The Water Tribe

They came in kayaks, canoes, catamarans, tri-marans and monohulls, all with one thing in mind, to make it from St. Petersburg to Key Largo, without the aid of combustion engines. The unsupported adventure race, dubbed the Everglades Challenge, is roughly 300 miles and takes most people anywhere from five to eight days to complete, although a few hardy sous have finished as quickly as 2 days, 8 hours and 56 minutes.

This year's fleet, which left this morning at roughly 7 a.m. from Ft. DeSoto County Park, drew 60 people in 48 boats. The crafts ranged from the ultra-fast, open-cockpit, 21-foot Sea Pearl sailboats, to a fellow in an 8-foot dinghy.

In 2001, the first and roughest running of the race, I headed south in a two-man kayak with Jon Willis, a.k.a., Cornish Jon. Water Tribers all have nom de guerres, and this a Englishman proved a veritable Old Salt. After tipping over in Tampa Bay (half of the 30 or so paddlers dropped out the first day) we hooked up with St. Pete's George Stovall, a.k.a. Sandspur.

With stops in Boca Grande, Chokoloskee and Everglades City, we more than once thought about quitting. But we stuck together, finally coming ashore 6 days, 7 hours and 22 minutes after starting. Stovall, Willis and I hope to do the race again next year, this time in a 45-foot Hawaiian outrigger canoe.

Sandspur has rigged the canoe for sailing and we think, if the win is favorable, we might just set a new course record. Then again, we might find ourselves beached somewhere in the 10,000 Islands wondering why we would subject ourselves to such punishment again.

You can follow this year's race on the Watertribe's website. Steve Isaac,a.k.a., Chief, is the man who pulls this all together. He just built (yes, with his own two hands) himself a new trimaran that should prove formidable.

If you like adventure in small boats, this the place for you. See you on the water.

H.D. Agua