Walkin' The Line and St. Lucie Claims One

By Matt Layden
Posted at 02:14 PM on March 15, 2006

Matt Layden - known as the Wizard - is earning his Watertribe moniker. At this writing he is approaching St. George, a small town on the Georgia side of the state line. The Watertribe Chief, Steve Isaac, is trying to beat him there driving up 301 and may not.

Today, Wizardly Matt will begin his 40-mile overland portage. Imagine the thin, 140-pound Layden pulling a boat that weighs 180 pounds with probably at least 25 pounds of gear in it across land. I know it would be hard for me to walk 40 miles let alone drag a sailboat. He did fashion wheels that attach to the hull, but still...

The next nearest racer is Manitou cruiser and he is waiting for the tide change to leave Fort Clinch State Park at the mouth of the St. Mary's River. Shark Chow expects to reach the Fort Clinch checkpoint tonight.

Several of the others are making their way into a fierce headwind through Treasure Coast waters as we write. The northeast winds were too much for thereandbackagain who called it quits sometime today after reaching the St. Lucie Inlet. Paddling a kayak into a headwind with no legs was just too much, and he is awaiting his pickup now. Congratulations on making it this far.

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