for organizing it all and to Don for reminding me that my boat was still at the low tide as I went to bed! Here are a few more pictures:


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Author:  tonystott [ Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
What a great way to honour Terry's life...
Author:  Chekika [ Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
@Russ--it was a nice trip to write up.

@Tony--yes, it was. Everyone enjoyed the trip & it was nice place to think of Terry. One person even suggested the Redfish was delivered by Terry...maybe?

@Stringy--That picture definitely pulls some strings. BTW, my new trailer worked great. Because it is wider than my old one and wider than my 4-runner, I was a more conscious of making slightly wider turns, AND not straying too close to the center line on the narrow 2-lane highway to our launch. It is wide, but other trailers on the road are wider. The Trailex Hobie "double double" tandem trailer is wider. It did tow fine and the tires were not a problem at speeds of about 65 mph.

@Steve Sanders--great pictures! Thanks! That is what I love about people contributing pictures--inevitably they take pictures of things I never think of.

Keith
Author:  flaneur [ Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Wow, that's a lot of erosion. I camped on Kice Island, just down from Cape Romano in March of 2012. Here's a picture I took when I visited Cape Romano on that trip. Compare this picture, taken 2 years earlier, to the similar one in your above post.
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Here's your picture from this year:
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Author:  Chekika [ Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?
Flaneur, that western coast of Cape Romano was fairly stable from 2005-1010, but storms have reshaped it dramatically. You can see the major difference in the shoreline by the dome house in this comparison picture. The Google Earth image on the left was taken in Jan, 2010. My annotations indicate what has happened in the intervening years when the GE image on the right was taken (Jan, 2013). The sea has not risen so much as storms have pushed back the rather fluid (loose sand) shoreline all along the western shore of Cape Romano. Our favorite campsite on that western shore has been destroyed over those years. In a sense, it makes it interesting--you never know what to expect from one year to the next.
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Here is my picture that I took on Nov 11, 2008, from my AI.
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Flaneur, you ought to join us on one of our camping trips. If interested drop me a line: kwellma at gmail dot com. I'll add you to my notification list.

Keith
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