Mike and Sue Barnett take their 18-foot trimaran for a sail. The New Port Richey couple will have eight days to travel 300 nautical miles in the Everglades Challenge in March.
FEBRUARY 2011_ MIKE AND SUE BARNETT OF PORT RICHEY WILL SAIL THEIR 18-FOOT CLARITY IN THE EVERGLADES CHALLENGE IN MARCH. THEY HAVE EIGHT DAYS TO TRAVEL 300 NAUTICAL MILES WITH NO ASSISTANCE.
Mike and Sue Barnett met boating and are celebrating their shared passion by sailing down to the Keys in the Everglades Challenge. They'll also raising money for the autistic son of a TGH nurse killed last year.
Mike Barnett has a romantic getaway planned with his wife: an intimate boat cruise with glorious sunrises and sunsets.
Good thing Sue Barnett knows their loving escape also will include around-the-clock exposure to the elements, a tiny tent and a menu featuring soup served in sturdy Thermos bottles.
How enchanting.
Open-water workouts are a way of life for the New Port Richey couple, who found each other in a local kayaking group. (That's where I met them, for a story about couples who find sparks through recreation.)
Guests paddled to attend Mike and Sue's 2009 wedding on the Homosassa River. And the reception lasted all night for those willing to camp out.
Now, the Barnetts are gearing up for another, more physically grueling adventure. The couple – and a 30-year-old, 18-foot trimaran sailboat christened "Clarity" – will travel 300 nautical miles along Florida's Gulf Coast as part of the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge.
"I think we've got a really good chance of finishing," says Mike, 46, who knows reaching Key Largo isn't a certainty in this challenge, which has been around more than a decade.
Once they launch at 7 a.m. March 5 from St. Petersburg's Fort DeSoto Park, they have up to eight days to sail south to Key Largo. They expect to take three to five. During the race, they must hit three checkpoints, and they may pitch camp along the way.
Nearly 70 teams will join them, paddling sea kayaks, canoes or small boats in whatever conditions Mother Nature offers.
"We're going to get sunburn and hypothermia together," says Mike with a laugh.
The couple was dating when Mike, an underground utility supplier, first eyed Clarity, an old-school sailboat similar to the better known trampoline-style catamaran. It needed a lot of repair, and Sue suggested she chip in for half of the boat. Mike says that's the day he knew they were destined to spend their lives together.
Clarity has spent the last few months in the couple's back yard, where Mike and 11-year-old stepson Justin have feverishly waterproofed and repaired the vintage sailboat. It will hit the water soon, as Sue and Mike need about 12 to 18 hours to rehearse maneuvers on the two 4-by-8-foot trampolines, including speedy hoisting and lowering of the sail.
"I'm game for the adventure," Sue says. "I like the unknown."
The physical endurance required for this race is as demanding as the sailing skills. Sue, 50, recently ran her first half-marathon, and she is focusing on maintaining core strength.
"Sailing can be deceptive. People don't know how much core endurance is needed," says Sue, a nurse in the vascular intensive care unit at Tampa General Hospital.
They're also eating lighter and drinking more water. They're planning to live on soup heated up at camp every night. A Thermos will keep it warm on the boat, which will be sailing on still-cold waters the entire time.
The elements don't intimidate the couple, especially since they were inspired to sail for a purpose: They've transformed their physical challenge into a fundraiser to help with medical expenses for 5-year-old Aidric Hunt, who has autism. Aidric's mom, Larsen Hunt, a 25-year-old single mom and Tampa General neonatal nurse, was murdered in October, a victim of domestic violence.
Banks Sail of Tampa created a special sail Sue and Mike will use on the Everglades Challenge. It carries the Hope4Aidric.org logo and will be covered with signatures from donors and supporters. It will be a constant reminder to put "purpose into their passion," Mike says.
Mike and Sue say they entered the race as part of a personal dream, but now it's motivating them to become the best partners they can be. Larsen Hunt did amazing things for her son, they say, and they're moved to do the same for one another.
Mike and Sue Barnett will hold a "sail signing" from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, February 18 at A Cup of Organic coffee shop, 1900 Oak Grove Blvd. in Lutz. Proceeds will go to the Aidric Hunt Assistance Fund. For details, visit www.claritysailingadventures.wordpress.com .
Want to share your health and fitness idea? Contact me at (813) 259-7365 or mshedden@tampatrib.com, or follow @4youTampa on Twitter.
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