GVI to Mockhorn Camping Trip

Several locals have shown interest in Watertribe and Hobie Adventure Islands. I set up a overnight Camping Trip across the Chesapeake to Mockhorn Island. Six people, three Adventure Islands, one Triac sailing Kayak and a Prindle 18 Catamaran. No wind and baking in the sun, still it was a success. Two have signed up for the NCC.

Back Bay Nor’easter

 Back Bay Nor’easter

This weekend the winds were blowing much too strong from the North East. The Chesapeake waves were 4-6 feet. We decided to seek the more sheltered Back Bay, on the border of Virginia and North Carolina. This area has different challenges: shallow, choked with oriental invasive weed, with plenty of poisonous Water Mocassins.

 

Everglades Challenge 2012 Video

My video footage of my Everglades Adventure is poor. On leaving the Chokoloskee checkpoint I threw my life jacket into the boat to pull the boat through the mud. My main video camera was in the jacket pocket and it must have fallen through the Mirage well as I was pulling the boat. THe only footage that I have is from the GoPro camera and some iPhone shots.

Pedaling backward

This has been the warmest winter in the Hampton Roads area that I scan remember. At the same time work, family responsibilities and getting sick have kept me off the water since the end of December. I can feel my girth growing. The few hours of exercise that I do get in just are not cutting it.

I have registered and paid for the Florida Everglades Challenge and still plan on taking the time off. With work piling up I will not leave for Florida until the last minute. I think it is more important to FINISH than it is to race. This time I am planning to slow down and take more time to do this course. Too much effort goes into this race to DNF. I have checked that box…

My computer hard drive is quite full with videos that I have not produced and published. I normally use less than 10% of the raw video and then discard the rest for the lack of storage. The GoPro camera is the worst culprit creating hours of the same overhead shot.

Here is my new attempt at posting video. This is a day sail in October with WaterDog around Grand View Island.

If this does not work the link is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIql9RahqWQ

 

What have I been doing?

The weather this year has been very mild. My last big trip was the Chesapeake tributary the Mattoponi and York Rivers. Since then the only time on the water has been going to Grand View Island in Hampton for some day races against Sunfish sailboats. In sailing capabilities surprisingly the two boats are very close. Add the Mirage Drive and I definitively   have a advantage going to windward. Thanksgiving there was the “Turkey Trot”, Christmas “Reindeer Run” and today I will be back there doing another race.

Grand View Island is unique because there are three Watertribe Members in one square mile. This just might be the highest density.

This is a short video of the “Reindeer Run”:

I still do not know how to post video. You tube has changer their format.

http://www.youtube.com/emsDGTVlu_E

Baby Steps

This is my first Blog Post on the new Watertribe web site. There is definitely a learning curve.

My first image, how do I get past the 1MB upload size limit so that I do not need to compress each image??? It took me a while to get to this point….