Hobie Cat Forums

Thanks for all of those updates with SPOT tracking graphics, NOHUHU. I've been too occupied today to track the racers like I'd like to.

Not a pedaler, but right behind StandUpGuy is a DolphinGal. She is one excellent paddler and around 67 years old. This pedaling 64 yr old female salutes her! She traveled alone for much of the way. Hmm, maybe we need to get her into a Hobie!

Some day they ALL will!

Speaking of hardcore gals, Sandybottom just got her tooth for the Nightmare. She seems to attract a fan club, wherever she goes.

SandyBottom is awesome. She and her son won the whole sheebang last year, which is the race all the way around FLA! Her husband and son were the first to the finish of the current race.

I'm a proud lifetime member of the SandyBottom fan club.

I was at the finish of the Ultimate Florida challenge last year (1200 miles) when SandyBottom glided into the finish with her son. You would think after 1200 miles and weeks of grueling sailing/paddling that she would look worn out. She looked fresh, energetic and was absolutely beautiful ... looked like she was ready to go out to dinner (which she probably was : ). Quite an amazing gal. Actually the entire family is amazing.

_________________
Jim

I just read on the Watertribe forum page something written by Sandybottom's shore contact. At 8:30 a.m. EST, Dawn (aka Sandybottom) would be about two hours from the finish. And StandUpGuy got into Flamingo during the night and is now headed out toward Key Largo across Florida Bay. Unreal.

I am alive and getting better. As you know the first two days were extremely windy and cold. I sailed fast but constantly on the edge. Huge following waves kept rolling over me. I had trouble keeping warm. After passing Marco I started coughing hard and nonstop. Some say it is from the red tide or the cold I had the weekend before. All that coughing made me start throwing up stomach acid at the channel leading to Chokoloskee. The tide was also coming out. I tied up to a mangroves to wait for the change in the flow. The acid was burning from my throat down. It felt like I had a fire ball in the middle of my chest. At Chokoloskee I got some sleep and tried to eat some breakfast. It hurt to swallow the food.

Knowing my body's low resistance to infections I abandoned my Wilderness Waterway plan. Take the fastest and least complicated route. You get no points for not finishing and ending up in the hospital, my first EC.

The run from Pavilion Key to Cape Sable was my low point. Now I had fever was throwing up and couldn't stop coughing. I curled up in the cockpit like a sick puppy. I steered with barely one eye open check to sail and of course. I had to peddle once the sun went down. I was still unable to eat without extreme chest pain. Cape Sable has shallows all along the coast and waves were breaking. I found a approachable spot and pulled up the boat. Three hours later I woke up when the rising tide waves started hitting the stern. I was halfway in my sleeping bag and my headlamp was still on. I do not remember anything after I initially pulled the boat on the beach.

TO BE CONTINUED...

_________________
Paul
DogsLife
2011 Adventure Island (Little Dog)
2010 Tandem Island (Big Dog: "We keep a leg up on the competition")
2001 Wilderness Systems Woodsman Kayak 14.5 (Blue Dog)

http://dogslifeadventures.blogspot.com/

Geez ... that sounds painful Paul. Glad it turned out ok health wise though. Almost like 2011. You're like a machine when you get going. A big Congrats !

_________________
Jim

Great job Jesse. Your boat was my favorite overall and I'm glad you did so well. Some say Chief built your boat but I know Chief only did some of it & you did a majority of the work with all the rigging and akas/amas/sail attachments.

_________________
Jim

Photos, we need photos!

Thanks Capt!

I was sorry to read about your DNF, but can understand why. I had a really tough night outside of Flamingo and if it wasn't so secluded there, I would have packed it in. It's rather amazing how many little things can go wrong in such a short period of time, leading to a feeling of hopelessness and desperation. I was lucky to camp next some fishermen, just talking to them calmed me done and relieved the sense of isolation. I had that hot meal that Chief had mentioned and the fishermen came over to my camp to check on me, between my pride and the warm food, I was much improved.

jesse

_________________
2011 Golden Papaya TI with a 250 square foot spinnaker!
also a more manageable 100 square foot spinny...
&
the TI3 rear ama mod

It is such a shame that there was no cell service off that beach, I came in a couple hours after you thinking I saw a watertribe camper. I would have pulled up next to you given the choice. I must have pedaled within 30 feet of you when I left in the morning and only a short while after you woke up to the rising tide. Between the fog and darkness...

j

_________________
2011 Golden Papaya TI with a 250 square foot spinnaker!
also a more manageable 100 square foot spinny...
&
the TI3 rear ama mod

Good to have you back Dog.

To all of us watching, the EC race looks so sunny, neat and orderly from the Google Satellite, but we know there's real drama, pain and stress going on down there in the muddy water. Not to mention great moments of beauty, I'm sure.

One of the things I came to admire about you EC racers, is your ability to cope, and the way you required to make the right decisions under great pressure, time after time, to make it through. Each choice, (along with the element of luck) sets in motion a new weeklong string of consequences. It's different for each participant, and it's never the same, the next year.

One bad decision and it could be over. Even fatal. Sometimes, the "right" decision is to call it quits. And that's admirable too.

And yet they keep coming back for more! Some experience with failure seems to be critical to completing this event. Paul can vouch for that.

We won't blame you EC survivors if you're in a coma for awhile, after this race. When that passes, we look forward to you logging on and letting us know how it "really" went. Including the inspiring parts.

FINAL UPDATE

As of Saturday night (and the change to daylight savings time), ALL of our AI sailors have completed their races. At least 24 watertribers will not.

Windblown posted a respectable 5 Days, 15 Hours, 46 Min.

Even Juscuz jus made it in, with a grueling 7 Days, 7 Hours, 4 Min - possibly placing last in the field of finishers, but well short of the 8-day time limit. Possibly, his strategy was to "enjoy" the course more than anyone else? Let's hope so.

And finally, our old pal, STANDUPNUT, completed his race in 6 Days, 14 Hours, 13 Min, (finishing #15 overall!) Along the way, he picked up tons of support (including donations) plus a Gator Tooth as well.

Apparently, he's not even tired yet and is gonna paddle another hundred or more miles on his feet, to the tip of Florida. I kid you not.



Congrats to all who attempted, endured and eventually finished this crazy adventure race. You kept us amazed and entertained all week.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled lives.

NOHUHU

Thanks also goes to NOHUHU for keeping us all updated.

Great race call mate.

_________________


Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Yes, NOHUHU, terrific job updating. Between my week solo trip from Ckpt 3 to Ckpt 2, traveling from Miami to the WaterTribe activities at the Ft Desoto start, then traveling back to Miami with 2 days to get ready for my next camping trip on Pavilion Key out of Ckpt 2 (Chokoloskee), I was worn out. I missed going down to closing activities on Key Largo--I think they were yesterday--confused. Still, I had a great time seeing a lot of WaterTribe competitors both in Ft Desoto and Everglades City/Chokoloskee.

Yes, the people who do this adventure race are amazing. My hat is off to all of them, whether the fastest sailing vessel or the tough, sea kayak paddler.

Thanks again, NOHUHU.

Keith

_________________
I sail: S FL, Key Largo, Everglades to Cape Romano, Ft Desoto, Cedar Key

"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