Picture of Core Sound updates

New hatches, new dodger frame, new floorboards/sleeping decks, and new GPS for 

2010 Everglades Challenge

Boat work finished. Photos soon

The boat updates on the Core Sound 20 for the Watertribe Everglades Challenge are done: 

• The makeshift PVC frame for the dodger was replaced with a folding stainless steel frame so that it can be folded down for better access to the main,
• The manufactured (leaky) hatches were replaced with proper wooden boat hatches (it would have been a lot easier to have done this in the first place),
• and some floorboards were manufactured so that we can sleep on something wider than the seats.

I'll get up pictures of the updates soon.

Now Ann and I are off for a week of vacation and warm weather acclimitization with my brother and his wife before driving down to Florida for the race.

If you want to follow the 300 mile Challenge (which starts on March 6 at 7 AM), go to the Watertribe site.  The home page has links to maps and results, and the discussion page is always full of interesting chatter and background.  Many competitors are using SPOT tracking devices (including me) so that you can follow our routes down the coast, and many of us will post pictures.  There will also be ongoing articles on the Duckworks site and on the Kruger Canoe Adventures site

Pictures of hatch work

Here are some shots of the new Core Sound hatches in preparation for the 2010 WaterTribe Everglades Challenge:

Old (leaky and factory-made) hatches

Parts cut

Old Hatches removed

Holes resized and interiors installed

Change in plans for the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge

I had been planning to go back to my paddling roots and take the Kruger Sea Wind sea canoe with it's Balogh BOSS sail rig, but my old racing partner, Michael Collins had sold his boat and sail rig to make ends meet, so I decided to dust off the Core Sound 20 again and get it ready for the race.

You can follow the race, starting March 6, 2010 at watertribe.com.  Our racing handles are Greybeard (Michael) and Ridgerunner (me).

"Dusting off" the Core Sound means building a real folding frame under the dodger so that we can access the rigging on the front deck, changing the hatches from Bomar inspection hatches (which leaked) to traditional wooden seat hatches, and building some floorboards that can be used as bunks.  I'll put up pictures in a few days.

This project has taken up all of the time at home (except for responding to emergencies like tornados and ice storms) since mid December.  I never want to do a project under time pressure again.  It takes all of the fun out of it.