Neches Race / paddle report

[Iamdamoder]

OK so Ron was after me to do a more comprehensive paddle report on the ESK442. I needed a good venue to really test the boat. Of course helping HOW guys down the San Marcos is a challenge (ask Makenmend) but I was looking for a real test of durability and speed.

I had been on the fence hoping my cards came together for this Neches race. I got lucky, finished a job early and had the boat ready in time. Sweet talked my way into a kitchen pass and I was on my way about noon thirty Friday. Somewhere south of Waco I blew a tire on the travel trailer and messed up some sheet metal. I was asking myself if it was turn around time. Glad I had some tin snips to remove the carnage. With little faith in my spare I bought a tire in Waco. So $125 for a trailer tire and a whole bunch or diesel the $30 reg fee was easy.

cool thing about this race is that they launch the slowest boats first. So everyone has someone to pass and the pro boat guys filter thru as the day goes on.

It is a damn tough course thru lay downs and zig zags uberalles. I probably paddled 40 miles to complete 22 river miles. Probably passed over 50 semi submerged trees. I ground thru a few spots on the bottom but not near a hole in the boat.
All in all I had good strait line speed but the boat was still a little hard to turn (eleventy billion times). The key to this deal is the ability to read and run. I followed some real good teams along the way.
The boat was fast and I was surprised how good of a log jumper she was. Plenty stable pretty damn good for the event.

Stats are stats:
Finished 21 of 69 boats at 4 59 28. Which was 3 of 12 mens solo.

I thought Gerald was going to show up but something must have gone wrong.
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[bowgarguide]

Moder
Congratulation on a great finish to your first race ,sounds like your boat preformed well and you are happy with it .
I didnt get to run it last year because I hurt an arm but prepaddled it . That little river will teach you more boat control in a day than paddling most rivers for a year.
Ron
Talked to Gerald and he hurt his back so he is out of racing for a while.

[saffra]

Congratulations on the strong finish, Doug!

[gerald]

Yes...I was all ready for this race when my back went out on the wednesday before the race. Right now I'm hoping it will get better so I can do the CR100 training run this weekend. It sucks getting old. The Neches Race is one of my favorite. Great scenery...great place to paddle.

[neon14]

Thats Awesome! Not bad for an old car racer! Great report.

[Iamdamoder]

Thanks fellas,
There is a boat builder up there named Tim Taylor that launched in the senior class. He kicked some a at 3hrs and 49 min.

Looks like Gerald still has me beat by about 3 min. Just take it easy on the back, I'm no stranger to that.

Neon 14, I knew I'd suck you in on this if I played the race card. I guess it is just something that hangs in our jeans.

The wife printed the results and looks like I'm 19 overall. Guess that makes me an illiterate, drinking smoking kayak Fisherman.

But damn that 3 min. is gonna haunt me for a while. Why did I stop and have a samich in a kayak race I'll never know

[gerald]

Tim Taylor and I usually battle it out in the lead for the senior class, but I think he would have beat me by 30 minutes this year if I had made it there. Back is still tender. CR100 36 mile training run is in 3 days. I'm still planning to make it. Slowly--maybe.

[Iamdamoder]

Gerald, good luck with the back. I had to have the back worked on a couple times, not pretty. I still feel that paddling, in moderation is a good thing for it. Good luck in the cr100.

Tim Taylor was darn fast @ 3:49 and change. Nearly 20 min. ahead of Erin Magee's Surf Ski.
Hat is off to Tim.

I don't plan on doing much racing but I'll raise my Lone Star and tip my hat as y'all pass by.

[gerald]

Thanks...and congratulations on your great finish. That's my favorite race/paddling experience. Tip a caffeine free diet Dr. Pepper for me...