Watertribe NC Challenge

[Designer]

The Watertribe North Carolina Challenge check in is tomorrow at Cedar island.

The challenge starts Friday morning and will finish by noon on Sunday. There will be two Core Sound 20's and 1 EC22.

All boats will be carrying a Spot satellite tracker so that there should be close to real time positions of the fleet at www.watertribe.com

This will be the first real test of the system.

You can see the course if you look at the dropdown window under EVENTS and the boats and crew in the race roster. There will probably be a fair bit of chatter on the event in the discussion section.

[Joe Anderson]

Looks like you might have some wind.

Best of luck for all the B&B boats.

[ChrisObee]

So how does one take a sailboat down a lengthy narrow canal?  Is it that this is a North - south channel and the prevailing wind just very likely produce managable reach?

[Ken_Potts]

If the wind and tide don't cooperate you don't take a sailboat down the canal - You take a rowboat...

Although I'm not in the challenge it looks like I'm going to make a mad dash out to Harker's Island on Saturday, camp at the hook (Cape Lookout) and return home on Sunday.  Maybe I'll see some of the challengers zipping by as I cross the course.

[Oyster]

Ken you had better plan for the worse, wind, rain and tacking your way back to the ramp if the weather bunnies are correct.

[Apteryx]

Good luck to all in the NC challenge!

[Gordy Hill]

Looks like Graham and Randy have a problem. They've been on the beach for over an hour. Paul and Allen (aka Dances With Sandy Bottom and SOS) are closing in on the lead and doing great.

[Oyster]

This is the present weather at Cape Lookout which is in open water south and west of Cedar Island.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=clkn7

Scroll down and you can read the history too over the past 24 hours.

[paul_stewart]

So how does one take a sailboat down a lengthy narrow canal?  Is it that this is a North - south channel and the prevailing wind just very likely produce managable reach?

Chris,

Here are some photos from the Harlowe waterway (Neuse River -> Clubfoot Creek -> Harlowe Canal -> Harlowe Creek -> James River).  It is about 10 miles from the mouth of Clubfoot Creek to the mouth of Harlowe Creek.

That section is beautiful and one of my favorite parts of the NC Challenge course. The variety of water enviroments and conditions is a wonderful feature of the NC Challenge: first into wide open waters of the Pamlico around Piney Island and its bombing range,  to the placid and/or thunderstorm-ravaged Neuse river,  to the quiet tree-tunnels of the Harlowe Canal and its three low bridges, to the busy harbor at Beaufort Inlet,  to the senic and gusty Beaufort waterfront on Taylor Creek, to the navigational challenges and wet wild ride in Core Sound,  to the welcoming beach at the finish line.

The Clubfoot Creek trees and grasses have that freshwater river appearance, while Harlowe Creek winds around through green and tan saltmarsh grasses.  The middle section, the hand-dug Harlowe Canal, is arrow-straight with high banks and shaded by tree-tunnels. 

We did not have wind in the middle 6-7 miles of the waterway (Harlowe Canal).  We were kept cool while rowing by the overcast sky and light rains that fell.  Very nice.

More photos and videos are here on the WaterTribe website and more will be posted:

                          http://www.watertribe.com/Events/ChallengeViewer.aspx

Also some here in the "Cedar Island" album:

https://www.photoshop.com/?user=littleberry&galleryid=75061c410a7d4f998d65b1246b2201c5&wf=share&trackingid=BTAGC

 

--Paul

 

[ChrisObee]

Paul Stewart,

Thank you for your reply.  The country there looks beautiful.  I look forward to sailing there one day.  I hope to launch my boat in the spring and I would eventually like to participate in challanges such as this.

[paul_stewart]

Joe,

By the way I thought you would like to know that I did not see any mosquitos during the NC Challenge  --not even on Cedar Island.  Not one.

Someone said the light rains we had keep them down during our ride through the Harlowe. 

I suppose the wind blew them away from us while in the Beaufort, Harkers Island, Back Sound, and Core Sound areas. 

Just a temporary phenomenon for sure.

--Paul

[Ken_Potts]

Don't worry, Paul, they aren't gone - You were just sleeping indoors when they showed themselves.  I woke up Sunday on Cedar Island to a truck cab full of mosquitos.

Never mind why I slept in the truck...

[paul_stewart]

Ken,

Thank you, Helpy Helperton, for a minute there I thought I almost had Joe convinced, almost, maybe.  Tis true I did not see the sun come up Sunday.  They probably never entirely leave the forested parts of the Driftwood Campground.

--Paul

[Ken_Potts]

  Paul,

  Why would Joe be worried about the mosquitos in my truck?  They shouldn't bother anyone but me...

[Oyster]

  Paul,

  Why would Joe be worried about the mosquitos in my truck?  They shouldn't bother anyone but me...

Sure, many others were also worried about you being all jammed up in the truck with a long legged island girl.  :cool:

[Ken_Potts]

long legged island girl.

Oyster, you've got more names for mosquitos than anyone else I've ever met.  Must be a geographical thing.

[Joe Anderson]

I have been away from the computer for a few weeks so I missed following the race live.

But I had great fun viewing the photos and videos on the Watertribe site.

Paul,

I think either you or Alan have happened upon an incredible mosquito repellent.

Congratulation on your NCC performance. The results show you only 12 minutes behind Graham and Randy.

Super.

Joe