We have a couple days to update here, but before we get too far into it I want to thank everyone in the family for helping keep me and this site updated. Now, since we have some new comers that were invited into this journey here is a quick introduction of the names & relation to Ned that you will see throughout the entries and updates...Keith and Becky are Ned's brother and sister in law. The nephews are Kevin, Shawn, Larry and Gary. Niece Lindy. Daughter Dawn and son Duane.

Here's a little background on Captain Ned to help bring the new comers up to speed on the man we hope you continue to read about. Captain Ned Mott is 69 years young, and if you read the first entry you know he is kayaking his way from Indiana to the "Rainbow's End". But what you may not know is that the "Rainbow's End" is a boat that he built in our back yard in Fort Wayne, IN. Originally known as the "HO-BO" the "Rainbow's End" has gone through many changes over the years so I'm unable to give you current dimension but when she was first built she was a schooner that was 42' on deck 52' overall. Just like everything else, hind site is always 20/20. After years of living aboard the "HO-BO" he realized what worked and what didn't. He ended up pulled her out of the water, horizontally cut her in half and started over. Grinning from ear to ear she went back in the water as the "Rainbow's End". Home. Home is currently docked in Tarpon Springs, FL.

Quick story - Last summer as Capt. Ned was scooting through on another one of his many adventures he stopped to see me and anchored where he normally does under the SR 520 causeway on the Indian River between Merritt Island and Cocoa, FL. My kids used to think their grandpa lived under a bridge. Anyway, we were kicked back drinking a couple ice cold Busch beers, better know to dad as gold tops, and as we were looking at these new condos that had just recently gone up right on the water, he asked me, "how much do you thing those ugly things cost" I said anywhere between 2 and 3 hundred thousand. He chuckled and said "fools, on this side of that sea wall it's free, I have a better view and come sun rise, my view is gonna change". You cant argue with that.

More stories will follow...trust me...there are a bunch of them. But now, on with the update...

Day - 4

Capt. Ned got started around 8:45 am and ended around 5:00 pm where set up camp on a sand bar on the edge of Lafayette. He said he had a tail wind and was able to use his umbrella as a sail for the first time. Hitting mind blowing speeds of 4+ knots. Rice is on the dinner menu.

Day - 5

Per Lindy, Ned got started around 10:00 am. The wind is picking up and the umbrella sail is working like a dream. Like a dream, that is until it blew inside out, came unhooked from the kayak and was sinking like the signal bars on Larry's cell phone. Wait a second...has anyone heard from Larry lately. Moving on, he got to the umbrella just before it sank. Day 5 ended in Attica with another 30 miles behind him, a couple new fishermen friends he met and some coffee made from Wabash river water.

Day - 6 - Happy Memorial Day and Thank You To All Veterans...Young and Old.

Captain Ned got a full charge on his cell phone and is making his rounds calling everyone. According all reports received and what I got straight from the source, he's still having a great time. His spirits are high. Speaking of spirits, I think that's why he was calling everybody to let us all know, not that he was safe or to give us a location update, but to let us all know that his camp site was a short, frying pans skip away from a store where he scored a cold sixer of gold tops that he shot through like shit through a goose. The gold top camp site was in Covington, IN where...get this...he pitched his tent right next to the no camping sign. He said by the time he noticed, it was just too late and too damn bad for anyone who may have had a problem with it. It was a short day, 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. 20 miles upwind all day. He said his shoulders were a little sore but that by the time he hits Tarpon Springs he going to look like Arnold Schwartzenager.

This is not the official day - 7 report, I want to wait to hear from Keith and anyone else who may have talked to him before the official day 7. I did however receive a mid day report from Kevin who talked to him around 11:30 am today 5/28/2008 and I talked to him around 8:30 pm, he said he's about 6 miles away from Montezuma, it's raining and that he had to pitch the tent in the rain, which was a bummer. Wishing he had more cold beer.