UFC 2012 Debrief and Thank you

I would like to extend an huge thanks to many people having found the time to add to the blog post-race.

My Dad for tirelessly (ok maybe tiredly too) continuing to post our stories, updates and pictures to the blog and for coming to get us multiple times while we "vacationed" down in Florida. Though i'm sure sometimes he would have rather left us down there to teach us a lesson.

My Mom for putting the idea out there that we should make a go at the UFC and for following through. Yes I really did the UFC with my Mom, no we didn't get sick of each other, and yes she is very tough as Moms go.

To Graham and Carla Byrnes of B and B yacht Designs who were supportive, generous, instructional and enthusiastic about the Trimaran project from the get go. B and B donated their materials, work space, tools and many hours of boat design "consultation" to get this thing in the water. For those of you who don't know I work "full time" at B and B yacht designs building boats, computer modeling boats and in some cases helping to design aspects of boats. I put "full time" in quotes because in what other job can you take time off to build your own boat...at work! Needless to say I think I may have used up my vacation time for the year. But there is that NC race coming up...important advertising opportunity I'd say.

To Mark at Kruger Canoes who lent us his personal Kruger Cruiser without a second thought. A marvel of expedition paddle craft evolution, Mark's Kruger Cruiser Canoe kept us dry and comfortable allowing us to focus on paddling fast and putting river miles in our wake. Without this boat I dare say we would not have made it.

To our fellow or future Watertribers for showing their support throughout our adventure. In some cases from the comfort of their own armchairs and in other cases on the ground in Fl, at the checkpoints and at the finish line. The involvement and interest of fellow tribers is hugely motivating. Thanks also to the UFC competitors who kept us moving and always looking ahead of or behind us. We were honored to race along side of you and hope to see you guys again soon. An individual thanks also to Sharkchow (Warren Richey). Without his daily updates/forecasts on the WT forum we would surely have been as blind mice in a wet maze. We marveled at his often uncanny predictions as to what we were experiencing or were about to experience.

To Murrays.com for their generous contribution to the cause. A demanding waterborne challenge such as the UFC requires durable and high quality gear such as is distributed at Murrays.com. High tech (and affordable) sheets lines of blended dyneema and ultra high tensile strength dyneema 12- strand lines really make a boat like this possible. Murrays supplied the lines for all of our rigging, shrouds, forestay, waterstays, mainsheet and control lines.

To Dave Calvert of Calvert Sails for their equally generous contribution to the team and to the boat. Our custom built Mainsail, Jib and Code Zero sails powered us to victory with efficiency and grace. I found Calvert's sails to be on the leading edge of material technology, sail shape and design and I give them high marks for durability and ease of use. We were very pleased with the shape and control-ability of the mainsail, the Jib was powerful and easy to douse and while the conditions of the race didn't lend themselves to very much work with the large Code Zero we did fly it briefly with great results and I look forward to using it in the future. Check out Calvertsails.com for your next set of sails.

Being back at work and moving to a new apartment, I am quite busy but I will be working hard to complete a write up of our experiences in this years UFC, the design and construction of our Trimaran "Mosquito" and post some of the many pictures and video that we compiled during the race.

St. Mary's river. Mile number who knows. Another tree....sigh 

All the Way Around



SPOT Track:   1,239 miles

 The trip report would not be complete without this Google Earth image of the SPOT track of Team B&B / Team Kruger.  

The length of the SPOT track was 1,239 miles (or 1,077 nautical miles).   Because the locations in the SPOT track are 10 or 20 minutes apart, the SPOT track does not account for short tacking while sailing and does not account for the meandering twists and turns of the Suwannee and St Marys Rivers.

--DWSB

Home Again

After landing at the finish line of the UFC at noon on Monday March 26,  Team B&B spent the afternoon trailering the Mosquito and the Kurger Cruiser.  A steak dinner and a good night's sleep followed in St. Petersburg before hitting the road Tuesday for the 12 hour drive back to NC.



So THAT's what the pergola is for !



Welcome to REI

Gear everywhere

Hanging out the...  laundry

Calvert Sails

Ultimate Florida Challenge Finished

Finished!

To each finisher, Chief awarded 3 sharks teeth, a gator tooth, and a whale-tail carving

Chief, SandyBottom, SOS

SandyBottom, SOS

WhiteCaps, SandyBottom, Chief

A tooth for each stage:  3 shark teeth, one gator tooth for the portage, and a whale-tail

The Mosquito Lands

USS Ft DeSoto, Mosquito: 
Mosquito you are clear to land.  
Call the ball.



Mosquito in sight.

Getting a visual on the landing options.  Ramp or beach?

Fly By

Heading to the beach

Coming in to the sandy beach

Landingat noon on Monday March 26, 2012

Team B&B Finished !

Happy to finish the UFC

SPOT tracking to the Ft DeSoto Boat Ramps

SandyBottom and SOS sailed all night but were happy to finish the Ultimate Florida Challenge.  They were greeted by 8-10 WaterTribe friends who had brought refreshments and congratulations.   Many other WaterTribe friends were far away but still giving them a pat on the back  --in spirit.   KiwiBird posted on the forum "Someone give them a hug from me!"


On the WaterTribe Forum,  SharkChow wrote a summary for Monday afternoon, March 26. 

"Sandy Bottom and SOS arrived at the finish of the 2012 Ultimate Florida Challenge at 12:12 p.m. on Monday. The challenge began on Saturday, March 3 at Fort DeSoto Park near the entrance to Tampa Bay. They circled Florida (1,200 miles) in 23 days, 5 hours, and 12 minutes. (this is not the offiial time, just my estimate.)

They completed their final 120-mile sprint to the finish from Cedar Key in 18 hours and 12 minutes, having left the final checkpoint at 6 p.m. Sunday. Their overnight speed ranged from 13 nts to 5 kts.


Their arrival at the finish is historic for the Watertribe. It marks the first time the rules have allowed a challenger to use two boats to compete in the Florida Challenge. And it marks the first time a two-person team has competed in and completed the Florida Challenge.


Congratulations to Sandy Bottom and SOS, and thank you for providing an outstanding 23-day diversion from day-to-day life for those of us who are shore bound and, even worse, deskbound at work.


This team matched up one of the strongest paddlers in the Watertribe with one of the sharpest sailors in the Watertribe. It is worth mentioning that they spent the first two days of the challenge on the launch beach fixing a leak. It may have been a smart move. By the time they left, they managed to miss part of the extremely difficult conditions that swept many challengers out of the EC and Florida Challenge this year. But they didn't miss the nasty weather altogether. They did what they had to do to keep their boat moving.


Under the new two-boat rule they were allowed to sail a large and fast sail boat from the starting line near the entrance to Tampa Bay to the checkpoints at Key Largo, Sebastian Inlet, and Amelia Island. Then they switched to a two-seat Kruger expedition canoe for the journey up the St. Marys River, across the 40-mile portage, and down the Suwannee to Cedar Key.


Perhaps the most interesting thing about this team is something that hasn't been mentioned yet. Sandy Bottom is a 50-something mom from North Carolina and SOS is her 20-something son. This is a mother and son team. To be honest, I don't think of them in those terms. For purposes of this race, I've viewed them in terms of the skills they brought to the task. It is SOS out there with Sandy Bottom -- two experienced members of the Watertribe doing what they do. So it isn't until right now that I have actually had time to reflect on the fact that this is a mother and her son pushing the limits of their strength and endurance, both physical and mental, to achieve something only a few others have achieved. And they made it look easy while doing it.


The other indispensible member of this team is Dances With Sandy Bottom, husband and father, Paul. Thank you, all three, for putting on such a great show.


My only regret is that I couldn't be there at Fort DeSoto to greet them personally, share in the celebration, and, very gingerly, shake their hands."

Sharkchow (a.k.a.Warren Richey) is author of "Without a Paddle", published by St. Martins Press. It is an account of his participation in the first Ultimate Florida Challenge in 2006.

Waiting at the Finish Line

The Mosquito Flies Again

After checking the wind forecasts,  Team B&B Yacht Designs decided it was time to sail away from Cedar Key at about 6:15pm.  That would mean sailing all night to arrive at the finish line the next morning,   but the forecast suggested that there might be little or no wind for the trip if they did otherwise.
The winds were light on the beach, but immediate off the beach the winds were 15-20 kts.   With reefed main and full jib,  the Mosquito quickly reached 13.6 kts on a broad reach or run.  As the sun set, Team B&B dropped the main and sailed quickly downwind with only the jib. 

Sunday March 25



Mosquito ready to sail.  The mainsail is reefed.



Mosquito, palm tree, SOS, SandyBottom, docks and boatramp, palm trees, trailer parked in public lot



Launch at 6:18pm Sunday March 25


According to the SailFlow forecast it was a choice between staying awake all night to sail the 95nm with good wind versus getting a good night sleep in Cedar Key and then having to paddle 95 nm.

Wind "Now"

Wind "Later"

SPOT track from Cedar Key to Ft DeSoto

SPOT track from Cedar Key to Ft DeSoto

SPOT track from Cedar Key to Ft DeSoto

--DWSB

Cedar Key Arrival

Paddling south on the gulf coast from Spanish Bayonet Island,  SandyBottom and SOS arrived at the Cedar Key stagepoint Sunday March 25th, 9:27am.   They were welcomed by DancesWithSandyBottom, SaltyFrog, LilyPad, and two new friends, Dan and Ryan.

SB pressed the OK button on the SPOT on arrival

SaltyFrog, LillyPad, SandyBottom, SOS with the trailered and patiently waiting Mosquito 

Ryan, Dan, SaltyFrog, Lilypad

The official landing site is a beach of sand and shells covered by oysters on the west side of Cedar Key.  From there, SB and SOS prefered to continue around the waterfront to the east side which has a nice sandy beach fronting the public park.  Plus, a boat ramp and public boat trailer parking flanked the public park.

Beach near "Faraway Inn" was the official stage point

Rounding the boat ramp on the way to the public beach/park.

Cedar Key landing !

LilyPad, SandyBottom, SOS, SaltyFrog

Parking to the left, our room at "Park Place" (hotel/condos),  picnic area and beach

We were lucky to find accomodations at "Park Place" which provided a very affordable suite with great features, waterfront view, handy parking in back, and location, location, location.  "Park Place" was LilyPad's discovery.  Thanks LilyPad!   Such a nice place to rest, but SB and SOS took a look at the wind forecast and decided they could not stay overnight.  Their visit to Cedar Key lasted less than nine hours:  hot showeres, clean clothes, two meals, a 15 minute nap, rigging and loading the Mosquito,  and putting on drysuits for the wet ride south.    


The public beach/park and swimming area



Cedar Key:  official stage point on the left,  nice public beach on the right,  marina at center

Sunday morning Sharkchow wrote:   "Sandy Bottom and SOS made their triumphant arrival at the Cedar Key checkpoint this morning at about 9:30 a.m. after spending six hours on a beach on a deserted island a few miles north of Cedar Key to wait out some pretty nasty wind and rain. They are now preparing to switch back to their sailboat and out of the two-seat Kruger they took across Florida during the river portion of the challenge.  Their next leg is a 120-mile "sprint" to the finish. If the weather holds, they should have favorable winds that will push them back to Fort DeSoto and a happy end to their ordeal. I suspect they aren't celebrating just yet. It will be interesting to watch how soon they leave Cedar Key. With Dances With Sandy Bottom there (and all those restaurant choices) it might be tough to get away quickly."



--DWSB

On Suwannee Sound

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
   So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way             

                             -- Joni Mitchell

Saturday March 24th SandyBottom and SOS launched at 6:00am from their campsite at Fowler's Bluff boat ramp well-rested and in good time to catch the outgoing tide and ride it out the Suwanne River into Suwanne Sound.  From there, they expected to paddle the remaining 18nm to Cedar Key.  Great plan, but adventures have surprises.

SB and SOS reported that the flow rate out the Suwannee was disappointingly slow; not even as fast as the favorable current that had helped them reaching Fowler's Bluff.   (Perhaps the wind had something to do with that?)

The weather did not cooperate either.  On reaching Suwannee Sound they battled a head wind and large chop breaking over the bow and hitting SB.  They had to paddle at 100% effort to make 1-2 knot forward progress.   The rain came and then thunder and lightning.  

Storms moving SW to NE


Tired and needing a break, they pulled ashore on/near Spanish Bayonet Island. After pitching their tent, they checked the weather forecast via VHF and cellphone and decided to the red blobs on the radar, like a string of pearls hitting them one by on, might be continuing for awhile. Ultimately they decided to hold there and wait to re-launch in the early morning, as the weather forecast "promised" favorable NW winds by/before sunrise. Too tired to prepare food (not even a half can of peaches), they reported the first thing on their agenda was sleep. Perhaps a hot meal later.  

While pitching the tent, SB and SOS sent this cellphone photo of their shelter from the storms.

Tent pitched for sheltering at Spanish Bayonet Island
(photo by SOS)


The island is just a mound of shells that the local inhabitants call home.

Local resident on shell mound island.  "Horseshoe crabs everywhere."
(photo by SOS)

The day's progress ended a mere 5nm (as the crow flies) from the goal (Cedar Key).  Still, they covered a lot of distance from 6am to noon.

Saturday:  from Fowlers Bluff to Spanish Bayonet Island on Suwannee Sound



5 nautical miles across Suwannee Sound were hard-earned in 3 hours



Leaving Fowlers Bluff Campsite at 6:00 am Saturday

Landing to shelter from the storms at 12:14 pm Saturday

NOAA Chart of Suwannee River,  Suwanee Sound, and Cedar Key area

On the WaterTribe Forum,  SharkChow wrote a summary for Saturday morning, March 24. 

"Here's something to ask Sandy Bottom and SOS when they reach the finish line. Were you hoping to arrive at Cedar Key before the cold front came through? Is that the reason you guys ripped down the Suwannee like a pair of crazed -- er... watertribers.

The reason i say this is because it looked to me like they were on that track -- headed in exactly the right place to turn and get into Cedar Key as fast as possible.  That plan apparently changed just after  noon Saturday. We can't know exactly what is going on out there but it looks like the local weather conditions blowing up in advance of that cold front are pretty horrendous.

When they exited the sheltered Suwannee they would have been paddling into a 10 to 15 kt SW headwind. And that's not the least of it. The south pass would take them across a series of oyster bars with breaking waves at or near low tide.  ....  

There are reports from the region that the wind was blowing from the south at 29  and gusting to 35. That would explain their position on that northfacing beach. Or maybe that is the only beach they could reach. The problem is that the winds are forecast to continue at 30 to 35 into tonight.

And it may not just be wind. There are also scattered showers and T-storms. I don't know what is happening out there but looking at the weather data suggests it COULD be really ugly. Or maybe not. Maybe they just stopped for a nap.

There is good news. The wind will shift, but probably not until Sunday. The wind shoudl drop down to about 10 from the WSW around 10 p.m. The wind is expected to shift at day break from the west and then start blowing from the NW at about 10 a.m..  If these are their conditions, they may just camp on that island for the night and arrive at Cedar Key Sunday morning. It is something to watch. I want to stress that there is nothing in their track that suggests they were in any peril.

Of course, I don't know what is really going on. They will tell the real story when they get off the water. What i do know is that they are in a very difficult place  to navigate given the wind conditions. Trying to get out of there in darkness would make the whole thing even more challenging. But if there is anyone in the Watertribe who could make this look easy there names are -- SandyBottom and SOS.

MEANWHILE, back on the Suwannee....

At about 4:30 p.m., Mosquito Magnet was approaching Suwannee River State Park and is about 130 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and moving at a steady pace.

Riverslayer and Whale have passed under the I-75 bridges and are about 160 miles from the Gulf, and  about 30 miles behind Mosquito Magnet.

The windy conditions on the Gulf should have little impact  on the paddlers still in the mid-Suwannee. Their main conscern will be that the further south they go on the river the harder it is to find a decent spot to camp for a few hours. The wide sand banks of the upper suwannee  become rarer and rarer. But there are still a few.

The good news for everyone is that once this cold front goes through this evening and tonight, the wind will start blowing from the NW and North. Great news for Sandy Bottom and SOS. Sunday, Monday, and part of Tuesday there will be favorable winds. Then toward mid-week the wind will shift again, but the speeds  don't look significant enough to cause any problems for any of these guys.

But, as I've said before, stay tuned."

Sharkchow (a.k.a.Warren Richey) is author of "Without a Paddle", published by St. Martins Press. It is an account of his participation in the first Ultimate Florida Challenge in 2006.