You can follow our progress here:

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0MWrcvF84HGFtTDMEbs73WWxTkruYKA89

To view our progress against others in the monohull sailing division go here

http://www.watertribe.com/Events/ChallengeMapper.aspx

Select EVENT: EC2012  CLASS Class 4. We are listed as DonKeyHoTey (Boat Owner) and MicroTom (Me, Crew). We are sailing a Lightning

More info on the race and rules is here:

http://watertribe.org/fl-everglades-challenge/

There is also a WaterTribe forum where people who are in the race will be posting race reports. If interesting stuff is going on this is place where it will be discussed.

http://watertribe.org/forums/

Willie Blevins is our official shore contact this year. If you need to contact him his email is blueglove@yahoo.com

Per and I took the lightning out on Saturday. Overall things went well. The boat appears to be 99% ready to go. (Can anything be perfect?)

See you on the beach…….

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/Catalogs/gulf_chartside.shtml

11415 – Tampa Bay Entrance (Inlet, Detailed)
11424 – Lemon Bay to Passage Key Inlet (Large)
11425 – Charlotte Harbor to Tampa Bay (Coastal, Detailed)
11426 – Estero Bay to Lemon Bay, including Charlotte Harbor (Large)
11427 – Intracoastal Waterway Fort Myers to Charlotte Harbor and Wiggins Pass (Coastal, Detailed)
11429 – Chatham River to Clam Pass;Naples Bay;Everglades Harbor (Larger)
11430 – Lostmans River to Wiggins Pass (Coastal, Detailed)
11431 – East Cape to Mormon Key (Large)
11432 – Everglades National Park Shark River to Lostmans River (Coastal, Detailed)
11433 -  Everglades National Park Whitewater Bay (Coastal, Detailed)
11452 – Intracoastal Waterway Alligator Reef to Sombrero Key (Large, Florida Bay)
11449 – Intracoastal Waterway Matecumbe to Grassy Key (Keys, Detailed)
11464 – Intracoastal Waterway Blackwater Sound To Matecumbe (Keys, Detailed)

Picked up a GoPro and gave it a whirl while DonKeyHoTey and I work on his Lightning, Hare on Fire.

Time to break out the list. This one is from 2011 so there will be some updates this year. I have an online copy here for those who want to download for the their own use.

Travel Arrangements
Travel to Fort Desto
Arrival Time & Date
Accommodations in Fort Desoto
Emergency Pickup
Travel from Key Largo
Accommodations in Key Largo
Stay for awards on Sat?

Sailboat Equipment
Sails
2nd Small Spinnaker
Asym Spinnaker
Reefing Points & Equipment
Anchors
Extra lines
Primary Rudder
Secondary Rudder
Navigation Lights
Extra Teltails
Light Wind Teltail
Install Quick Release Shrouds

Trailer
Bearings
Tires
Lights
Tag & Registration

Launch Equipment
Inflatable PVC Rollers

Boat Safety
CG Required Items
EC Required Items
Per’s PFD
Tom’s PFD
Per’s Dry Suit
Tom’s Dry Suit
Tom’s Foul Weather Gear
Per’s Foul Weather Gear

Boat Misc
Dry Bags
Extra Paddle
Tiller Tamer
Canoe paddles
Piss/Crap Bucket
Sleeping Pad
Inflatable Pillow
Boom Tarp

Tools
Head Lamp
Flashlight
Sail Repair Kit
Hull Repair Kit
Duct Tape
Misc Parts

Clothes
Shammy Towels
Sailing Shoes
Sailing Clothes
Dry Shoes
Synthetic Socks
GoreTex Socks
Swim/Sail Shorts
Synthetic Underwear
1st Layer
2nd Layer
Fleece
Foul Weather Gear
Sun Hat
Cold Weather Hat
Buffs/Bandannas
Sun Glasses

First Aid
Sun Screen
Bug Spray
Personal Hygiene
Motrin
Claritin
Lip Balm
Dramamine
Hot Hands

Electronics
SPOT
GPS
GPS Charts
GPS Routes
GPS RAM Mount
Phone
Extra Batteries
Charging System
Light for Compass
Waterproof Camera
VHF Handheld
Head Lamp

Navigation
Top Spot Charts

Food
Dry Goods
Canned Goods
Caffeine Drinks
Water Bottles
Extra Water

Camping
Head Nets
Mosquito Net
Stove
Fuel
Camel Back
Cup/Pot
Utensils
Soap
Dry Bags
Dry Boxes
Flashlights
Tarp
Garbage Bags
Zip Lock Bags

Water Tribe EC Required
SPOT Tracking Feature
CG Approved PFD
Safety Knife
Whistle
CG Approved Signal Kit (Day/Night)
CG Approved Navigation Lights
Reserve Flotation/Bulkheads
Submersible, Handheld, VHF Radio
Spare Paddle
Manual Bailer
Self Rescue Device
Emergency Hypothermia Survival Kit
Paddling Clothes
Cell Phone
Compass, Watch, Charts
Boat & Equipment Repair Kit
First Aid Kit
Dry Suit or Spray Skirt or Spray Deck
Stove (Boil Water)
Shelter System (Tent/hammock)
Sleep System (Sleeping Bag) 2
Camp Clothes
$5 ACA Event Membership
Update SPOT SOS Message

Water Tribe Suggested
GPS
EPIRB/PLB
Strobe/Flashlight
Food
Water
Spare Water
Street Clothes for Finish
Show Kit for Finish
Hat
Paddling/Wading Shoes
Sun Protection
Bug Repellant
Emergency Charge for Phone
Change for pay phone
Credit Card and Cash
Medications
Boat Sponge
Sawyer Extractor (Snake Bite Kit)
Hands free head lamp

Pre Race Tests
Sail as a Team
High Tide Launch
Sailing with extra weight
Rowing
Row Sailing
Self Rescue Drills

Took my 1st generation Spot device to Disney with the family. Hey why not? Its a good opportunity to test it. Things didn’t go 100% perfect. We arrived around 10 AM. The first message didn’t come in until around noon and that was after trying to send an OK message and resetting the device…… I also tried another OK message around 4 PM and never received it. Going to have to keep working with it.

Also took this opportunity to add my public Spot page to my blog’s menu bar. Should automatically redirect to the Spot page in most browsers.

I bought an Oxford style rowing shell that had been converted to a paddle like a kayak a few weeks ago. (It was cheap) Having been on surf skis before I had a good idea what it would feel like to be in such a narrow boat. I took it out to Honeymoon Island for a paddle the day I bought it and confirmed it was tipsy but still functional. The real problem was that it wouldn’t turn very well. So today I added a rudder. I am quite happy with the bracket attached to the boat. I made that out of some aluminum laying around the garage. Still need to get the peddle for steering installed.

The seat is pretty interesting. They guy who did the original mods put in a cedar seat. Its not too bad. Good for a pleasure cruise but may need some modifications in order to do distance paddling. The hope is to set this up as a training boat. If it works well I may do a few more things with it.

Having some fun working with Chief to create a new WaterTribe website. The plan is to have rotating header images that incoporate the WaterTribe logo and publicly available charts as the back ground. You will notice that the chart images are places that WaterTribe participants visit.

Here is the first blog post for me on the new WaterTribe site!

Got to do some fishing to day on the Little Econ in Orlando. I figure any day on the water is training for another Everglade Challenge right?

DonKeyHoTey let me know he bought a GoPro camera yesterday. Hopefully we will have some good video this year.