DaySailer.org Forum

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:00 pm**

There is a DS1 in competing in this year's Everglades Challenge race from St. Petersburg, FL to Key Largo. This 300 miler poses quite a challenge for those up to it. I went down to watch the start because I'm planning to enter with my DSII next year.

I was at the start and got to meet the skipper, and English chap named Duncan Vaughn. After the race, he's planning to ship the boat to England.

To track Duncan's progress, go to the http://www.watertribe.com and view the challenge mapper. Duncan's 'tribal name' is Ika.

Here they are at the pre-start on Friday. (I'm jealous how *nice* his boat is compared to mine)

Ika distiguished himself on Saturday by performing a very difficult rescue in the gulf of a capsized Sea Pearl sailor. His currently very close to rounding the southern tip of Florida on his way to the race's third checkpoint at Flamingo.

This from Tom Pamperin's write-up at http://www.duckworksmagazine.com:

...David Combs’s boat (Combs is also known as Dave on Cudjoe) has been found. He capsized last night—a couple of big waves came by and knocked his Sea Pearl 21 down when he tried to round up into the wind. When he tried to climb onto the side to right the boat, his safety tether was zipped inside his life jacket, pulling him up too short to reach. The boat flipped, and stayed upside down. Combs waited for an hour on top his boat, cold and wet before another Challenger (Duncan Vaughn) picked him up in his O’Day Daysailer. Apparently it was an impressive rescue. There was a Coast Guard helicopter on scene (shore contact people called them in when David reported trouble), and conditions were challenging for Nick to bring his boat alongside. He did it, though. “He had a sh***y reef in his mainsail, and no jib, but he put it right in there,” David said. They showed up at checkpoint one this morning, Duncan rowing up the narrow channel with David perched on the bow, just as Mike Monies and Andrew Linn were leaving in Laguna Dos...

Major props to Duncan aboard his DS.

Posted: **Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:40 am**

Wow - I think this is one of the most interesting things I've seen on the site for a long time - honestly, I'm surprised to not see a little more in the way of responses from other guys.

I've read the logs on the Duckworth site as well as water tribe - I really wish I could some how track the DS sailor - even better would be if someone could encourage him to perhaps give us all a write up of his experience and maybe even some pictures.

Mistermoon - any way you can get in touch with him after he's had a chance to recuperate?

Posted: **Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:50 am**

To track Duncan's progress, go to the http://www.watertribe.com and view the challenge mapper. Duncan's 'tribal name' is Ika.

Posted: **Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:54 am**

I've been following the progress of this DS as well at Duckworks, Water Tribe and the Texas 200 Forum site. I've been pulling up the "spot" map to see where he's at. His logs don't give much information. I'd really like to see a write-up of his experience.

John

Posted: **Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:03 pm**

I'm not sure I understand the tracking that SPOT is charting, but I guess it just isn't the most accurate. There's an article on SPOT and other GPS stuff in Small Craft Advisor this month, but I haven't really read it completely. Usually this sort of equipment wouldn't interest me since I still am a map over GPS guy any day of the week since I like to mentally have things plotted out whenever I go anywhere. Anyway, it appears he is way out in the middle of the Gulf between the mainland and the keys right now, which may be the quickest route but doesn't look like the safest. Given the apparent inaccuracies of SPOT I wonder where he is really?

Posted: **Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:37 pm**

I think the Water Tribe spot map has got some problems. If you follow some of the tracks of individuals, they'll go way off track inland at times and I know that can't be right. I think there was a notation that it is a beta version.

John

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2010 10:32 am**

seandwyer wrote:I'm not sure I understand the tracking that SPOT is charting, but I guess it just isn't the most accurate. There's an article on SPOT and other GPS stuff in Small Craft Advisor this month, but I haven't really read it completely. Usually this sort of equipment wouldn't interest me since I still am a map over GPS guy any day of the week since I like to mentally have things plotted out whenever I go anywhere. Anyway, it appears he is way out in the middle of the Gulf between the mainland and the keys right now, which may be the quickest route but doesn't look like the safest. Given the apparent inaccuracies of SPOT I wonder where he is really?

Going straight across FL Bay to the finish from Flamingo isn't really a possibililty if the wind is out of the E or SE as it was on Wed and Thursday. Despite the area appearing to wide open, it is really a series of shallow basins connected with narrow and often poorly marked channels running from E to W. The longest of these is the infamous Twisty Mile channel. Sailing upwind that direction is difficult, made even more so by the wind blowing the water out of the bay and making it even more shallow. In that case going around is the best way to go for sailing craft, even with the extra distance.

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DS in 2010 Everglades Challenge

DS in 2010 Everglades Challenge