I was thinking the other day about my first trip down the West coast of Florida 22 years ago. I was on a 5 ton, 30′ sailboat with worn out Dacron sails and getting excited at doing 4 knots. We had a loran for telling us where we were, a RDF ( Radio Direction Finder) for homing in on radio towers and plotting them on a chart and practiced dead reckoning for the whole trip.  By comparison the Everglades challenge will be done on a 18′, 400 pound trimaran with mylar sails and speeds of 12+ knots ( we hope). This years trip will have a set of tools/toys not ever thought about back then. A cell phone, a Droid with full access to the Internet, text, weather forecasts tide tables, Facebook and email; 2 handheld GPS’s ( one with a built in chart plotter) that tell us where we are, how fast we are moving, tides, average speeds, max speeds etc.  A SPOT ( uses GPS ) for tracking us, telling anyone with a computer where we are and how fast ( or slow) we are going. Then throw in some of the other improvements like a hand held, waterproof, floating VHF.  And Dry Suits, so the wetness of the boat does not matter.  Our Tri uses LED lights that are twice as bright as the old Nav. lights and seem to last for ever. We use inflatable PDF’s instead of the bulky PDF of the past that no one ever wore. I bring along a Leatherman that replaces many of the tools that used to be in my tool box. Waterproof charts have replaced paper charts. It used to be cameras on boats were like rolling the dice because of moisture, now we have waterproof cameras like the GOPro’s to take pictures or video of all the fun we are having. We have all kinds of cool clothes like water wicking shirts that make life on a small boat easier. It really makes one wonder how we managed on boats back then. And maybe, just maybe it really was not the “Good Old Days”

Getting in to the home stretch for projects on the “Bird”. Still need to confirm the drain system, caulk the amas, add the bow sprit guides and put on the attachment pads for the new GO-pro camera. At least we’ll have cool video of this race :). Adding the dodger next week. Then plan to repaint the boat either yellow or black and add some reflective tape so we can be seen at night. The black sails don’t exactly show well in the dark. Started working on the food list and fine tuning the equipment list. Would still like to add a better paddling system than the current canoe paddles. Might try a oar(s) next time out. I know we can move 2 knots in flat calm, but still need more paddle power just in case…….The conditioning of the old body is coming along well, with running , walking, kayaking and the gym. Starting to see results, should have started a few more months back.

Picked up the new Mylar mainsail about 2 weeks ago.  Also had them build me a new Mylar Jib and Reacher for the bird. All the sails were build for us by Banks Sails in Tampa. They did a great job and super easy to work with.  Looks like we will have about 400 sq ft. of canvas when everything is flying. Have not tried the jib and reacher yet, but in very light wind, the new main and old jib was moving us at close to wind speed. 5 knots in 5-7 knots of wind. And we were hauling 200 lbs of water in the hull from a leaky drain hose. Really excited to try the whole package soon.   

With the race approaching fast and the check list not dropping off as fast, its not panic time yet, but its close. The bowsprit is on, but not tested yet. I need at least 3 or 4 practice runs.  My daughter/crew “stingslikeabee” and I still hope to do a12 hour practice run to test ourselves, equipment and boat. I think equipment is in good shape, new Garmin 76 GPS plotter, Spot is ready, new spot light and new VHF ( getting ready can be expensive). Getting myself ready has me hitting the gym, running and kayaking. Need to get the body back in shape for the movement of the boat, for paddling ( just in case) and dropping and lifting the mast at check point #1. Training is harder every year….ha. On the boat we still have a leaky starboard ama that needs to be addressed. I’m adding a second block for the reacher and emergency jib halyard.  Side guides for the bowsprit have to be made and tested. Our cockpit drain is OK, but needs to be tested and maybe improved. And then there’s the new paint job………..Repaint it yellow, or paint it black to match the new sails. And if we paint it black, do we change the name from “the Bird” to “Death Star” and come dressed as Darth Vader? Hmmmmmmmmm……

This is a video on the first sail in Oct, 2011. The drain sysyem did not work, you can see a foot of water bouncing around in the cockpit. Lots of work since the first trial run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8OMaZAQ8JQ

A picture of the fiberglass repair before thechainplate and crossbars

repairs.

I had made it to Flamingo with kokopeddle in March during our first Everglades challenge, but with a broken mast step on his Hobie adventure island, we had to drop out. We talked about the next round and what to race on, the Hobie or something else.   Kokopeddle decied to the race with his brother “teak” on a custom catamaran, so I needed a boat.  After peddling for 30 + hours in 4 days and losing 8 pounds, I decided I wanted a pure sailboat of some type. Either we sail or we don’t finish. After looking over the choices i narrowed teh field to 3 types.  They were a Mono hull like a Laser or small daysailor, but I decided they did not have the speed. The second choice was a catamaran like a Hobie 18′. But thinking of some of the off shore nights I have sailed, maybe alone and tired, this just did not look safe for me. At this point I was planning on doing the race solo. Since then my daughter “stingslikeabee” has joined me as crew.  So it had to be a trimaran of some type. Fast, beach-able, able to sail alone or with crew.  In Oct. 2011 I bought a 18′ 1974 Sailbird folding trimaran for the Everglades challenge. All it needed were sails, a minor rudder repair, halyards and sheets. I should be off practicing in a matter of weeks……….

But as I started getting to know the boat I could see that amas were the weak spot on these boats. Both at the crossbar attachment and where the upper shrouds are attached. So 3 weekends of fiberglass work later I have stronger attachment points and my mast better not fall down. I also went ahead and re-rigged the entire boat with new standing rigging.  I also added new lowers attached directly to the cross bars, just to be safe. Again, I have this thing about sailing at night, offshore and having the mast fall down.

The rudder repair was easy once I found the part. A little trial and error and some plastic washers from West marine and I have a balanced rudder. But then, to be able to hike out I decided that I better add a battle stick tiller extension. Great idea, works wonderful, just bought to short of a model. So now that Christmas is past and I have a new longer battle stick, I have a lightly used 48″ extendable model for sale. 🙂

Next issue was the drain system the previous owner had installed. It let water in, but not out. Well that’s not exactly right but seemed like it. So I have plugged the old drain system and still have to finish the new one way drain system.

For sails I picked up a undersized, used 5 batten main and a small hang-on jib. While not perfect, they gave me a idea of what I have to work with for speed on the Bird. After 3 times out sailing I found that it moves at 5 or 6 knots in almost any wind. Top speed is 8 knots so far, but I still have alot of tweaking to go. New sails would be great.  And maybe some type of reacher or spinnaker would have to help. With 66 days until the start of the Everglades challenge, the clock is ticking…..

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