SuperTramp (Henry Ovares), with his Tandem Island, started the 2015 EC on the beach at Ft Desoto. Here is his trip report.Supertramp wrote:
Just got back to Miami after a very interesting encounter with Mother Nature over a period of 2 days. I found out that the race was being called by another WaterTriber about 2 hours from Stump Pass. Before that I had seen the red Coast Guard Helicopter over my head 3 times. The Tampa bay crossing was the fastest speed the boat achieved all day and was done with the full sail out. The most shocking thing was out of nowhere a sand island popped out and all the boats around me where trying to determine the best way to go around this obstruction. I saw some other boats hugging the Ana Maria Passage and followed them out offshore. Turning to the south the big cats were right in front of me with the Hobie Getaway right next to me. It was a sleigh ride all the way to Stump Pass. After going through the Pass with another T.I next to me we got into a tacking duel all the way to the Cape Haze entrance. I got in CP 1 at around 4:15 and got pulled over to a dock and was told about the Race being called off
I was in good spirits, the boat was performing great and took off to Gasparilla Pass to go offshore again. Went through the pass on a fast outgoing tide in the dark and somewhere in the passage ran into 100 yards of washing machine waves. I held on, and made landfall at the northern tip of Cayo Costa at around 10:00 pm. I woke up and launched again offshore heading south to Sanibel at about noon I hit a wall of wind at my face. Tacking all the time I was not making much progress. It took me the rest of the day just to make it to the Lighthouse on Sanibel at sunset. I spent the night on a beach next to the Big Bridge on Sanibel, I was exhausted. In the morning I turned on the radio to hear small craft warning in the area and the winds were gusting to 20 kts still a head wind.
I decided to call it a day and got picked up later in the morning. I have no doubt in my mind that if the winds were favorable I would have kept on going to Chokoloskee my original plan. But hearing all the other stories I think I made the best decision.
Special thanks, to Brendon Castile from Hobie for sending me a replacement crossbar 10 days before the race.
And a special shout out to Nancy and Keith (Chekika) for a great dinner before the Race and Royd W. for helping me get the boat in the pole position, in the weeds at the extreme north end of the beach.
Happy Trails, ST
SuperTramp on right being inspected by Iszatarock. He is showing Iszatarock his tool kit.
Map of EC from Start at Ft Desoto down to Cayo Costa where Henry camped on night 1.
Keith
Login
Register
FAQ
