Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 8

Campfirecowboy and Blackbeard are traveling together in their AIs 2 mi due east of the north tip of Pavilion. NoWhereMan is 1.5 east of Cape Romano, but he hasn’t moved for some time. Not clear what is going on with him. Chief may have dropped out because of the death of Thad Rice during his EC.

CaptGnarly has stopped on Mormon Key, about 5 mi to the SE of Pavilion Key. LuckyMe/BoatBum are just south of Rabbit Key (about 9 mi behind CaptGnarly.) CaptGnarly still leads all Islands. Dietired/Dietired2 seem to have stopped in Indian Key Pass about 4 mi from the ENP Ranger Station in Everglades City. BTW, the Ranger Station is 2 mi from the Chokoloskee CK2. Albatross and Waterdawg are camped on Indian Key. Pelican/Eagle are traveling with Ibis/Kite. They are south of Ft Myers off Lover’s Key Park—3 mi offshore. With little wind, a near full moon, it must be very peaceful out there tonight. Admiralsnackbar is moving along shore just north of Marco Island. Windtern and Blue, separate TIs, are at the south end of Marco Island.

It has been dark for 3 hours.



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

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 9

AI 2 Islands Camfirecowboy and Blackbeard are resting on Highland Beach. NoWhereMan is at CK2 (Chok).

TI Islands CaptGnarly is moving about a mile off shore just south of Hog Key. He was passed during the night by LuckyMe/BoatBum. They are currently resting on Highland Beach about 6.5 miles ahead of Gnarly. Dietired/Dietired2 have left CK2. Albatross Is 3 mi NW of Pavilion. Waterdawg has just come through the passes from Chok and is about 2.5 mi behind Albatross. Blue has left the Ranger Station and is headed to CK2. Pelican/Eagle are traveling with Ibis/Kite. They are resting on a beach at the north end of Marco Island. Admiralsnackbar is still north of Marco Island and Windtern is SE of Cape Romano…have both quit?

Update Admiralsnackbar and Windtern are both moving as of noon today!!! I believe the 11 TIs that started the EC are still participating.

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

Ironbob and TheJuice, a pair of kayakers from Arizona, finished the EC at about 7 AM today. They did approximately 100 miles/day.

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

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 10

AI 2 Islands CampfireCowboy and Blackbeard have passed through Ponce de Leon and are currently traveling down Joe River (see below in the TI discussion.) They lead ALL Islands. Rather amazing to have a couple AI 2s leading all TIs. NoWhereMan is still at CK2 (Chok).

TI Islands LuckyMe/BoatBum are leading the TIs and are currently in Joe River which borders Whitewater Bay on the SW side. CaptGnarly is back about 10 mi moving from Ponce de Leon Bay into the upper NW end of Whitewater Bay. Personally, I would not have taken this route. There is a good 15 mph wind from the SW. Maybe they thought that would make it too rough to go around Cape Sable. Albatross is about 13 mi up the coast from Ponce de Leon Bay near the mouth of Lostmans River. Dietired/Dietired2 are 3 mi further back just south of Hog Key. Waterdawg is back another mile or so. He can see Dietireds. Blue is just exiting the passes from Chok onto the Gulf of Mexico. Windtern is at the Ranger Station. The remaining TIs are clustered around Goodland about 20-22 mi further up the coast from the Ranger Station. All are making good progress.

For those travelling along the SW coast of Florida, as most of these Islands are doing, it must be a beautiful day of sailing.



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

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 11

AI 2 Islands CampfireCowboy and Blackbeard lead all Islands. They are resting with their boats at CP3 (Flamingo) on the saltwater side (Florida Bay side)

TI Islands LuckyMe/BoatBum are leading the TIs and are currently pulled up on the ramp on the fresh water side of the Flamingo marina. Tomorrow they will have to unload their TI and haul supplies/gear and boat over to the salt water side. CaptGnarly is back about 10 mi resting on a no-name island in Whitewater Bay.



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

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 12

Jim Czarnowski—Hobie IM class Jim is resting on the beach south of Lostmans River—the large river north of Highland Beach. I wonder if he is contemplating doing Nightmare. Last year he got into a life-threatening situation when he made a wrong turn in Nightmare.

AI 2 Islands CampfireCowboy and Blackbeard have started across FL Bay to the finish. The wind is great, 16 mph out of the NW, i.e., coming over their left shoulder. The problem will be the tides—they are going on a falling tide into an area with a single shallow channel through it. The wind will help push the falling tide back. We’ll watch their progress! NoWhereMan is still in Chok and may have dropped. 10:00 AM Update Cowboy and Blackbeard are through...they are in deeper water and headed toward the finish later today!!!

TI Islands LuckyMe/BoatBum are at the Flamingo Marina but on the saltwater side (FL Bay). CaptGnarly is at the ramp on the fresh water side. He now has to unload his gear and get supplies/gear and boat over to the FL Bay side. UGH! If people would not go through Whitewater Bay, but, rather go around Cape Romano, life would be so much simpler. The Dietireds are moving nicely south of Highland Beach/Broad River. Albatross is resting on Highland. WaterDawg is moving near Plover Keys, 4 mi north of Hog Key. Blue is 2 mi NW of Pavilion. Admiralsnackbar and Windtern are within sight of one another and moving through Chok Pass toward CP2 (Chok). The women, Ibis and Kite, have left the Ranger Station and are nearing CP2. Pelican and Eagle seem to be camped on the Baron River near the end of a small airport runway in Everglades City. 10:00 AM Update CaptGnarly has gotten his boat over to the saltwater side. LuckyMe/BoatBum have not moved. They may be waiting for a rising tide at 2 PM today. Note: Sometimes boat operators do not push their SPOT "OK" button, so that it appears they are not moving. And then, in this case they suddenly show up as finished (see below.) It makes it a bit frustrating for people who try to follow them, but, hey, it is definitely not easy out there.

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

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 13

Islands have finished CampfireCowboy and Blackbeard (AIs) and LuckyMe/BoatBum (TI) have finished on Key Largo with identical times: 4 days 4 hrs 12 min. Congratulations!!!

Update on Jim Czarnowski, chief Hobie engineer Jim did not do Nightmare this year. He is approaching NW Cape. Good for him!

I'm happy to report that Admiralsnackbar has gotten out of his shallow water predicament and has reached the Gulf of Mexico. Windtern, who was near him, is making good progress to extricate himself from the same mess.

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

Keith:
I really like your updates, thank you

FE

Glad you are enjoying them, FE.

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

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 14

AI 2 Islands Jim Czarnowski is in a class of his own, I believe because he is using the Hobie spinnaker. He sails an AI 2, so I’m going to put him here. He has made great time today, has sailed around Cape Sable, and is within sight of a couple TIs, Albatross and the Dietireds.

TI Islands CaptGnarly has finished. He is one tough dude. WaterDawg is just north of Ponce de Leon Bay. About 400 years ago a Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, was leading an expedition in the area and was attacked by a large party of Calusa warriors. Ponce was hit by a poison arrow and died a few days later.

Blue, Admiralsnackbar and Windtern are within sight of one another moving about a mile south of Plover Keys and 3 mi north of Hog Key. The women, Ibis and Kite, and Pelican and Eagle were last in the passes south of Chok, but have not punched their SPOT “OK” in some time, so it is unclear where they are now. Clewless/The Hammer are stopped on Pavilion.

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

+1 Keith.

I'm wrastling with hardware but enjoy the respite of reading your updates. Thanks, as always.

Great, Bob!

Interesting, yesterday, everyone turned in Ponce de Leon Bay and went through Whitewater Bay. Today, everyone is going around Cape Romano. Go figure?

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

wind shift? The wind shifted 180 degrees here about noon today. Nice and dry cool wind blowing at the moment.

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 15

Islands Nothing has changed on the WaterTribe tracking site. All the TIs are exactly where they were at 9 PM yesterday. It seems the tracking site has not been updated.

It is cool down around Cape Sable and Flamingo. 50 deg F, 10 mph wind. If you are sitting on a beach in those conditions on Day 6 of the EC, its cool. The only thing encouraging you to get on the water is to get this thing over!

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

WaterTribe 2018 Everglades Challenge Update 16

AI 2 Island Jim Czarnowski is still in Flamingo or he simply has not pressed his “OK” button. 10:00 Update Jim has left Flamingo and is headed east.

TI Islands Everyone seems to be on the move. Kite/Ibis and Pelican/Eagle are a mile offshore near the south end of Highland. Admiralsnackbar and Windtern 2 mi ahead of them down the coast. Waterdawg and Blue do not seem to be pressing their “OK” button, so it is not clear where they are. Dietireds and Albatross have left Flamingo and are headed toward the shallow channel to the East. Good luck to them!

Clewless/The Hammer are a 6 mi north of Hog Key. At the rate they are moving, they may not finish the EC by Saturday noon—the official end of the EC. 10:00 Update Waterdawg is on the move a mile south of NW Cape.

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