in association with St. Johns Riverkeeper
Expedition #5
Tuesday, June 7
Update #3
All crew and swimmers are confirmed!
Our SASJ Sponsors:
Visit the Swim Across the St. Johns at JumpingFish! Click here
Visit St. Johns Riverkeeper! Become a member! Click here
Visit St. Johns Riverkeeper! Become a member! Click here
Visit the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society! Click here
Visit The River Returns, Stories of the Great St. Johns! Click here Much to learn here at this beautiful site!
Visit Fleming Island Marina. Click here
Visit our blog! Click here
Visit JumpingFish Coaching! Click here
Once you jump off that dock and into the expanse of the St. Johns, it is quite exhilarating. It’s you and the river, and that’s a beautiful thing. When you have some time, visit this website: Water’s Journey, The River Returns.
Like all events, Swim Across the St. Johns costs money. We welcome contributions toward the rental of the boat, gas, equipment, etc.! Visit our donation page here, which has a link to PayPal.As many of you know, I have a rotator cuff injury after the Amelia Island race in May, so I will probably not swim in Expedition #5. It’s all good, as we have some willing athletes, ready to take the challenge. It's a great opportunity to meet some of our expedition goals!
Meet the Expedition #5 Open Water Swimmers:
Katie Bombly
Diego De Los Rios
Samantha Valverde
Meet the Expedition #5 Crew:
Joan Davis, Captain
Jim Alabiso, NAV, COMM, Photography, Direction
Coach Colin Hardy, GPS, Stats, Analytics, Photography
Luis Etchenique, EMT, Marine Rescue Swimmer
Luis Etchenique, EMT, Marine Rescue Swimmer
Motionbuzz.com, Launch Videography & Interviews
Expedition #5 Goals:
- Raise Awareness for the St. Johns River.
- Duplicate the success of Expedition #4.
- Refine the route.
- Give interested open water swimmers the opportunity to swim the course.
- Make observations of group swim dynamics of this course.
The goal of this expedition is to duplicate the success of Expedition #4 and refine the route. In addition, we'll give fellow swimmers a chance to practice the course, and I'll be able to observe the swim from a different perspective! As a team, we are laying the groundwork for the July Solo Swim and the October Race.
Details
Schedule:
08:00 Crew Meeting
08:30 Leave from Doctors Lake Marina and provide briefing and tour and of swim course to County Dock in Mandarin.
09:45 Return to Fleming Island Marina and complete final checklist to prepare for swim.
10:15 Swim begins off Fleming Island Marina outermost dock.
12:00 Anticipated arrival time at County Dock/Mandarin Museum and Historical Society & debriefing.
12:20 Head back to Doctors Lake Marina.
13:00 Fini!
Swimmers Bring:
- Goggles (and a backup pair)
- Brightly colored swim cap (no dark colors)
- Petroleum jelly, if desired
- A REUSABLE water bottle on a string (No plastic disposable bottles)
- Towels
- Water shoes or boots (for your exit at County Dock)
- Clothes for after the swim
- Emergency contact name & phone number
- Your insurance card
Minimum Swimmer Requirements:
Be able to swim a distance 3.6 miles or 6 k.
Swim at an average speed of 2.0 MPH (30 minute mile)
Complete the course in under 02:00 hours.
Guidelines:
This is an expedition swim and not a race. We have one boat and crew. Swimmers MUST stay together for safety. The faster swimmers must keep pace with the slower swimmers. If each swimmer can keep a pace of 1.9 mph (30 minute mile), we should be fine.
Swimmers must wear a BRIGHT swim cap.
Swimmers must wear a BRIGHT swim cap.
The challenge of this swim is more about working with the current than about speed. If you work with the current, you WILL be faster than pulling hard and fast.
We WILL stop for boats. Swimmers can paddle as we wait or get on the boat if they choose, if treading water is not an issue for them.
The captain makes all final safety decisions. Swimmers and crew must follow the captain's direction.
We will be using a boat horn to signal swimmers. Earplugs for swimmers are not recommended for this reason unless you can hear through them.
The swim is at your own risk. The boat and crew are there to assist you as you practice the swim.
If the pace is too slow, we may ask you to board so the other swimmers may finish.
If you don’t make it the first time, it’s okay! This should be a relaxing, fun and Zen experience.
Have fun. This is a chance to really learn who you are as a swimmer!
Hydration and Feeding:
Bring a reusable water bottle on a string. The crew will throw it out to you. You may also do this with food if you like.
If you want something to eat after the swim, bring a lunch with you. Sometimes we all go out to eat after an expedition. Yum!
Crew Meeting:
We will meet at Doctors Lake Marina at 8:00am for a quick meeting and to pick up the boat. It is a large pontoon boat.
Tour and Briefing:
At 8:30am, we will take a tour of the route and return to Fleming Island Marina by 9:45am. We will conduct the briefing during the tour.
Launch:
The launch will be at the outermost dock of Fleming Island Marina. Swimmers will disembark the boat to this dock. The swim is timed by a launch window calculated by currents and tides. On June 7, the launch is at 10:15am. This should put us at our destination by 12 noon.
Landing:
The landing is at County Dock in Mandarin. Bring some water shoes or booties. We will throw them to you so you can walk out safely in case of oyster beds or debris near the dock.
Return:
We will return to Doctors Lake Marina to turn in the boat by 1:00pm.
Love your river…
