Saturday, March 26, 2016
Friday, March 25, 2016
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
SOS finished in 18 days 11 hours 24 minutes
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| At the finish line. SOS with SandyBottom and lockbox. All three were very happy. Photo by PaddleDancer |
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| SOS crossed the finish line at 6:24pm on Wednesday March 23. Photo by PaddleDancer |
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| Boat, SOS, awards, and Race Manager PaddleDancer on the boatramp at the finish line Photo by SandyBottom |
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| SOS set a new record in Class3: 18 days 11 hours 24 minutes |
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| SandyBottom, very proud of "Son of Sandy" (SOS) |
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| photo by PaddleDancer |
Kyle Giannamore made and shared these images of SOS as he entered the Mullet Key lagoon. Kyle posted that "Went out on the fishing boat and saw a unique rig.... Briefly met SOS a mile away from completing the Ultimate Florida"
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| photo by Kyle Giannamore |
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| photo by Kyle Giannamore |
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| photo by Kyle Giannamore |
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| the finish line |
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| From 7:00am to 6:24pm ----a long day in light wind with chop and currents unfavorable |
Day 19 -- Tough 36 nm from Anclote Key to the finish line
Wednesday morning March 23 at 7:00am, SOS started the remaining 36 nm to reach the finish line.
Near Clearwater, SOS reported that Sawhorse (Meade Gougeon) sailed out to meet him for a brief sail together.
The warm winds are from the E or SE at 4mph and are forecast to increase to 8mph from the SE by noon. High tide would be at 1:00pm.
By 10:30 SOS was passing the Clearwater Beach inlet and had traveled 14.5 nm in 3.5 hours (4.14 kts). At that speed, ETA at the finish line would be about 3:50pm. However, at noon SOS reported that his first 18.7 nm had been up-wind in "not enough wind" and that it was very choppy. Slamming through chop makes paddling difficult and hard work in the hot sun.
By 3:00 pm SOS was moving well with a velocity-made-good (VMG) near 4 kts.
SOS crossed the finish line at 6:24pm Wednesday, setting a new Class3 record: 18days 11hrs 24mins.
Meanwhile, LRock and CrazyRussian finished the challenge at 6:53 am. Awesome! Race manager, PaddleDancer, was there to greet them and award their trophy paddles.
CR: "You never let me sleep! En garde!"
LR: "Wait! Seriously, don't look but there is an SOS right behind you!"
Near Clearwater, SOS reported that Sawhorse (Meade Gougeon) sailed out to meet him for a brief sail together.
The warm winds are from the E or SE at 4mph and are forecast to increase to 8mph from the SE by noon. High tide would be at 1:00pm.
By 10:30 SOS was passing the Clearwater Beach inlet and had traveled 14.5 nm in 3.5 hours (4.14 kts). At that speed, ETA at the finish line would be about 3:50pm. However, at noon SOS reported that his first 18.7 nm had been up-wind in "not enough wind" and that it was very choppy. Slamming through chop makes paddling difficult and hard work in the hot sun.
By 3:00 pm SOS was moving well with a velocity-made-good (VMG) near 4 kts.
SOS crossed the finish line at 6:24pm Wednesday, setting a new Class3 record: 18days 11hrs 24mins.
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| 36 miles from Anclote Key anchorage to the finish line on Mullet Key boat ramp |
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| chart |
Meanwhile, LRock and CrazyRussian finished the challenge at 6:53 am. Awesome! Race manager, PaddleDancer, was there to greet them and award their trophy paddles.
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| photos by PaddleDancer |
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| Photos by PaddleDancer |
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CR: "You never let me sleep! En garde!"
LR: "Wait! Seriously, don't look but there is an SOS right behind you!"
Day 18 -- Fowler's Bluff to Cedar Key to Anclote Key
From 5:00am on Tuesday to 2:00am Wednesday, SOS paddled and sailed about 100 miles: 20 miles down river, 20 miles to Cedar Key, and 60 miles on the Gulf to reach Anclote Key anchorage.
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| 24-hour SPOT track as of 2:16am Wednesday (Day19) |
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| touch and go at Cedar Key |
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| anchored for well-earned sleep at 2:00am Wednesday |
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Day 18 the empire strikes back
SOS was the first challenger in the UFC to reach the Cedar Key checkpoint. 50 minutes later, LRock and CrazyRussian arrived on the I-20 catamaran. In the open Gulf waters, they will soon be ahead of SOS again.
SandyBottom posted "Another touch and go arriving about 50 min after SOS, but with quick run to the grocery so CR can buy a box of vino and cigarettes. CR says LR won't let him sleep."
By 2:00am Wednesday morning (Day 19) CR and LR were closing in on the finish line with an ETA of perhaps 4:00am.
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| photo by SandyBottom |
SandyBottom posted "Another touch and go arriving about 50 min after SOS, but with quick run to the grocery so CR can buy a box of vino and cigarettes. CR says LR won't let him sleep."
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| photo by SandyBottom |
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| photo by SandyBottom |
By 2:00am Wednesday morning (Day 19) CR and LR were closing in on the finish line with an ETA of perhaps 4:00am.
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| SPOT track as of 2:26 am. |
Day 18 In the Gulf, arriving at Cedar Key
By 11:10am on Tuesday, SOS had reached the checkpoint at Cedar Key. He stayed just long enough to resupply food and water for two days.
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| photo of SOS at the Cedar Key checkpoint by SandyBottom |
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| Suwannee River (upper left) to Cedar Key (lower right) |
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| Goodbye Suwannee River |
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| SOS in the Suwannee at 7:01am Tuesday with LRock & CrazyRussian (I-20 catamaran) |
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| Touch-and-go landing at Cedar Key |
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| photos by SandyBottom |
Day 18 Goodbye Suwannee River, Hello Gulf of Mexico
Tuesday morning March 22, SOS is 19 miles --roughly 5 hours-- from the Gulf. SailFlow says early morning winds on the river will be light. And then there are the 3-foot tides to think about ...
SOS started the day and was moving downriver by 5:00am Tuesday. By 8:30 am he was out in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
SOS started the day and was moving downriver by 5:00am Tuesday. By 8:30 am he was out in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
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| SOS at mile 19 |
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| Favorable tides for exiting the river are from about 2:03am to 8:42am |
Monday, March 21, 2016
Day 17 Sailing downriver to Fowler's Bluff
Sunday night at his campsite at mile 92, SOS took an hour to rig his boat for sailing. Monday morning, he was glad. "Doing 8 mph right now!!! Should have put it up ASAP. yesterday!"
Most of the day SOS trailed by about 13 miles LRock and CrazyRussian, who were paddling their classic aluminum canoe. The gap gradually narrowed and then when LR and CR stopped at a Fowlers Bluff boat ramp (mile 16.8) to switch from canoe to I-20 catamaran.
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| Sailing and Paddling |
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| Sailing downriver |
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| photos by SOS |
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| non-sailing mode |
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| non-sailing canoe mode |
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| expedition sailing canoe on the Suwannee River |
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| 73 miles down the river, 19 miles from the Gulf From 7:30am to 11:00pm SOS sailed/paddled from mile 92 down to mile 19 |
Most of the day SOS trailed by about 13 miles LRock and CrazyRussian, who were paddling their classic aluminum canoe. The gap gradually narrowed and then when LR and CR stopped at a Fowlers Bluff boat ramp (mile 16.8) to switch from canoe to I-20 catamaran.
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| LRock and CrazyRussian switching back to the I-20 catamaran at 8:00pm |
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| SOS caught up with LRock and CrazyRussian at 11:28pm |
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Day 16 -- Suwannee River Paddling Maps
Looks like SOS is camped for the night at mile 92.
Here is a map set of the Suwannee Rive paddling trail from Fargo (mile 291) to the Gulf (mile 0).
Here is a map set of the Suwannee Rive paddling trail from Fargo (mile 291) to the Gulf (mile 0).
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| Overview: Suwannee River Paddling Map |
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| Upper Section |
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| Lower Section |
MicroTom passing St. Augustine on Day 16
MicroTom aiming to reach the checkpoint at Ft. Clinch on Monday March 21.
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| Day 16, MicroTom at the Castillo de San Marcos |
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| Passing the fort at noon on Sunday March 20 |
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