Eight years ago Jim Czarnowski and his then fiance Elena set off from the beach at Fort Desoto, 300 miles of mystery ahead. They pointed their big Hobie MirageDrive sailing kayak south towards distant Key Largo and settled in for several long and adventurous days. Wild waters were ahead, the largely unsettled alligator coast of the Everglades.
The WaterTribe Everglades Challenge is an annual, unsupported adventure race for small boats. The website puts the difficulty into focus. “You must be an expert in your chosen craft… There are no safety boats, no safety net, and no excuses. Your safety and well-being are up to you and only you,” it reads.
RELATED: Enduring the Everglades Challenge
Jim Czarnowski qualified. Elena didn’t know what she was getting into, but she was in good hands. Jim’s boat – the first fiberglass prototype Mirage Tandem Island – fit right in.
“There’s more innovation on the Fort Desoto launch beach than at the Paris Boat Show. Everyone is trying something new, including homebuilt experiments,” Jim recalls.
The course provided several challenges. Jim and Elena faced high winds, pedaled for hours during dead calms, and navigated maze-like mangrove-choked channels. Their ‘TI’ battled fierce tidal currents and open ocean waters. Traveling 16 hours a day covering 60 miles or more, Jim, his future wife Elena, and their prototype made their way to the finish line at Key Largo, all just a little the worse for the wear.
“I ordered two full size breakfasts at Mrs. Mac’s kitchen and cleaned off both enormous plates,” Jim says.
The crucible of the Everglades Challenge forged a better TI.
“The TI was born there. It shaped the boat like a warm ball of clay,” Jim says. When he returned the next year, his TI had a new mast and different amas. Elena came back too. A few years later Jim moved on to the Adventure Island, and improved that one too based on his experiences.
For 2016, Jim took delivery of a brand new ‘AI’ fresh out of the shipping box. He didn’t do anything to harden the boat. He added a Hobie Dodger for shelter from the wind and sun, and rigged the new Island Spinnaker kit. He found no need to bring a spare MirageDrive.
When he arrived on the launch beach, he found a fleet of 24 other Islands on the sand – more than any other design in the 116-boat field. The Islands have made this adventure race far more accessible.
“The Islands are so stable and durable. They inspire regular people from Michigan and Iowa to show up for an extraordinary experience,” Jim says.
The 2017 WaterTribe Everglades Challenge runs from March 4 to 12. It’s too late to sign up, but once it starts anyone can follow the race via live tracking on the WaterTribe website.
