Greetings Georgians! I'm sending everyone an open invitation to the first ever homemade raft race being held on the St. Marys River over Memorial Day weekend. I'm calling all adventurers, Mark Twain wanna be's, outdoor enthusiasts, creative fun-loving people, gather teams of 2-4 people, fill out the entry forms, build your homemade rafts out of whatever, travel down to St. Marys and launch your rafts with us on America's cleanest river. Rafts will be launched a few miles east of I-95 at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, Memorial Day weekend, on the St. Marys River, which forms the border between Georgia and Florida flowing from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Atlantic Ocean. We are hoping to draw outdoor enthusiasts from across Georgia and north Florida to float, paddle, sail down the river with the out going tide. There will be trained volunteers to help pull rafts out of the river at the St. Mary City waterfront park. The St. Marys River water is the cleanest in the USA and is largely untouched by humans because of the surrounding undevelopable marsh lands, swamps and wetlands. Manatees, dolphins, river otters, wood storks, great bule herons, bald eagles and osprey are all common sights on the St. Marys River. Yes it is a homemade raft race, but if you're like me and are more about the journey than the destination, rafters are welcome to just ride the tide out at a leisurely pace. It's a race, but the point is to make a raft and enjoy the beautiful tranquility of floating down one of Coastal Georgia's most valuable natural treasures. There will be $200 for the most uniquely designed raft and $500 for arriving at the finnish line first. Rafts can have 2-4 people, everyone must be over 18 and must wear a lifejacket (which can be rented locally). Start making your plans, the entry deadline is May 8, 2009, I believe...here's the link: http://www.thefuninthesunexpo.blogspot.com/ On the St. Marys River with St. Marys City waterfront in the background:
Used but came with a factory canopy, radar reflector, two parachute drogues, vane self steering, oars, ect. Once there's a bit of breeze you can unfurl the lateen or break down the mast and boom to fit inside the boat in a blow. We seldom exceed 4 knots, and probaly less than that over long distances.
