Start - Fort Desoto
The race will start in
Fort Desoto Park
(the link shows a nice bird's eye view of the starting beach) located on Mullet
Key in Tampa Bay, Florida. A large pavilion is reserved for all
day Friday. Boats may assemble on the adjacent beach.
All boats should be left on the beach above the high water mark Friday
night. A guard will be posted.
The pavilion is number 13 at East Beach on the eastern leg of Mullet Key facing
south. There is a very nice beach perfect for launching
boats. There is road access to the beach for sailboats. See
the Chief at the captains meeting for directions
Friday afternoon there will be a captain and crew meeting
which is optional for the Ultra Marathon, but you are welcome to attend.
There will be a short captains meeting for Ultra Marathon participants Saturday
morning at 05:00. Your boat may be inspected for final class
determination.
NOTE: If you arrive late, you may still participate.
Race officials will be at the starting line for at least one hour after the
official start. As long as you check in with a race official before you
launch you can still be in the race. Your time will not be adjusted.
If you don't want to off load your boat right on the beach (for
sailboats), there is a very nice boat ramp on Mullet Key. After you pass
through the toll booth ($0.35 per car + $0.10 per axle) and go over the bridge,
the ramp is on your right. Many cars are parked here for days at a time
for extended fishing trips. This is where you will leave your car and
trailer if you don't get someone to drive it down to Key Largo. The lot
is patrolled. Please note that none of us associated with the race
accepts any responsibility for your vehicle or trailer or their contents.
After you launch, you can sail around Mullet Key to the
pavilion. The Lat/Lon of the pavilion and the beach adjacent to it will
be provided in due course.
Camping on Mullet Key
There is a very nice campground on Mullet Key.
-
Sites 1-85 are designed for tent, van, and pop-up campers.
-
Sites 86-233 are designed and equipped to accommodate all camping
units
-
All sites have water, electrical hookup ( 30 amps), picnic table,
and a charcoal grill
-
Dump stations, restrooms, showers, and laundry are available
-
Many sites are waterfront with room for your kayak or boat in your
camp site.
Reservation is VERY limited. All sites must be reserved in
person with cash. You cannot call on the phone to reserve a site.
Also, you cannot reserve more than 30 days in advance. And as a final attempt
to thwart group camping, one person can reserve at most two campsites. SO WE
WILL HELP YOU:
-
You will need to provide your own ride from the campground to the
launch beach. Most of the time you can hitch a ride with another
challenger. If you can't find a ride, let someone know at the equipment
inspection.
-
You must reserve two nights beginning Friday.
-
The cost is $33.30 per night but is subject to change. See
the latest fee schedule. This fee is not part of your challenge entrance
fee.
-
Up to six people may be in a site but only one tent and two
vehicles.
-
I will recruit as many volunteers as we need to go stand in line on
Feb. 4 at sunrise to reserve a spot for you.
-
We will do the best we can but there are no guarantees.
-
If for some reason we cannot reserve a site for you, you will get a
full refund of your camping fees.
-
Once a reservation has been made for you, THERE ARE NO
REFUNDS. The campground won't refund to us either.
-
This is a very nice campground that is in heavy use at this time of
year. Their rules are strict and they don't like big groups. They
throw up these road blocks to make it difficult for a group to get in.
Sorry but it's the only campground that is convenient.
-
Checkout time for your family and friends is 1:00 PM.
Sorry, there is no group camp available. All group activities
will take place at the pavilion or at a beach or locations to be announced.
|