High-Walled Concrete Canyons

SandyBottom paddling toward the Palmetto Park Bridge in Boca Raton: 
"Favorable current here" (photo by SOS at 10:38 am)

SPOT track under the Palmetto Park Bridge (red dot)

Sandybottom reported this morning "We are getting our asses kicked.  The wind blasts funnel down the concrete canyon in our face.  Still have big onshore winds and surf, no inlet Alan comfortable to go out in. We are trying to make forward progress so that we will be positioned to go out an inlet when conditions allow. Mosquito paddles, but has too much windage for good steering and boat control. We are working too hard for too little."


The kayakers are likely to be having an easier time.  Up ahead of Team B&B are ArdieO and Mosquito Magnet.  But Ardieo pulled out of the adventure/race yesterday.  (Ardie, Best wishes from Team B&B and I hope we see you and SherryO at the North Carolina Challenge in September!)   I'm hoping Mosquito Magnet pulls the Mosquito forward.

Meanwhile,  paddlers coming up from behind (Whale, RiverSlayer, SaltyFrog)  are likely to catch up with Team B&B if the Mosquito remains confined to the concrete canyons of the ICW.   Pelican is way back in Florida Bay with a 7 mile approach to Key Largo.  Pelican is paddle-sailing a Hobbie Adventure Island trimaran.

Ft. Lauderdale Spring Break

Progress has been slow this morning.  Winds were very light (blocked) in the IWC.  At the Sheridan Street Bridge,  Team B&B chose to lower the mast and paddle under rather than wait for the next bridge opening.  The wind was so light they chose to paddled the 1 mile to the next bridge, East Dania Blvd.  At the Dania Bridge at 11:10am,  the channel narrowed substantially and created a strong unfavorable current.  They chose to anchor and wait a few minutes for the current to slow as high tide was reached.    

Waiting for slackening tide at the East Dania Blvd Bridge

At Dania Bridge

At Dania Bridge

They took the opportunity to run over to Jimbo's Sandbar restaraunt via the sidewalk on the bridge.  They refilled their water tanks and bought a hot dog lunch to enjoy in the shade under the bridge.  SOS snapped photos of the mast-down "Mosquito" from the top of the bridge. 

He also scouted the surf and saw that the wind was ok but the waves were "as rough as any surf I've ever seen in the Tybee 500 [annual offshore catamaran races].   We do not want to go out in that."   This changed their previous plan to go out the Port Everglades inlet.   Despite its bridges and blocked wind, the ICW was their better choice.

Soon the current slowed and by 12:15pm they had paddled under the Dania Bridge and beached to make mast raising easier.  Mast up, they sailed on northward to pass through Port Everglades harbor.

At Dania Bridge from 11:10am to 12:15pm

  

Earlier at 10:15am,  they paused at the Sheridan Street Bridge to lower the mast and paddle under



Offshore winds kicking up rough surf



Local Inlets.  "Ft. Lauderdale inlet" is the Port Everglades inlet

Meanwhile, other challengers in the 1200mile Ultimate Florida Challenge were dispersed on this Spring Break Saturday.  While Team B&B were passing under the Dania bridge,  ArdieO was about 25 miles ahead in the DelRay area. He had passed the Dania bridge at 5:15pm on Saturday.  Also ahead was Mosquito Magnet,  who had passed the Dania bridge at about 9:10am today (Sunday).   Perhaps if the "Mosquito" can catch up closer to him,  his magnetic personality will pull the "Mosquito" forward.   Team B&B was ahead of RiverSlayer (just reaching Miami),  SaltyFrog (in northern Biscayne Bay), and Pelican (still in Florida Bay).

Webcam image of Port Everglades harbor at 1:30pm Sunday: 
I hoped to see Mosquito here but did not.

Update:    SB and SOS crossed the open waters of Port Everglades harbor at about 1:30pm.  Otherwise they've found the high-walled concrete canyons of the east coast crowded with boats and further challenged by strong currents, blocked wind, and strong wind gusts in the gaps.  At 2:00pm Team B&B pulled into a residential canal to reconfigure the "Mosquito" for paddling:  mast down and stowed to one side,  one trampoline pulled back to allow paddling.  

SandyBottom paddled from the front cockpit while SOS paddled from the main cockpit and managed the tiller.   They paddled north until 7:30pm when the high wind and unfavorable current slowed them to a crawl.  They pulled into a side canal to rest and wait for the conditions to improve.  They had traveled about 23 nm since sunrise.

Intracoastal Miami

Intracoastal Miami:  Dinner Break (mobile phone photo by SOS)

SandyBottom and SOS reached the first bridge in Miami (Rickenbacher Causeway) at about 4:00 pm.  The NOAA charts indicate this bridge has 76' of clearance. 



SPOT Trackingat 4:00pm



NOAA Chart

A few thunderstorms ranged across Florida at 4:00pm.

Intellicast Radar

SOS and SB called home and reported heavy powerboat traffic along their route:  it's the weekend with many fishermen, and it's spring break so there are many recreational boats.  The traffic created long waits at bridge openings.  Winds were mild today and should be stronger tomorrow.

By 7:00pm  Team B&B had passed under/through 8 bridges and covered about 63 miles (55nm) since leaving Key Largo at 7:30am.   63miles in 11.5hours is about 5.5miles per hour.   At 7:00pm they anchored on a small island aside the ICW with the intent of resting during the light winds and sailing again when the winds strenghten in the early morning.  SOS and SB said they found the light winds, heavy traffic, and frequent bridges frustrating.  They are still in racing mode and trying to make fast progress.

North from Key Largo

SandyBottom and SOS sailed away from Key Largo at 7:30 am (Saturday) hoping to cross Biscayne Bay today before anchoring to camp.  The route up the ICW to the north shore of Biscayne Bay is about 45 nautical miles.  Wind forecasts show east winds for the day,  but local current weather reports say that the wind is light (5-10) and from the north.   The SPOT track shows that the "Mosquito" is tacking in a manner consistent with a north or NE wind.

Progress at 9:20am



Intended Direction




SailFlow Forecast for 11:00am Saturday

Intellicast Wind Forecast for 10:00am Saturday



Mosquito in Motion

6:41am  at Ft Desoto Beach on March 5, 2012

Looking Back

The EC was the first leg of Team B&B's Ultimate Florida Challenge adventure.   Traveling in straight lines, a path down the EC course could be as short as about 280 miles  --if not going through the Wilderness Waterway which adds about 30 miles.  Most challengers travel more than 280.  For boats with sails, tacking adds mileage.

SandyBottom said their path this week measured 349.8 miles (which includes tacking).   Their max speed was 15.3 knots.   The average speed when moving (which includes times when heaved-to) was 6.1 knots.  She said "We were surprised that in head winds fully reefed we were often moving at 12 knots.  The wind and sea state had us with mainsail reefed throughout the EC except for today (CP3 to Key Largo) when we sailed with the mainsail fully deployed. We rarely used the jib except when needing it to maneuver better in headwinds. Alan very pleased with upwind performance which included being able to sail 45 degrees off the wind."

Here is a video by Danitio:  Key Largo arrival of the "Mosquito" at 8:00pm ...    (Thanks, Danito!!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt5kGwp6M3Q

Looking Forward

With a little time in Key Largo,  SB and SOS have rested and finished the repairs, resupplying, and improvements needed. They reported this evening that they are aiming to cross Biscayne Bay tomorrow and then stop to sleep. They're aiming to wake up at 5am tomorrow morning and then be ready to sail away at about 7am.

Stage Points (SP) and deadlines for the other legs of the Ultimate Florida Challenge are as follows:

SP0  Fort DeSoto     27.6230° -82.7097°     3/03/12  07:00
                                 -- Beach for start of the adventure races

SP1  Key Largo        25.0931° -80.4445°     3/10/12 12:00      
                                 -- Bay Cove Motel, EC Finish.

SP2  Sebastian Inlet  27.8503° -80.4540°     3/17/12 10:00
                                 -- Boat ramp south side of south bank.

SP3  Fort Clinch       30.6962° -81.4601°     3/24/12 10:00      
                                 -- Beach at public boat ramp.

SP4  Cedar Key       29.1357° -83.0367°     3/30/12 10:00       
                                -- Beach in front of the Faraway Inn.

SP5  Fort DeSoto     27.6473° -82.7160°     4/01/12 10:00
                                 -- Beach at east side of boat ramp.

SandyBottom on March 5, 2012

SOS on March 5, 2012

Key Largo R & R

Team B&B Yacht Designs is taking a day or two for rest and repair in Key Largo.   SOS sent the following two cellphone photos...

Mosquito at rest in the clear waters of Key Largo at the EC finish line

Rudder downhaul line was chafed but not broken.   Has now been replaced.



Working on a Tiller Improvement

That's SOS modifying the tiller extention universal and replacing the chafed downhaul rudder line in the WaterTribe's guest room at the Bay Cove Motel. SandyBottom said "It was too hot outside, and we needed electricity for the borrowed drill."

Drysuit repair happening here:  bottle served as a mandrel to help press parts together

SOS decided to repair his drysuit and also take along ScareMan's drysuit stored away in a drybag for emergency use, if needed.   SOS appreciated expert repair advice from Jonathan Redfern.

Arrival in Key Largo

Team B&B arrived in Key Largo at 8:00 pm Thursday March 8th.  

 

Winds for the crossing from CP3 to Key Largo have been  relentlessly out of the east which tends to empty Florida Bay.

At 9:30am today SB and SOS sailed away from CP3 toward a southbound route down to Long Key to pick up the ICW bearing 060 up toward Key Largo.  Not wanting to give back any eastward progress, they first tried the route down Murray Key canal. 

The water was too thin, due to all that strong east wind that's been emptying the bay,  and the head winds made it difficult to stay in the narrow channel.   On the verge of getting stuck in the mud, they abandoned that route by drifting backward into a deeper channel that took them westward.  Thus they were able to head west to pick up the other southbound route that begins at red marker "2" (about 3 miles south of East Cape).  They sailed at 6-10 kts SE and reached the Long Key / Fiesta Key area at about 2:00pm.

By 3:30pm the "Mosquito" was passing Lower Matecumbe Key on its way up the ICW.   At that point they had about 23nm to go and seemed to be moving at about 7.0 kts.     

CP3 in Flamingo, FL

SB and SOS sailed from CP2 at Chokoloskee at 3:50pm Wednesday 7th.  They reached East Cape at about 12:50am Thursday morning and rounded that point to tack due east into the wind.

Weather forecasts I had read made me worry that they would be hitting 20kt winds and 6' seas when they rounded that corner.  Instead, they described calmer conditions with the east wind being only about 10kts.  I tried to stay awake watching the SPOT display but fell asleep around 2:30am. Glad to see they arrived at CP3 in good shape at 3:30am today (Thursday.)

You would think they would sleep then, but with various chores to do (preparing to anchor or preparing to make sail, having meals, other chores, etc.)  they may have gotten only two hours sleep before they called home at 8:30am today.

Before hurrying away from the phone to leave CP3,  they briefly described their sail from CP2 to CP3.
They hugged the shoreline as much as possible for flatter water and less wind.  They sailed fulled reefed the whole way, which means no jib and the mainsail lowered 8'.  (The top of the mast has a hook which catches the top of the mainsail,  and 8' down from that there is a reefing hook.)  Whenever they needed to tack or maneuver they roller-furled out some of the job. The boat tacks much more reliably with the job deployed.  The sailed fulled reefed because their speed was already adequate (7-10 kts) and the ride was drier.  SOS slept in the grand cabin for one and a half hours while SandyBottom single-handed on a long run.  At a different time SandyBottom slept on the trampoline for one and a half hours while SOS single handed.
SOS told me that SB was "very brave" going from CP2 to CP3.  SB told me "It was so scary. But Alan's skills and expertise sailing the boat are amazing" (or equivalent words)

The "Mosquito" has not been using much of its sails: main, jib, huge Code Zero headsail. It's a boat ready for light air.  Instead, this year we have huge relentless winds.  The reefing abilities of the "Mosquito" satisfy the WaterTribe's written rules for reefing, but I wonder if SOS is wishing he had a second reefing point in the mainsail so that he could be using a little mainsail and some jib most of the time.

At 9:30am today they sailed away from CP3.

CP2 in Chokoloskee, FL

SandyBottom and SOS reached Chokoloskee (CP2) at about 1:00pm on Wednesday the 7th.   Sailing from Indian Key through narrow canals to CP2 was one of the most difficult efforts so far:  thin water, currents,  howling head winds, heat, etc.    Lots of hard work.  The high tide at CP2 is at about 2pm. 

On reaching Chokoloskee Bay, they paused at one point because they were not making any forward progress there --despite exhausting effort. The tide was rising (high tide at 2pm) so taking a break may have been helpful; more depth being helpful.

They did not stay long at CP2.  By 3:50pm SB and SOS were on their way out toward the Gulf.

Caxambus Pass

After resting for 5 hours until 1:00am today, Team B&B passed under the 70' tall span of Sanibel Bridge and flew down the Gulf coast overnight to Marco Island.  There they entered Caxambas Pass at 6:45am and tacked through the pass to reach the Ten Thousand Islands area.   By 9:00am they were approaching Indian Key which is the gateway point for going inland to CP2 (Chokoloskee).
 

Caxambus Pass



Progress from 1:00 to 8:30am



No doubt Team B&B was delighted to reach Caxambus Pass.