EC

http://watertribe.com/Events/ChallengeViewer.aspx?RaceID=EC2010

I have to do this some day.

Well, just do it. As Chief says: "The hardest part is getting to the start"
Beware, the challenge is highly addictive
Here are some famous catsailors entering first checkpoint:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_82d3pdyOTZ8/SbSPzZ4TLNI/AAAAAAAAAXg/E8Pmt1McVAw/s1600-h/grandeTours_2.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_82d3pdyOTZ8/SbSWwpMRxQI/AAAAAAAAAYA/lss_Kj9eiNY/s1600-h/grandeTours_5.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_82d3pdyOTZ8/SbSa-_PB43I/AAAAAAAAAYY/JavddDG20IE/s1600-h/grandeTours_7.jpg

I'd do it on a tri so my crew can sleep in good conditions. Don't know if it would make it under that rail bridge (even with mast down) though....

There is new bridge built. Spans are wide.The bridge is low, mast needs to be dropped. Old bridge should be out by next challenge. No problema with wide boats anymore, unless Elders decide to add some new filter. Anyway, wide boats are safe for next challenge.

what is the vertical clearance on that new bridge? can I get an F-27 under there with the mast down?

The new bridge is low, however, i think, it is possible to get F27 under with mast down. However, it will be very tough job to get it to checkpoint. It is located in side creek, narrow and shallow.
Are you seriously considering taking F27 into EC? How are you expecting to propel it? How's about getting it onto the beach and from the beach at the start? No outside assistance allowed. There are changes in beach start for the next year, I don't remember them all, since I've never carried about it with my light boats, but there are stiffer rules now, making it much harder for bigger boats.
I don't think that the Challenge is doable in F27. Never say never, we had 140 lbs person positioned and launched 800 lbs boat singlehandedly before, however, I think F27 is overkill. Besides, it is too shallow in many places for the boat. And again, how on earth are you expecting to paddle, row, propel it into checkpoints?
Can you enter Chokoloskee Bay? It is 5 miles of twisty narrow channel in mangroves. Can you enter Flamingo Marina? Sure, you can sail around Florida Bay, it will add only 40-50 miles to the trip :), but it is still necessary to get into Flamingo, inside of Marina.

Even it is all possible, and I personally believe that anything is possible, however time lost waiting for the right tide, current and wind will be much greater than time you can gain sailing a fast boat. Those pesky kayakers can maintain 5 knots 18 hours a day and I'm not even talking about Randy with his trimaran or Lumpy and Bumpy with their Tornado.

No, it is better to use something smaller. About any beach catamaran with capable 2-up crew can make it. It has been done on Tornado, Nacra 20, G-cat 6.0, Hobie 16, Hobie 18.

Singlehandedly it is much more difficult, in my opinion, however I have done it on old wooden A-class and my weird inflatable catamaran has been around entire Florida, all 1200 miles.
I wouldn't mind to take F16 on the course, if I had the money to trash expensive boat
Hobie Wave will make it, my inflatable is not faster.
In 2009 there was a guy who took H14 all way up to Flamingo. He dropped out there, some 30 miles from the finish, having another 3 days until deadline, I guess he was spent and it is hard to see kayakers flying by...
Anyway it is fun. I don't think that doing it in F27 will be fun, though.

I had considered that possibility this year. Now you have my attention. It would be a tough trip but your encouragement has me energized.

Indestructable boat, reasonable speed, shallow draught, cannot turtle, light enough to drag over shallows and off the beach.

Have I forgotten anything...oh yeah, a hard core SOB to sail it.

Vladimir, I'm more inclined to bump along with the serious racers and make some sort of video.

This assumes I ever get my Tiki 21 sea worthy.

Hi Jack. You basically summed it all up. I use my inflatable catamaran not because it is a fast boat. It is not. It is not fun boat either. However I can handle it in any conditions, it is light and robust. Very much like Hobie Wave.
It is all about your expectation. If you set realistic goal, which is finishing in 4-6 days, Hobie Wave looks like very good boat. Sure you won't win, however, with little luck you will be in leading group. Just be safe and cautious. It is much easier to be safe on H Wave than on Nacra f17. I owned Nf17 and I did contemplate taking it for a ride. I voted against it. I could foresee many situations when F17 can be plainly unsafe sailing solo, 100 miles away from any civilization, fighting exhaustion, with level of IQ dropping below freezing due to sleep deprivation.
ON HW? It is just vocation in wild paradise. Slow and painful,for sure, but with less drama.
You need to figure out how to row the boat. Catamarans are surprisingly easy to row, if oars are set right. I'm not sure if you can attach oarlocks to thermoplastic. Probably, you can get backrests and affix oarlock to them. Backrests are good idea anyway. Also, sculling (youlou) may work well on HW,
http://councill.home.mindspring.com/sbjournal/sculling/scull2.html
anyway, you need to figure out how to push the boat through water using manpower. I know, it is foreign concept for many catsailors. However, it is not that hard to implement.

There are many details, and I'm willing to discuss them all, I just don't want to burden sailing forum with them, feel free to PM me.
Finally. Winner of first Ultimate Florida, 1200 miles race around Florida, from Tampa to Tampa, Warren Richey a.k.a. Sharkchow just published his book
"Without a paddle"
http://www.amazon.com/Without-Paddl...mp;s=books&qid=1277342112&sr=8-5
I completed same course this year, in totally different boat,however our experiences are so much similar. Besides, the book is not about adventure racing, racing is just a canvas, book is much fuller and deeper. I highly recommend it. Anyone trying to understand why we are doing those weird races should read it.

Vlad
a.k.a. CrazyRussian

Thanks for the encouragement Vlad.

Let me contemplate this. I will be in touch but it may be later in the summer before I can make time to get serious. Please PM me with some contact info.

I just ordered the book.

Jack, just PM me when you ready, or get my e-mail at watertribe site through member services.
My girlfriend shot this slideshow during EC2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AbPpuZ-BPs
I believe it shows spirit of the Tribe. It is great group, very diverse, and because of diversity, it is very rich. There are so many things I learned from the people. Besides, these challenges are just plain narcotic...

Vlad, nice pictures, thanks for sharing. A question about the mast dropping, is there a beach to pull up on, to do that, then push off and start paddling, or does it have to be done out on the water? That could get exciting with a big mast!

build a little bicycle like propeller system to strap on the main beam, and a little recliner/recumbant seat to push against, and viola' you've got propulsion. Maybe even lighter than a set of oars....

Well you know Hobie makes something like that with their Adventure tri/kayak, it's got the foot pedal powered underwater flippers, a roller furling sail, no shrouds, easy to drop the mast to get under the bridge.

I wonder if anyone has tried using one of those in this race yet? My neighbor's got one but I have not sailed it yet. The sail is pretty small but I'll bet with a little work, you could add a small jib and maybe even some type of spinny, "turbo" it and make it a little faster.

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/747/Hobie-Mirage-Adventure-Island-Kayak-2010.html

Check out this "Propel" system for an Ultimate Kayak. Better IMO than the flippers.

http://www.nativewatercraft.com/features/propel.cfm

that's exactly what I had in mind. A bit longer so you can mount it on the main beam with some sort of chair/recumbant seat to lean against...

Timbo, everyone is worried about mast dropping prior to Checkpoint 1. However, low clearance bridge is last straw in long line of obstacles, leading to checkpoint 1. I provide chartlet to illustrate my point
One year we had Windrider 17 signed for the race. It was prior to Tornado dominance era. Guys on Windrider were so sure about themselves so they bragged on windrider forum about course record and two days transit time. Well, they managed to get to Little Gasparila pass first, barely. By the time they reached checkpoint, which is 3 miles away, half of the fleet was well ahead of them They droped out there.
Jamie Livingston and Steve Lohmayer, aka Lumpy and Bumpy made it looks easy, setting one course record after another on Tornado. However, prior to their first Challenge they spent fair amount of time scouting, test running, timing the course.I spent hours on a phone with them giving all info I knew...
To answer your question, - there is a shoal on right just before left turn into a creek with the bridge.
However, unless conditions are favorable, I drop a mast just inside of inlet and row from there.

Everglades Challenge is testing ground(should I said water?) for latest Hobie development.

Jim Czarnowski, Director of Engineering and guy behind of flippers and the rotomolded development is known as "PenguinMan" in watertribe. Last two years he was sailing prototype of two sitter Adventure Island trimaran.
Also Nick Hall "Pelican" has been sailing Mirage line of Hobie almost all races he entered.
The flippers work and work well.

I was toying with idea of sidewinder
http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/hpb/boat98.htm
just place cranks into center and pedal from sides, with normal sailing position. On one tack pedal forward, on another pedal in reverse From power's output point of view there is no difference.
However I decided that oars are simpler and therefore, more reliable.

A friend and I went gunk holing in Estero Bay, opposite Lover's Key http://www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey/default.cfm, last weekend. It was great fun but a lot of work to set up the F16.

So, I was thinking, can you cobble a couple of these together to make an extreme shallow draft catamaran? http://www.adirondackrowing.com/alden_quest.htm

I know the regular racing catamaran crowd will shout NO! But the Water tribe bunch seem a little more willing to tinker.
The boat mentioned above, x2, is a little expensive for this and I was actually thinking of knocking something together out of plywood just for the EC. Any comments?