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1. 

   CaptJackOtter
   Member

   Left the computer for a few hours to get off the water with the Tribers. At our local Books-A-$$$$$$$, I found an article titled - Racing in Swamplandia. It told about 2011 EC, and showed a picutre of Hot Canary leaving the beach last year. A few words about Randy and Sizzors. It detailed the stages for the Ultimate Challenge.

   It is pretty impressive when our Adventure/Race makes it into a strictly sailing magazine like Sailing World. It is a 3/4 page piece.

   Randy gave a brief description about crossing Florida Bay at night. This was last year!

   CaptJackOtter

   Posted 8 years ago #
2. 

   ZeroTheHero
   Member

   this race is attracting lots of attention in the sailing world.  Not exactly sure why but it has struck a chord with sailors.  I think there is a micro cruiser movement that is growing as costs of larger boats price many people out of the sport.  I would not be surprised to see more races of this type spring up in the next few years.  I talked with a few people in VT about getting one going on Lake Champlain.  There was a little interest and I plan on reconnecting with these people this summer and see what their interest is now.  This years race got lots of press over on Sailinganarchy.com with three front page write ups and at least 2 threads devoted to it.  There were over 10 members of sa on the beach at the start this.  Last years race had a thread too.  I hope pressure from the sailing comunity doesn't push Chief outside his comfort level.  One possible solution would be to limit the # of sailboats if it came to that.  Hope it doesn't.

   Posted 8 years ago #
3. 

   GrnMtns
   Member

   Hi ZTH,

   I ;ive in VT and would be interested in participating in such endeavors on Lake Champlain. Our BSD group is sailing in a 10 mile  "Kayak race" Ju;y 6 in Newport VT on Lake Memphremagog as part of the Kingdom Aquafest. It is more of a demo event & anyone is welcome to join us. We have 3 campsite reserved July 5- 9 on the lake. Details are at the BSD forum or email me.

   GrnMtns / Jon Sairs

   Posted 8 years ago #
4. 

   sailorbob
   Member

   The challenge of completing the EC in a sailboat, even with the difficult access to some of the check points seems like a reasonable challenge.  

   The challenge of completing the UFC including the narrowing river portions with snags, filters and shallow waters, and the 40 mile portage with a traditional sailboat or catamaran seems much more difficult.  Did Crazy Russian do it with his catamaran with inflatable hulls?  There is a video of him running the Bull Shoals section of the Suwanee River.  I wonder if any sailboat, other than the kayaks with sails have completed the UFC. 

   Sailing has long been my passion in life.  I only learned of the EC and UFC in the month before the start and they certainly are intriguing to me.  I've spent a fair amount of time following these challenges and learning more about what people are trying and how well it's working.  I wonder if Randy Smyth originally designed and built his unique Sizzor sailboat with the plan to use it for the UFC, then switched to using a kayak for the Mary's and Suwanee river sections and the portage when that class became an option.

   These are great challenges.  With as much as I've learned, I still have many questions.  These challenges are not on my bucket list currently, but they certainly have captured my attention. 

   Posted 8 years ago #
5. 

   ZeroTheHero
   Member

   Hey GrnMtns, it was an informal chat with a few guys that sail big boats out of Shelburne.  I commented that there was very little distance racing on the lake and that LCYC has some small boats that might be cool for something like the EC.  They were interested in an amused sort of way.  But there was one guy who has a Viper that did a few of the longer races last year.  Or last I heard he was in for it.  Over nighter stuff.  Now a Viper is an ocean liner compared to what passes muster at the EC but it is certainly not intended for overnighters.  I had envisioned a course that would start at the southern end in Whitehall then North to a turning mark ( maybe one of the islands) above Burlington with a finish at shelburne Bay.  Or if you wanted more of a challenge you could start on Lake George and portage to Tichonderoga but that would rule out everything but kayaks, canoes and the like.  I have sailed the southern part of the lake a lot but not much on the northern end.  Farthest north I have been is Burlington and Mallets bay.  I have never been on Lake George but have driven around it a few times.

   Could be fun.

   Posted 8 years ago #
6. 

   frogy130
   Member

   Yes CrazyRussian and Wizard have both done the entire ufc in non kayak based sailboats.

   Here is Wizards logbook 

   http://www.watertribe.com/Magazine/Y2010/M01/WizardEnigmaLogBook2006.aspx

   Eddie

   Posted 8 years ago #
7. 

   sailorbob
   Member

   Thanks for the information Eddie.  I've seen CrazyRussian and his setup in the videos.  I'll take a Wizards info to see how he's accomplished the feat.  Did they both have to portage their craft 40 miles?  I'd like to see how CrazyRussians' boat breaks down and is portaged.

   Posted 8 years ago #
8. 

   CrazyRussian
   Member

   My boat folds into two ski bags and one duffel bag. I used a bike and a cart made from child stroller/bike trailer. My total weight was around 300 lbs, I guess. The boat was about 160 - I think, I made in lighter for UF. I flew in for couple of EC and I had 180 lbs for the boat on a scale in an airport.
   I did 60 miles portage, not 40 miles, bypassing upmost part of St. Mary's river, it was legal in 2010.
   I personally believe that it is possible to take a light multihull all the way around. Something like a-cat, modified and reinforced. Doing it hard way.
   Someone will try it one day, not me, since I dedicate myself to voice of dissent and got myself oppressed.
   There was number of videos on the old site of Wizard portaging his boat during UF 2006. Just go to watertribe.com and search in challenge viewer.

   Posted 8 years ago #
9. 

   CrazyRussian
   Member

   [img] http://forum.katera.ru/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=106227 [/img]

   Posted 8 years ago #
10. 

    ManitouCruiser
    Member

    Hey CR,

    "When fun is outlawed only outlaws will have fun!"

    Your always welcome up here in Michigan, as you know much like your waters from your homeland, good and cold.

    The only DQ's up here are great little ice cream shacks with treats for everyone.   

    MC

    Posted 8 years ago #
11. 

    CrazyRussian
    Member

    Hi, Mark. It acctually feels good to break the addiction. I put some 3000 miles last year sailing different crafts and even got paid for it.:) I will try reanimate my "Ugly Duckling" for pleasure trip around a tip of Mitt. it is nice up there.

    Posted 8 years ago #
12. 

    CrazyRussian
    Member

    Sorry for double post. In quest for simplicity I choose the phone as only Internet media.

    Posted 8 years ago #
13. 

    sailorbob
    Member

    CrazyRussian,

     

    Thanks for the link to the portage picture.  Looks like a well planned setup.  How long did it take you to travel 60 miles like that, not counting breaking down boat and loading everything up or resetting everything up?  Looks like it might be reasonable to travel 60 miles in less than 24 hours depending on how well rested you are and how good of shape you're in.  You looked pretty fit in the video. 

    I watched Scaremans video of you running the Big Shoals of the Suwanee River.  I think I understood you stating that the second drop was larger and maybe you had to try to move faster so your momentum would help to prevent you from becoming stuck on the precipice.  Did you worry much about puncturing one of your floats?  Are the floats multi chambered so that if a puncture occurs, the entire float doesn't lose all it's buoyancy?

    Posted 8 years ago #
14. 

    CrazyRussian
    Member

    There is my SPOT track in challenge mapper on the old web site. You can pull out precise data from individual tracks for previous year.
    I recall starting the portage at about 8 am and finishing it at 3-4 pm next day. I had full and long night of sleep. First 20 miles were most difficult due to Snore Hills. I'm not sure that portage from Trader Hills to St.George is legal nowadays, I lost track of course improvements. However it is hilly stretch with lots of traffic.
    With water levels we had, I could just plow through the rapids. There was a few downed trees between drops here and where and entry gate and exit gate weren't precisely on a same line, but from technical point of view it was an easy one. There was a little drop just prior the two big ones. In the video i describe that I missed to spot the little drop while scouting, and mistook it for the first big one while underway.

    My boat evolved with watertribe challenges. in 2001, during inaugural one it featured fully enclosed cockpit and removable tent, shorter mast and smaller sails. Also I had weaker hulls. I cut them two times on oysters while reaching checkpoint one, which was on Cayo Costa, btw. I spent more time fixing things then actually sailing. So for the next challenge I glued two layers of truck tarp fabric to the bottoms. Added about 15 lbs but never worried about puncturing the hulls ever since. I have two air chambers per hull.

    Posted 8 years ago #
15. 

    Jarhead
    Member

    Hey Vlad, I found this little snippet on the "editing room floor". Over time even poor attempts to record something become fun to revisit. I don't know why the link isn't active, but if you search on YouTube for pearlfella you will find it. If I recall, present were Chief, Pelican, Sand Dollar, and yours truly.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DsoTTRz_h20

    We will see you again because deep down Chief loves dissent. Who would want to be Chief of a herd of sheep?

    Bill

    Posted 8 years ago #
16. 

    Chief
    Coastal Vagabond

    Once again little snide comments from the usual suspects.

    I am always amused when those who scream the loudest about my rules either change the course without asking or ask for changes to fit their needs or even ask for special favors during an event and then complain if the rules are bent for others during an extremely tough year. Or they come on my forum to promote their race because their race that doesn't have all these nasty rules. Or they claim they really don't like WaterTribe any more, but here they are on my forum.

    I've got news for you. Every single rule that I have (all 20 of them) is required and came about since 2000 due to handling an ever increasing number of participants. The first time someone in your race calls the Coast Guard or the Sherriff or the Park Rangers or the Marine Patrol you will begin to worry about what will be left after the law suits. Will you be allowed to have another race? Parks and local authorities can shut you down in an instant. Do you have insurance? You better. Have you done what you could to increase safety? You better because you may have to defend yourself.

    Jarhead is right. I don't mind dissent because sometimes I get very good input. What I don't like is snide pot shots by people who use my forum instead of their own.

    Posted 8 years ago #
17. 

    ZeroTheHero
    Member

    I hope you aren't saying I was trying to promote another race here, just talking (typing) out loud.  I have made 0 effort, it's just talk (type).

    Posted 8 years ago #
18. 

    Chief
    Coastal Vagabond

    No I wasn't worried about your comments. I don't mind talking about other races. I often promote other races myself. For example, awhile back I even mapped the MR340 for any WaterTriber in the race. I don't mind a little race promotion for Tip of the Mitt - unless such promotion is used for snide comments about my races and my rules.

    I certainly don't mind references to the Texas Water Safari or the Yukon race. Great races so go for it. Just don't tie it in to slamming my races. Anyone who doesn't like my races or my rules or me should just go away and live on some other forum. Using my forum to promote other races while issueing snide comments is just plain poor manners. 

    No, it wasn't your comments. It was the usual suspects who have been doing this for years.

    Posted 8 years ago #
19. 

    ManitouCruiser
    Member

    Chief,

    You are absolutely right, my comment was very snide. I apologize to you and the entire Tribe. I was feeling like our good friend and Tribal Elder CR was getting a bit picked on in the past few years and I let my bad feelings out in a less than productive way. I'll consider myself banished to the wastelands for as long as you see fit.

    MC  

    Posted 8 years ago #
20. 

    Chief
    Coastal Vagabond

    ManitouCruiser:

    I accept and appreciate your apology. Please consider your self-imposed banishment over. CrazyRussian is my favorite Russian and I did not realize that he was being picked on.

    So when is the Tip of the Mitt again?

    Posted 8 years ago #
21. 

    ManitouCruiser
    Member

    Thanks Chief, the wastelands were cold and lonely.

    It would be great to have you join us on this journey. You could actually relax and take a trip instead of spending the challenge herding the cats, after all it was your love of water travel that inspired all that is going on now with WaterTribe and it seems like you never get a chance anymore to get out with us. 

    Please be ready for a much less orginized ordeal, this is not a race, this is just a bunch of friends going out and doing what we love to do. It's a great warm up/training run to get ready for the WaterTribe events or other big events that might be on your list. This trip is a lot like how many of us learned from Verlen, find a great body of water and go spend some time on it. 

    You bring up some interesting issues with legalities that we feel we have a solution to. No charge. No race. No checkpoints. Just a group of friends all traveling in this country we claim is free.         

      https://sites.google.com/site/vkmchallenge/adventure-details 

    Posted 8 years ago #
22. 

    CrazyRussian
    Member

    Wow, what a pool of brotherly love and forgiveness! Sure I'm jumping right in. Chief, please forgive me for any and all of the snide comments i've ever posted or will post here.
    I did ToM last year and it is like Mark described - friendly, fresh and peaceful there, very much like 10 years ago in the same place, when my moniker CrazyRussian was born, when we all three had one beer too many.

    Posted 8 years ago #
23. 

    KiwiBird
    Member

    Aah. Have to admit, one never tires of reading the WaterTribe forum, though one is becoming more and more convinced that this is all very much a decidely male hormonal trait in evidence here: the size of your sails, the size of your masts, the size of your.... 

    

    KB

    Posted 8 years ago #
24. 

    Etchemin
    Member

    ....and the size of your paddle?      and the thickness of your skin!! LOL!!

    Etch

    Posted 8 years ago #
25. 

    Danito
    Member

     here we go again......

    Posted 8 years ago #
26. 

    BlackSun
    Member

    Gee . . . I can't let this opportunity pass either.  Chief, please forgive me for my trespasses.  

    I too did the Tip of the Mitt last year . . . sailed with CrazyRussian . . . learned much from sailing with him.  The Tip of the Mitt overflows with "brotherly love" . . . almost like sailing through the center of Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River!  Perhaps there's a return in your future.

    BTW, since the last time I raised your ire concerning my complaints about those stupid presidential advertisements on the Watertribe Forum for those folks who seem enamored with circular firing squads back in early January . . . you got rid of them.  Thank you very much.

    Posted 8 years ago #
27. 

    Sturgeonbait
    Member

    This place is starting to look a bit like the Catholic church I grew up in.
    Maybe Chief should assign Hail Mary's.

    Posted 8 years ago #
28. 

    Meatloaf
    Member

    

    Lawdy mercy Stureonbait ... Sister Camille might just smack you with her paddle for comments like that!  don't forget a few Mea Culpa's and and Act of Contrition!

    Off to Jerusalem!

    Meatloaf

    Posted 8 years ago #
29. 

    Sturgeonbait
    Member

    Me: bless me father, for I have sinned.

    Fr: confess your sins and time since your last confession.

    Me: well father, about a month ago, and nothing, really. I've been pretty good.

    Fr: any impure thoughts?

    Me: ummm..

    Fr. :You sit next to Susie, don't you?

    Me: yes father.

    Fr: go do 10 Our Fathers and 50 Hail Mary's. And do them by the Altar, there are no cushions on the kneelers there.

    Posted 8 years ago #
30. 

    LeatherLungs
    Member

    . . . almost like sailing through the center of Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River!

    you mean they have garbage, old tires and oil slicks in the Great Lakes, too?

    Posted 8 years ago #

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