Everglades Challenge 2014: Day 1

For those of you who are not familiar with the Everglades Challenge, it may be difficult to imagine the level of obsession that it inspires among the enthusiasts.

We planned, prepared, and geared-up over 1.5 years to make our first attempt, including a practice run on the first 120 miles of the course in April 2013. After completing our first 300 mile challenge in June 2013, the Michigan Challenge Tip of the Mitt, we felt reasonably prepared, but weather is a big factor so you never know what may happen.

The race starts at 7 AM on Saturday. Our goal was to finish in time for the party on the following Saturday at 10 AM, but definitely to finish by the deadline on Sunday at 7 AM, come what may. It was also our intention to paddle the entire 100-mile Wilderness Waterway through Everglades National Park, and thereby earn the coveted "gator tooth" award in addition to the shark tooth for finishing the EC.

The Everglades Challenge is the biggest gathering of crazy small boat people around. This year, 140 boats launched from the beach at Ft DeSoto state park (111 in the EC, 3 in the Ultimate Florida Challenge event around the state, and the rest in the Ultramarathon event finishing at Checkpoint 1, 60 mi). The finish line is 300 miles down the coast in Key Largo. Any human or sail powered boat that can be launched from the beach may participate.

We were in class 3: canoes and kayaks with sailing rigs that can be disassembled and stowed in the boat. A special occurrence this year was that there would be three Kruger Cruiser canoes in the event, including our own.

MicroTom and his daughter WaterLilly were in a Kruger Cruiser that had a history in the Everglades Challenge. Greybeard and his son ChefRamen took second in this boat in 2002, then GrayBeard and Ridgerunner used the boat to win the Everglades Challenge 2004 overall; an amazing accomplishment for a class 3 boat. Their canoe was outfitted for serious sailing with two 5 meter BSD sails and hiking platforms. MicroTom was a veteran of three EC finishes with DonKeyHoTey in the modified 19' Sharpie "Hare on Fire", including sailing mayhem, broken rudders, etc.

The other Kruger Cruiser was crewed by NiteNavigator and WhiteCaps. Being hardcore paddlers, they had no need to waste time with sails. NiteNavigator holds the world record for the downriver run on the Mississippi, is a veteran of ten EC finishes, and a lifetime of canoe racing. WhiteCaps had logged six EC finishes, a 1200 mile Ultimate Florida Challenge finish, and being a native Floridian had logged so many paddling miles in south Florida that some say he is half gator. The two of them could probably navigate the course with their eyes closed. I had heard a rumor that they were planning to take it easy and cruise the course rather than race, so I asked WhiteCaps if they were planning to camp each night. He laughed for a long time.

Day 1: Fort DeSoto to Hoagen Key, 69 miles

We set the alarm for 4:30 AM. I boiled water in the Jetboil to fill a thermos of instant coffee and hot chocolate and another thermos with a cook-in-the-thermos meal for later in the day. We were carrying our gear to the beach a little after 5:30, and frantically packing the boat.  Roll call was at 6 AM.

Lauren's parents showed up about that time, and also my parents who were in FL at the time. Lauren's parents would be our all-important shore contact, and would drive our car to Key Largo. 

Our cheerful beach-neighbor was PurrfectlyFeral.

We were pretty much ready to go when I realized that I had not attached the boat compass. I frantically unsnapped the spray cover and rifled through dry bags. The compass was where it belonged, but not where it used to be because we had made some last minute changes to the packing arrangement. Finally, everything was repacked. 

Suddenly boats were sliding into the water and somebody started playing the bagpipes. It must be time to go!  We pushed and pulled the 300 lb loaded boat down the beach, hopped in, paddled over the sandbar, and we were off! 

It was a beautiful day with a light breeze from the east. A 7-mile crossing of Tampa Bay is the first leg of the journey. We would follow the intracoastal waterway (ICW). MicroTom decided to head out to the Gulf through Passage Key Inlet in hopes of finding better wind.

After raising the sail, we spotted NiteNavigator and WhiteCaps a few hundred yards ahead. Realizing that this might be our only chance to paddle with our heroes, we started pulling hard to catch them. 

Mullet Key shipping channel is a half mile off the beach. One freighter was in front of us and we would clearly pass behind. A big, red freighter appeared as we were approaching the channel, coming in from the Gulf. It was uncertain at first whether we were on a collision course. We continued to paddle hard, and eventually it became clear that we would pass in front with room to spare. I can only imaging the anxiety that a freighter captain would feel with 140 small boats heading straight for the channel!

We continued to paddle hard most of the way across the bay, and worked our way in front of NiteNavigator and Whitecaps.

As NiteNavigator and WhiteCaps faded into the distance, it was time for some breakfast pie and coffee mocha. We took turns paddling and eating. The Cruiser has bow and stern pedal steering, so the boat can be handled by either the bow or stern paddler alone.

The wind died completely as we approached Sarasota Bay. We found ourselves paddling alongside the famous SandyBottom and KiwiBird. SandyBottom was a veteran of 13 ECs and 2 Ultimate Florida Challenges, while KiwiBird had completed 8 ECs. Having passed many hours on the Watertribe discussion board and related blogs and videos, we felt like we knew them even though we had never met.

The two of them discussed heading out to the Gulf through Longboat pass to get the most of the forecast north wind and to avoid "the horrors of Sarasota Bay". We had experienced the horrors on our April 2012 practice run, struggling against a stiff south wind and chop all afternoon. It seemed that we would be spared from such horrors this year. I was tempted to follow them, but being afraid to waste time by improvising from the planned route, we decided to stay the course.

We paddled down Sarasota Bay in flat calm, and met JustSurf and Mexican, who would turn up again later along the way.

JustSurf had our respect for attempting this event on a standup paddle board (SUP). Last year was the first time anyone completed the EC on a SUP.

At the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, we passed some youngsters having an Optimist regatta.

As we approached the Ringling Causeway at the south end of Sarasota Bay, around 2 PM, the forecast north wind began to fill in. On our trial run in April, the sun was setting at this point. We had come 26 miles.

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JustSurf and Mexican were taking a break on Bay Island. They had never met, but completed the whole 300 miles together as a fun, odd couple: SUP and kayak.

We paddled and sailed alongside the ICW. Motorboat traffic can be heavy in the afternoons, which is another reason why night travel is nice; there is no traffic at night.

We found our beach neighbor again.

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We paddled a little way with Hammerstroke, DeadCat, and FeralCat.

The north wind was pushing us along nicely. We dropped the mast to pass under Blackburn Bridge at mile 35.

This picture was taken by Don, JustSurf's shore contact, who later told us of his adventure circumnavigating the globe in a shorty school bus.

Venice inlet was full of motorboats and sunbathers. One guy was motoring his girlfriend around in circles at high speed while standing precariously on a raised platform and drinking a beer. We hoped that he would not fall in and let the boat speed on without him to run us over.

Some strange sea snail-like creatures were flying through the water. Maybe cowries? Sea hares, we later learned, a type of nudibranch.

We sailed under the US 41 bridge with Starbuck and Ishmael. Unlike their literary inspiration, it appears that both survived to complete the Ultramarathon event.

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Photo courtesy of Don

Paddling down the Venice Canal was hot work. Perfect time for a Spiz break.

The north wind continued to push us along, and we passed SaltyFrog, who completed the Michigan Challenge Tip of the Mitt in 2003, his account can be found here.

Sunset came on Lemon Bay at mile 50, with about ten miles to go to Checkpoint 1.

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We arrived at Checkpoint 1, Cape Haze Marina, at 8:40 PM, having come 60 miles. It was an amazing first day with calm conditions and north wind in the afternoon and evening. NiteNavigator and WhiteCaps were leaving the checkpoint as we arrived. Danito met us and guided us through the checkpoint. It was a pleasure to finally meet him; we had become acquainted through his entertaining videos of EC 2013 and 2012. Danito was tracking the Krugerheads on Spot Buddy, and informed us that MicroTom and WaterLilly were several hours behind, having been becalmed on the Gulf in the morning. We filled our water, washed salt and sunblock from our faces, and prepared to move on. We told Danito we would go on to Hoagen Key, where we had spent the night on our April trial run.

We paddled south through the narrow ICW, passing many sailboats drifting along in the calm of the night. The ICW opened up into Placida Harbor. On our April trial run, we were a little freaked out after we paddled through the lights of Boca Grande Causeway into the darkness of Gasparilla Sound. This time we were prepared, and we also knew how to avoid the shoal north of Hoagen Key on which we ran aground near midnight on the previous occasion.

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Sailing down Gasparilla Sound was magical. It was a new moon, and the sky was full of stars. The water was full of phosphorescent plankton. The leeboard made a comet tail of phosphorescence as it cut through the water. The swirling green glow of the turbulent water passing around the leeboard was captivating.

Paddling into the night reminded me of our friend Jack "The Hammer", so I made this video message to him.


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We arrived at Hoagen Key at 11:45 PM, crawled into the tent, and set our alarm for four hours of sleep. Winds were forecast to be a favorable from the east in the morning, then turn south in the afternoon, so we wanted to take advantage of good weather while it lasted.

Link to Day 2
http://lmsmallcraft.blogspot.com/2014/03/everglades-challenge-2014-day-2.html