Captain Ned Mott's Kayak Krooz 2008

2008-07-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Super Mott!!!

There are no question marks behind the term Super Mott. Captain Ned Mott, my dad, is made of steal. You can drag that SOB through a keg of nails and he's gonna come out saying "is that all you got...I thought you said it was gonna be tough". There is no sway in 'Ol Ned's intentions. Captain Ned's beam is level and his keel is straight and true. Unfortunately, now and then there are things that happen that cant be avoided. This is the reason the good 'Ol Captain has not responded yet.

Now...I'll not apologize for the delay in response from Capt. Ned, but I will apologize for lying to you in the first paragraph...there are things that can be avoided. Such things as...oh...I don't know...things like, trying to run my dad over in a pickup truck while he's riding his bicycle up to Rusty Bellies for a bite to eat and to BS with the locals. "I believe that could have been avoided!!!"

I'm not going to elaborate to much on the incident, other then Capt. Ned was struck by a truck while riding his bicycle and he now needs some time to heal. With that said, unless requested by the man himself, this will be the final post until Capt. Ned decides to continue his trip.

Capt. Ned wanted me to give everyone a heartfelt thank you. Thanks to everyone he had the pleasure of meeting along the way. Whether it was a ride to the store for rations, the use of a cell phone, a home cooked meal, a cold beer, a point in the right direction, a wave, or just a simple hello, you all made his trip more enjoyable.

If you would like to be notified when the Kayak Krooz continues please send me an email with Captain Ned or Kayak Krooz in the subject line and I'll get back with you.

If you would like to say hello to Captain Ned and or wish him well, please also title the email Captain Ned or Kayak Krooz. nedemott@aol.com

Thank you all very much! I hope you enjoyed.

Sincerely,
Duane Mott
dmott@rotech.com

2008-07-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

2008-07-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Krooz News...

Shhh...do you hear that? Neither do I...it's because a very reliable source told me over the weekend that the fat lady hasn't sung yet. Hating to leave anything unfinished, Captain Ned informed me that he plans to continue the Kayak Krooz when hurricane season is over and he gets some favorable winds. He said "my plan was to kayak to Florida and damn it I'm gonna do it". "I want to get dropped off on the same damn beach and finish what I started".

Saturday 7/12/2008 pretty much consisted of kicking back on the dock with ice cold gold tops and hearing all about the first leg of the captains trip. Well...some of us were drinking gold tops...Gary was drinking Lite, but we decided to let him slide because he had on his Mott shirt, and besides it left the good stuff for us. This went on all afternoon until hunger set in, then we were off like a cannon shot to Rusty Bellies Waterfront Grill for a very fine meal. After dinner we ran and got some more gold tops so we could continue our bull sh!t session on the dock.

We got another hour or two in on the dock before the thunder storms rolled in. The storms didn't slow us down though, we just moved over into the shed and kept right on going, never missing a beat. The shed, which is pictured behind Gary, is actually a section that was cut off of an old ship. The BS session went on in there for several more hours. The pictures of Gary and I with the captain weren't taken until about 4 or 4:30 in the morning. I'll tell you what...Captain Ned is a damn party animal. The sun was on the rise before our heads hit a pillow. Good times! I am proud to be a damnMott.

Moving back to the continuation of the Kayak Krooz, we cant lie, we're not exactly sure when it will happen. 'Ol Ned says it depends on the weather and that he'll make that decision when the time comes. In the mean time the blog will lay dormant for a while, but before that happens Capt. Ned has a few things that he would like to say.

Stay tuned for words from the Captain Ned...

2008-07-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

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2008-07-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

There are several more pictures, but unfortunately this is all I have time to load today. I have to get out of here so I can get over to Tarpon Springs.

We'll be back with more ASAP.

2008-07-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

2008-07-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello...

Here are a few of the pictures Capt. Ned took on his journey. I'm only able to load 5 at a time. I will do my best to keep them in order.

On the last leg of Captain Ned's Kayak Krooz he let his buddy Joe do all of the paddling. Joe averaged a solid 75 knots while 'Ol Ned rode shot gun drinking ice cold H2O and ate junk food. Captain Ned officially made it back to his home in Tarpon Springs, FL at 8:49 AM 7/9/2008.

More will follow...

2008-07-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have good news, bad news, more good news and great news.

Were going to start with the bad...after going back to see where we left off, I realized that I am THERE - THEIR & THEY'RE challenged. The good news is, I have recognized this problem, admitted I have a problem and now I'm on the road to recovery. Hmmm...I wonder if I can get special front row parking for something like this?

Friday the 4th, Captain Ned got a ride from St. Francisville over to the Pearl River just north of Slidell, LA. He said his kayak was hanging about 6 feet out the back of the Ranger pick up truck with a red shirt duct taped to the stern. The trip took about 2.5 hours. He said it had to be quite the site kroozing down the highway.

Now at sea level Capt. Ned's first night on the Pearl River, or should I say a tributary of the Pearl, he ran into the Holden family. The Holden family set 'Ol Ned up with a Louisiana feast fit for a king and a map of the local waterways. When I spoke with the captain that night he said "you are not going to guess what I'm eating", "I'm eating boiled ship, blue crab, corn on the cob, potatoes with sausage and all kinds of good stuff". He said it was more then he could eat, but he was going to give it his best shot. He wanted me to make sure I mentioned and thanked the Holden family for their hospitality and feast. Thank You!!!

Capt. Ned found out by the park police that he was camping on federal reserve land. After pleasantries exchanged, the situation was explained, the intrigued park police BS'ed with Capt. Ned for a while and said unless exploring the bayou's is your desire, you may want to head in this direction. They helped the good 'ol captain by highlighting a few things on his map and told him of some things to look for.

Capt. Ned paddled a very scenic 20 miles making his way from the West Pearl to the East Pearl. Said he saw many dozens of shanty boat homes while weaving in and out of all these little nooks and crannies. One of the shanty's had a sign entitled "Red Neck Yacht Club". The letters in the sign were spelled backwards. He said he's having a great time, there are lots of people to talk too.

Sunday morning 'Ol Ned packed up his camp site, which was on a bed of oyster shells with fiddler crabs as company and pushed off on another day of paddling. Sunday ended up being the hardest day to date. He had a major head wind all day. When he got to the bay at the mouth of the Pearl he had to carve his way through all of the sea grass and fight the chop. Capt. Ned made it 12 miles on Sunday and he earned every one of them.

Sunday nights camp site was near Claremont Harbor Lake Shores. The captain said he could see civilization a few miles ahead but he was just too damn tired to get there. He plans to keep on keeping on Monday.

Monday wasn't much better for Capt. Ned. The wind was again pretty brutal on forward progress. Wilson unable to help at all. The water again was very choppy. Capt. Ned had to paddle as hard as he could just to keep from going backwards. He then made the executive decision to hit the beach and walk his kayak. It was this beach in Waveland, MS where 'Ol Ned ran into Pamela. Pamela, Capt. Ned said "thank you very much, you were a life saver and your kindness made his day".

Moving on to Captain Ned's current whereabouts...if you happened to look at the maps before you started reading my hack writing then you already know that Captain Ned has ended the Kayak Krooz. I got a call Monday afternoon at 4:30 PM EST "hey mon, it's over". I asked if it was official, he said "as far as I'm concerned it is".

After Capt. Ned parted ways with Pamela he continued to walk his kayak until he ran out of beach. Captain Ned paddled around the next point, and as soon as he came to the next beach he was walking it again. Monday saw a total of 8 miles. 4 of which were a strenuous paddle and the rest were walked.

The Kayak Krooz came to a close on a beach in Bay St. Lewis, Mississippi. The heavy easterly winds, the rough seas and the forecast that they would continue for several day's were the deciding factor in Capt. Ned's decision.

More good news...Captain Ned Mott started the Kayak Krooz the same way he ended it...on his terms. The great news I mentioned is actually selfish on my part...I'm going to be kicking back on the "Rainbow's End" this weekend with my dad drinking some ice cold "gold tops".

Captain Ned Mott has reached his destination...he is back aboard the "Rainbow's End".

STOP!!! WAIT!!! DON'T LEAVE YET!!! More will follow...I received the pictures that Capt. Ned took along his journey. These will be posted ASAP. Also, I will be snapping some pictures of the good 'ol captain at his destination this weekend, and in order to officially close this thing down right we're going to have to get some comments from 'Ol Ned himself.

Please stay tuned...

2008-07-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

Sorry I didn't get back with you yesterday…that pesky work thing kept getting in the way.

So…where were we…oh yeah…we were continuing with day 43. Well…day 43 is in the past and this moment were in now will never come again, so lets start fresh with where Captain Ned is now. Let’s get to ‘Ol Ned’s destinations and decisions.

Yesterday, 7/3/2008 at 12:30 PM EST “Hey mon…what’s happenin, how you doin, everything going alright” is what I got when I picked up. Pondering the thought I’m doing the same damn thing I was doing yesterday, I asked what’s happenin with you...where the hell are ya? He said he was feeling kind of lazy and was just drifting along at about 4.1. Said he didn't push off until 9, he sat, sipped coffee and watch the water. He’s looking forward to hitting different color water. He’s got Florida in his cross hairs.

He said it was sprinkling which felt good, but the wind is nonexistent. We all know what no wind means...Wilson is worthless. Capt. Ned is cursing Wilson pretty good. Said that if he doesn’t pull his damn weight when he hits the Gulf Of Mexico he’s going to drown that miserable no good lazy SOB. He said he tried to use him the other day, but as soon as he came out of retirement the wind shifted immediately and came in nose first. He says “I just know that SOB is laughing at me, watching me do all the work”. Be advised Wilson could very well meet the same demise as the frying pan, computer, numerous cameras and various other items I probably shouldn't mention.

Well…its official…Captain Ned has hit his end destination on the Mississippi. He’s in St. Francisville, LA or at least he was when I talked to him last night just before 8 PM. He informed me that he’s in a pretty crappy spot next to the boat landing. He said “St. Francisville isn’t crappy; I’m just not real pleased with where my camp site is”.

Capt. Ned got into St. Francisville around 2 PM yesterday and so far has had no luck finding someone to take him over to the Pearl River, but he basically just arrived. He said that there is a small tavern about a quarter to half mile from the landing and there are a couple people their that are going to put their feelers out.

It’s just after 1PM now and I’m hoping we get a call from Capt. Ned pretty soon letting us know he’s in route to his next destination. The only calls I keep getting are from some friends that are trying to get me to go out on the boat. LOL…she said all the cool people are doing it…I told her no…no…not all of the cool people…one of ‘em is going to stay inside on this absofreakinglutly beautiful 4th of July day and type on a blog.

Hmmm…I should get my head examined; I really should be out their buzzing up and down the Indian and Banana River watching those bikinis bounce with every wave. LOL…I can see and hear dad now, I’d get a raised brow look with a “what the hell were you thinking”. Then he’d laugh at me and say “well damn the bad luck…but ya know…it’s your own damn fault”.

Moving away from my mental pictures and self absorption, let’s get back to Capt. Ned and his plans. I mentioned in a previous post that ‘Ol Ned had some decisions to make when he hit the Gulf. Yeah…I’m going to have to get back with you on that…I’m going boating. LOL…just kidding ya…here’s the deal; we’re not exactly sure where Captain Ned plans to end his Kayak Krooz.

The final destination is the “Rainbow’s End” and the good ‘ol captain will most definitely get their, however the Kayak Krooz may end somewhere up in the pan handle??? We don’t know, and neither does Capt. Ned. He’s not their yet and if you’ve learned anything from his actions and my feeble attempts at writing, you have learned that Captain Ned Mott does what he wants, when he wants and he wont make that damn decision until he gets their.

I can however truthfully tell you that ‘Ol Ned’s spirits are as high; he has thoroughly enjoyed himself and he has absolutely no regrets.

Currently 30 feet above sea level, when Capt. Ned drops and transitions from muddy brown water into the clear blue that he loves so much, he will have the tides to deal with. Not so much “deal with”, this man can read the water…he owns it, but the rise and fall of the tides will be working against him as well as with him.

According to my Rand McNally the inner coastal waterway and barrier islands, up in the pan handle, end near Apalachicola, FL. This point was a topic of discussion recently, but then again I’ve heard him say the following “I’ve come this far”…”hell I don’t know”…and the classic “I’ll make that decision when I get their”.

Whether it’s Tarpon Springs, Apalachicola or at the Florida (GO GATORS) State line or wherever the hell captain decides to end “his” Krooz, he can say “I Huck Finn’ed my ass in a kayak from Indiana to Florida, I did it for sh!ts & giggles and to be able to say I did it…nothing more”.

We'll give you another update as soon as we here back from 'Ol Ned. Stay tuned...

2008-07-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Day - 43

On his own personal little sand bar about 15 miles from Louisiana Captain Ned woke up and pushed off for another day of paddling. He paddled about 35 miles yesterday and estimates he'll get close to 40 today.

At 2:53 PM EST the "Kayak Voyager" (Marine VHF Radio Call Sign), as 'Ol Ned is known too all of the tug and river boat captains up and down the Mighty Mississippi, crossed over into Louisiana. He was passing "The Farm" A.K.A. The Louisiana State Penitentiary, spotted a big radio tower and decided to check his cell for a signal. We had a very nice, very clear signal. We chatted for a good 20 minutes while he drifted along at about 3.2 knots.

The captain informed me that he'll be setting up camp near Morganza, LA tonight and will paddling into St. Francisville tomorrow. St. Francisville is where Capt. Ned is going to hire someone to jump him over to the Pearl River. Let's hope he can find a kind sole with a sense of adventure that will do it just for sake of doing it. I know my dad would.

Oh!!!...hang on...hang on...Capt. Ned's calling again...

Okay, Capt. Ned is about 20 to 22 miles from St. Francisville and has his condo all set up. He said he's got a very nice spot on the levee, but Shhhh...he thinks he may still be on "The Farm's" property and he damn sure doesn't want to become resident.

We laughed and talked for a solid 20 minutes, and I have more Krooz News for ya, however, it's going to have to wait until tomorrow, I've gotta run. Until then, rest assured Captain Ned Mott is alive & grinning, and is utilizing his Po Monkey's can coozy.

2008-07-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

Timing is everything! Miss a beat and you lose the rhythm.

The only rhythm lost have been the blog updates. As for Captain Ned, his metronome is right in time. He's keeping on keeping on.

Day - 38

Captain Ned took Friday off. He hung around Vicksburg played the tourist, rested, refueled and replenished. He had to take a trip to wally world to buy smaller pants because his kept falling down. I hope the beans he used for trade was casino winnings.

At 72 feet above sea level Vicksburg, MS is a town that Capt. Ned said is full of very nice, down to earth people. He very much enjoyed his stay their.

Saturday - Day 39

Capt. Ned now well rested pushed off at a decent time and was headed for Natchez, MS. From what I understand he was in contact via 2 way with Cousin Shawn and things were going well, but again the signal was poor, so not much info was provided.

Sunday came and went with no contact from 'Ol Ned.

Day - 41

Capt. Ned made it to Natchez and camped between an old time tavern and a casino. He had to borrow a phone to make brief contact with Uncle Keith and Aunt Becky. He said that good camp sites are becoming harder to find because of the marshy terrain. He also said that he got caught up in a pretty good goose drowning rain storm, and that he hopes that doesn't happen again any time soon.

Tuesday July 1st Day - 42

Excited to see "Dad" pop up on my caller ID, the timing couldn't have been worse. I was in the process of my daily commute from Merritt Island to my office in Orlando and I was right smack in the middle of a construction zone. I had no place to pull over and take notes. We chatted for a few minutes, but I had to cut it short because cell phones, construction zones and major traffic moving at warp speed is a recipe for disaster. I tried to call him back several times, but have had no luck getting through.

Capt. Ned said that he had a great time in Natchez and although he decided against it, he contemplated hanging around for another day. He said that he meet several very nice folks, had several cold "gold tops" and was interviewed by another reporter, whom he said was not shy about snapping pictures. Speaking of pictures...hmmm...I wonder...I wonder if we'll ever get to see the pictures that Capt. Ned sent too Larry???

Captain Ned's plan is to stop just north of Baton Rouge, LA and find someone to haul him and all of his gear over to the Pearl River. This has been his plan all along, he just wasn't exactly sure where he wanted to make this lateral jump. He just always says "I'll make that decision when I get there". The Pearl River will lead the captain down near the mouth of Lake Pontchartrain in the Lake St. Catherine / Lake Borgne area which will then dump him into the Gulf Of Mexico.

Once Capt. Ned reaches the Gulf Of Mexico he's going to need to make another decision. It's something we've discussed a couple times on the phone, but I didn't think it was worth mentioning until now...'Ol Ned is going to have to decide on...LOL...I may be easy...but I'm not that easy. Stay tuned.

2008-06-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

Day - 37

Captain Ned is in Vicksburg, MS. He's had a pretty good head wind working against him today. He said is was real bad when he was paddling up the wazoo. I just laughed and asked what river did you say...the wazoo? He said "oops...please excuse my vocal miscarriage I meant to say Yazoo River".

It was 3:16 PM EST when the call came in. He said his bow just hit the shore and he was wore plum smooth from the 1/2 to 3/4 mile paddle up the 'Ol Yazoo. Not so smooth that it was going to keep him from going and rooting around for some cold "gold tops" though. He's planning to set up camp on top of the levee. His new neighbor is a casino river boat.

We had a good signal but he was kind itching to get out of the kayak, stretch and go scouting around, so I didn't pepper him with questions of the missing stops. Hoping for a good nights sleep so tomorrow he can try to make up some time the wind stole from him today.

I asked the captain if had gotten a hold of anyone else and he said that he talked to Aunt Becky and was going to make a couple more calls after he got settled in, so we'll be back in touch tomorrow after we get a complete family update. Stay tuned.

2008-06-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Day - 36 - 2nd update...

I got another call from Capt. Ned just before 4 PM EST. He said he set his condo up in the rain but that he was now looking at blue sky drinking a warm "gold top". He said he had contemplated pushing off again but it was still pretty windy and didn't feel much like fighting it. Said he would rather kick back and polish off the other beers he found rolling around behind his seat.

Prior to losing our Larry style cell signal the captain informed me that he was closer to Vicksburg, MS then he thought. After he got settled and got an accurate reading on his GPS he found that he was only 15 miles north of Vicksburg, and he's only 360 miles from New Orleans.

As for the map, as soon as we have a good signal and some talk time we'll try to get the missing camping locations filled in. But then again...who knows...we may not...we know where he is right now and we know he's got a Busch in his hand. Life is good!

2008-06-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hello - Hello

Wednesday - Day 36

2:02 PM EST...I just received a call from Captain Ned. First personal contact since last Friday afternoon. He's currently about 20 / 25 miles north of Vicksburg, MS. He said all is good but he's getting ready to stop and hunker down. Thunderstorms moving in fast. He said it looks like the storm is behind him but he's not taking any chances. He ran into some pretty bad weather yesterday. He said the rain wasn't so bad but the wind was slapping him around pretty good.

I was scrambling to pull up a weather source on the net to let him know for sure what was happening and I told that if we got cut off, I'd call him right back and let him know what the deal was. I also said that if I couldn't get through I would definitely leave a message. He said "tell you what mon...I'm going to go ahead and hang up now...that was a pretty damn big lightning bolt".

I called him right back and got his voicemail. I informed him that only one part of the storm was behind him, that he's only threading the needle and there's another side of it getting ready to smack him in the face. I ended my message to him with "keep the good side up, take care and call us when you can".

Although our conversation was very short, I could tell that his spirits are soring high.

We'll be back in touch as soon as Capt. Ned is back in touch.

2008-06-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures that were taken and provided by Mr. John Ruskey. There's not much explanation that needs to accompany these pictures other then notice the river is up, Captain Ned Mott is looking pretty damn good, and that lazy SOB Wilson is doing nothing but catching some rays all folded up strapped on the front deck of the kayak.

Also, we hope to be able to post some pictures that Captain Ned has taken. He mailed a full camera to Cousin Larry, which Larry confirmed that he received last Wednesday, but that he was currently on a weekend golfing extravaganza, and that he would email me the pictures on Monday. Hmmm...Monday has come and gone and no pictures. Larry has disappeared like Captain Ned's cell signal. Hey Larry...hint-hint...don't forget to forward me the pics.

2008-06-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

Weekend update...Days 32 & 33

Captain Ned still doesn't have a signal on his cell phone. Leslie Van Pelt on the other hand does have a signal. Capt. Ned ran into Leslie and some other very nice folks on an island / sandbar. Leslie let Capt. Ned borrow her phone so he could check in real quick to let us know he was alive.

Capt. Ned contacted Uncle Keith for a quick hey mon, doing fine, in Rosedale, MS camping on an island with some other nice folks, their are bear tracks on the island, hoping to be in Vicksburg, MS in a couple days, cant talk, borrowing phone, have to get off of here so I can commence to the consumption of some of my new found friends cold beer.

Please be sure to go back a couple / few posts and check out the comments. Leslie, Heidi and Brent have posted some comments, and it sounds to me like there was some partying going on. And not only did they supply 'Ol Ned with cell service and beer, but they also gave him a "Po Monkey's Lounge" beer huggie.

3 Delta Icons...The River...The Plantation...and The Juke. Po Monkey's Lounge is one of the last standing blues juke joints. This is a MUST SEE kind of place. Use the popular search engine that I have mentioned in the past and just punch in Po Monkey's Lounge and be ready for a plethora of information and history. There are several sites and articles. Pretty cool.

The action photos of Captain Ned come to us courtesy of Mr. John Ruskey. John Ruskey of Clarksdale, MS sent me an email titled "Your father at Kangaroo Point mile 650". Saturday June 21st, Summer Solstice, Mr. Ruskey, founder/owner/operator of the "Quapaw Canoe Company" was out with 6 other people in a canoe that he built when they rendezvoused with Capt. Ned around noon a couple miles south of Friars Point, MS.

I checked out the Quapaw Canoe Company / John's web site www.island63.com and this too is a MUST SEE. I'm not done checking it out yet, there is a lot their. Their are journals & photos of canoe expeditions, an events calender, and at the very bottom of his home page John graces the cover of the "Memphis Flyer" magazine. The article dates back to December 2000, but I can almost guarantee that if you read this article, as I did, and check out the pictures at the end you are going to want to take a trip with this dude, as I now do.

John, thank you again for pictures and especially for the kind words about my dad.

I created the maps working off of what was posted in the comments and emails received from the fine people 'Ol Ned has paddled across in the last couple days. I believe it to be pretty accurate.

2008-06-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here they are...the birth of the "Rainbow's End". In the last photo Captain Ned is explaining his vision to Dawn...at least I think that's my sister??? This construction took place in the Duckworth Steel Boats shipyard in Tarpon Springs, FL. Duckworth is where Captain Ned still resides and works, or should I say occasionally works when he's not exercising his busy retirement, kayaking, windsurfing, rollerblading and doing whatever he damn well pleases.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures. I'll be back shortly with action Kayak pictures of Capt. Ned on the Mighty Mississippi and the weekend update.

2008-06-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hello - Hello

I spoke to Captain Ned at high noon Friday EST. He was currently passing Tunica, MS and was about 3 hours from Helena. The captain said he just scored some water from the "Tunica Queen", one of the gambling casino boats. He said he paddled right up next to it and asked for some water, in which they obliged.

I asked him where he camped Thursday night and he said "oh hell...I don't know...I was on the Mississippi in Mississippi. His goal was to make it 40 miles today, and that's when we started saying hello...hello can you hear me...and that was the extent of our conversation. We'll catch up with him ASAP and get back with you.

The pictures above are of the "HO-BO". If you recall from a previous blog, before the "Rainbow's End" came to be, she was known as the "HO-BO". And of course that's Capt. Ned in the first photo perched up on deck with his feet kicked up. Gee...I haven't seen that a time or two.

Just FYI...I created this post on Friday but had to run out and never had a chance to post until now. Also, there will be another post immediately following this one which will have pictures of the "HO-BO" when she was being morphed into the "Rainbow's End". The blog will only allow 5 photos at a time. Look for that in a moment.

The cell signal has been real...ummm...I'll use the word...crappy, but I do have some info from the travels of Captain Ned from over the weekend. I Plan to get this info to you later this afternoon. Please be patient, I'm busier then a one arm wall paper hanger. This darn work thing keeps getting in the way of fun. Stay tuned in though, I will be back ASAP...with some really good action shots of Captain Ned on the Mississippi.

2008-06-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hello again, we're back and with confirmation of where 'Ol Ned camped Tuesday night. Tuesday's camp site was about 6 miles north of Osceola, Arkansas.

Day - 29

I got a call from the captain at 5 PM EST and he said he was just north Memphis, TN in Millington. Millington, TN is home to Naval Support Activity Mid-South. Captain Ned and Uncle Keith both went to school here in Millington when they were in the Navy.

Capt. Ned set up camp or should I say...almost set up camp near the boat ramp at the Meeman Shelby State Park. At 6PM EST I got another call from 'Ol Ned and he said "I'm paddling again". He said he had his condo about 75% set up when he was run off by the park ranger.

A quick note to the park ranger; I got a call from Captain Ned just before 7 PM EST. He said he had his condo all set up in your park. He said he was nestled in right along the bank in a nice wooded area between 2 of your big beautiful trees. He said it was much nicer then spot you ran him out of and he only had to paddle about 3/8 of a mile to find it. I asked him if he was worried about you finding him, and he said "no fear at all, because it would involve a little work and effort on your part, and you probably couldn't find your own ass searching with both hands".

Moving on...just prior to Capt. Ned's run in with ignorance on shore he said he ran into 3 guys that were out running a ski boat around. 2 of these guys were also in the Navy back in the day. They got along real well and I received emails from two of the guys. Now I'm not sure if both guys tried posting comments on the blog, but I know one of them did. He said he was having problems getting it to post. This isn't the first time I've heard this, so I'll go ahead type up what I received here in a minute.

In case you weren't aware...I know I wasn't...the Mississippi River has mile markers, just like an interstate. Capt. Ned said he was 703 miles from New Orleans. Hey wait a second here...Uncle Keith said Capt. Ned was 702 Miles from New Orleans...Oh yeah...there was that (add expletive of choice here) park ranger to contend with. The mile marker system is counting down and actually ends/begins 50 miles south of New Orleans where the Gulf Of Mexico and Mississippi River run together.

Wilson took the day off...again, but he worked Tuesday and helped move 'Ol Ned 75 miles in 2 days. WOW! He keeps up this pace and we'll be drinking a couple "gold tops" together before you know it.

Day - 30

I got a call at 1:15 PM EST and Capt. Ned was 8 miles from the Mississippi state line. We only talked for a minute or two. He was cruising underneath the second interstate bridge in the heart of Memphis. He stated the wind was against him but he was moving along at 4.7 knots. Then he said "oh sh!t I just got spun around, oh...well now would you look at that...that's a good shot of Memphis, I better take a Picture of that, hang on, let me get my camera". "Okay, I just got a picture of a big building that looks like a pyramid at the top and it's as shiny as a freshly spanked babies ass". It was right after that one of many analogies that 'Ol Ned uses that he said "oh sh!t, I just got spun around again...I gotta go mon I'm down to 2 knots and I better start paddling again" As always I told him to take care and call when he could.

We received an inner family email update from Gary this afternoon. Gary talked to his Uncle Ned a few hours after I did. Captain Ned is still moving right along at 4 knots and is leaving Memphis behind. It was reported that 'Ol Ned was drinking his last cold "gold top", and then he would have to tap into a warm one shortly as to not let them feel left out.

Capt. Ned hopes to make it to Penton Mississippi tonight which will put him in Helena, AR in a day or so. Were hoping to maintain a decent cell signal, but Capt. Ned said he's not feeling to positive about it. The only time he's getting anything is when he's next to an interstate or near a bridge. We'll send an update ASAP.

The following are the emails I received from Jerry Morelock and Bill Painter, 2 of the fellow sailors dad meet yesterday:

Attempted a couple of time to post this to blog with no go evidently. Doing an end run this way.

Cheers!
Jerry Morelock

Had tried to post the following:
"Hey Guys, that sure is a strange looking tree floating down the river! Hold on a minute...It's a guy in a kayak!"

Pulled the ski boat we were testing in a hard circle and went back to look at the tree. Stopped mid river fifteen miles north of Memphis to chat with Ned and point out the boat ramp at the local state park. He's in great shape and good spirits but wants said the wanted a beer about the size of a 55 gallon barrel! Plans to camp over the night and continue in the morning which will be his 30th day on the water.

Bon Voyage! (6/18/08) from two old ex-sailors and a river rat.

...time here now 4:25 CST just a few miles above Memphis, Tennessee. My two pals and I took the boat out this afternoon to enjoy a few hours on the water and sighted a strange apparition mid-river. At first we thought it was a tree ball rolling over and over in the river, but when we got closer we could see it was a guy -- in a kayak, f' chris'sake! ...well, we'd run across Captain Ned. Couldn't be anyone else. He said it was his 29th day on the water, and (holding up a tattered piece torn from a Rand-McNally Road Atlas) wondered if we could tell him where the park was...the one just below Millington. ...we pointed ashore two hundred yards to the boat ramp from which we'd launched a couple of hours before. We assume Ned's middle name must be "Amerigo," given his navigational skills. ...as we pulled our boat, Ned came ashore looking for a place he could pitch his tent for the night. He found a suitable spot at the top of the ramp where there was a clearing with grass and wildflowers (and only a few tall weeds). He admitted he could use a laundromat; said he'd been banging his clothes clean on river rocks. And he said he could drink a beer "...about this big," holding his hands a foot apart. Well, we didn't have any beer, but we did leave him with two cold bottles of water; he said he didn't have any place to put the ice from our chest, but we offered. ...and we directed him to the nearest marina -- he said he'd only seen one in his travels so far. Ours is on he River in Memphis, immediately south of the Hernando Desoto Bridge. We advised him to cruise under the bridge and bear hard a'port, which would take him into the marina entrance.
...we spent a pleasant few minutes trading Old Bill Snuffbucket stories of our times in the Navy, and took a look at Rainbow's End photos. Ned is quite an impressive fellow; our drive home was quiet. Each of us not-quite-mid-sixties fellows were wondering what the hell we'd done with our lives. ...now I'm going to quit, get into the car and drive back out to the Park with a beer "about this big." Seems the least I can do.

Jerry and Bill,

Thanks for the emails and attempts to post comments. Most appreciated. These are some of the things that I know Capt. Ned will really enjoy reading when hits the "Rainbow's End". When I talked to Capt. Ned this afternoon, the first thing he asked me was "did you call the marina up here?" I said no, but I can tell you who did...I pulled your email up on my screen and said it was either Jerry or Bill, and I'm guessing it was Bill because he loaded some beers up and was coming back down to the boat ramp to shoot the sh!t with you. I then got his famous "well damn the bad luck" and a chuckle. He said that when he got to the marina they were almost expecting him and greeted him with smiles. Anyway...take care guys...stay tuned in and in touch...thank you!

Hang on...Hang on...More of day 30.

We just received a short email message from Ruthy. She confirms Capt. Ned is in Mississippi and has a nice little isolated camp site set up and is chowing on some noodle soup. She said their conversation consisted of several hello...hello...can you hear me...hello's before they were cut off, so we don't know if he made it to Penton or not, but one thing we do know is that as soon as we know you will too.

2008-06-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

Oh my...2 blog updates in 1 day. Don't get used to it. Here is the picture I have been looking for and I just couldn't wait to show you. The "Rainbow's End" and "Prancer" just south of where the Wabash River runs into the Ohio River. Man...what a site!

More pictures of the "HO-BO" & "Rainbow's End" to come soon. And if you are just joining the blog and are wondering what the "HO-BO" is...or was...please check out some of the older posts, or just wait and see...it's up to you.

Day - 28

Captain Ned was kroozing under an interstate bridge mid afternoon Tuesday and decided to try his phone. With success he spoke to Keith and reported that everything is running smooth. A north wind has brought Wilson out of retirement. Wilson is finally pulling his weight and also pulling Capt. Ned at a steady 4.4 knots.

Wilson is giving 'Ol Ned some much needed rest. I guess that after about 5 hours of steady paddling Capt. Ned is starting to feel some lower back discomfort. Nothing major, nothing that he says he cant walk off shortly after he gets out of the kayak or a night in his tent cant cure.

At this time we don't have confirmation of where Ned ended up camping last night. We'll let you ASAP. Captain Ned is hoping to be just north of Memphis, Tennessee by nightfall Wednesday.

2008-06-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

I believe we may be back on track. Please disregard the last map posted. The dates were wrong and Captain Ned didn't make it to Wickliffe, KY Thursday as he had planned. Moving away from my mapping errors, I did some more digging and located more pictures, including the one with the "Rainbow's End" and "Prancer" tied up together. However, I'm having scanner issues. The issue being...I don't have a damn scanner. I believe the payment of a 12 pack to a buddy of mine with a scanner will get these issues resolved. I'll get them posted ASAP.

Day - 23, 24 & 25 - Still no cell signal. Didn't get an updated until the 26th.

Before continuing with the day to day of 'Ol Ned which has been sketchy as of late, while in catch up mode from the last couple days of silence Capt. Ned was excited to tell me that he meet 3 new kayak friends, but being on a different schedule they parted ways shortly after they met. Capt. Ned did however want to make sure I knew about them and wanted to make sure I had their blog address.

These guys are kayaking for a cause. I have it on my other screen right now, and although I haven't read very much of it, I think it's worth checking out. If you would like to read more about their trip and their cause, check out http://www.upstreambattle.blogspot.com/ .

To Tim, Ethan and Justin: Captain Ned Mott and company wish you a safe journey and wish you the best of luck on your mission.

Now, on with the krooz...

Captain Ned didn't quite make it to Wickliffe, KY on the 23rd as he had planned. He ended up stopping near Cairo, IL.

Friday - day 24 was a short day for the captain. He said he's been making good time so he decided to go ahead and stop and hangout in Wickliffe and rest a little bit. He said everything was going well. He said one of the locals he met ran him into town to the store so he could pick up some supplies, and it wasn't until he was at the store that he was informed it was a dry county. He said he walked out of the store and just wanted to lay down in the parking lot and cry.

Capt. Ned was back at his camp site when a Whickliffe local, who had evidently heard of the captain's misfortune, saved the towns good name and delivered a couple cold beers. Being most appreciative they chatted for a while and about the time this guy was leaving another local popped in with a couple more. Per Captain Ned, "life in Whickliffe, KY wasn't bad at all, but you can guarantee I'll be more prepared next time".

Day - 25

Hickman, KY is where 'Ol Ned decided to stop for the night. Purchased a case of cold "Gold Tops". Life is grand again.

Sunday, Day - 26

Happy Fathers Day is how I answered the phone, he laughed and said "your sister already beat you to the punch". And I thought I was going to be on top of the good kid club. Trust me, I'll knock her off of that perch before you know it. The cell signal was still poor but workable. At the time we spoke he said he was just drifting along at 3 knots. He said with a moderate paddle he could easily maintain 5 knots. 7.2 has been the top speed so far.

The river is still on the rise. It's at about 44 feet and expected to come up another 4 feet. Not exactly sure where the actual channel is anymore as all of the channel buoys have washed away.

New Madrid, Missouri is where Capt. Ned ended up Sunday late afternoon. He set up camp at the public boat ramp. He said this place was set up perfect for kayak and canoe travelers. A new friend, Mr. Hall, ran the good 'ol captain up to the supermarket to replenish supplies. He said the only problem he had with this stop was that a couple young boys were throwing stones at his tent while he was trying to get some shut eye. Other then that it was all good.

Capt. Ned told Keith "be sure to inform Becky that I had to alter my good Sunday go to meeting britches". He cut of the legs and brought in the waistband. He said after 600 miles any excess pounds he may have had are now gone.

Day - 27

Caruthersville, MO was Monday night's destination when I talked to the captain. Our conversation was cut a little short when he said he was running upon another whirlpool. He said he's been running into these things the last day or so. He said he can hear them before he can see them. When he said this I kind of chuckled and said "dad...you have Wet Macular Degeneration, of course he can hear them before he can see them". We both laughed, then he said "Hey mon I'll talk to you later, I also have a log heading my way".

Come to find out the whirlpools / boils / spouts are caused by man made jetties made of big rocks used to slow flood water run off in an attempt to help protect the Mississippi levee system. He informed Keith that their not a major problem but he likes to be prepared and try to avoid them because if one pops up underneath you, you have to paddle like crazy to get out and they can spin you a slow 360 degrees.

7.2 was the record. Now the Mighty Mississippi is narrowing a bit and according to one of the gadgets he has, he hit warp speed of 9.2. He said he averaged 8 for at least an hour and maintained around 7 for about 2 hours. He wants to hit a now new personal goal of 10.

The Caruthersville, MO destination was confirmed by Uncle Keith. He said the captain set up camp in a public park right next to a flag pole. Shortly after arrival Capt. Ned spotted a young lady with a child and an old coon dog down looking at the river. Capt. Ned thought it to be a good idea to ask if she would happen to know of a place to re-hydrate. The grin worthy response that was received was "yeah my daddy owns a tavern". "One of the oldest on the river...WOODY'S BAR".

Well now Katy bar the door, you aren't going to believe this...when Capt. Ned walked into this fine establishment they gazed at him for a second or two and exclaimed..."The Kayak Kid"...and handed him a "Gold Top". Captain Ned said that Woody's is a must see place...it's full of history.

Captain Ned has only been in Caruthersville for a couple short hours and has already meet quite a few people. One of these fine soles is taking 'Ol Ned a nice steak dinner. This big meal will definitely help conserve on the supply of Becky's jerky. Estimates he has enough jerky to get him to the gulf.

Hopes to make it too Osceola, Arkansas Tuesday night.

2008-06-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

As promised here are a couple photos of "Prancer". I need to do some more digging for pictures of the "Rainbow's End". The first picture I believe was taken by Capt. Ned from the "Rainbow's End". The next two where when "Prancer" was being re-painted with a Mott by a Mott. Hmm..the only Mott I see working in the picture is Gary. Now, Larry will try to say he was the one behind the camera, but I know that's not true, because from where I was standing, up on the deck of Rusty Bellies Waterfront Grill nursing a cold beer, he was no where to be found. Now that I've mentioned the place I have to elaborate a little and let you know, Rusty Bellies has some of the absolute best sea food around. And while you're there don't forget check their desert menu, it's called the "Rainbow's End". Actually, all of the items on a Rusty Bellies menu is named after local boats. Pretty cool. Check 'em out.

Day - 22

As you know from the last post we located Captain Ned and he was still moving right along and was hoping to set up camp near Paducah. I spoke with 'Ol Ned yesterday at 10:00 am and he said the boat ramp area in Paducah was pretty populated so he decided to go a little further. He set up camp about 4 miles further south.

He said that he got a decent start Thursday morning and had just passed Metropolis, IL. He was finishing up breakfast as he was coasting along and talking to me. Breakfast consisted of 2 of those Mix-N-Berry granola bars that he's now addicted too, some more of Aunt Becky's jerky and he said that when we hung up he was going to tear ass into some M & M's. Mmmm...breakfast of champions.

Capt. Ned must have lost his cell signal again because we never heard from him last night. He was planning to make it Wickliffe, KY so I went ahead and logged it on the map. Speaking of the map...as you can see there are a couple days of camp sites missing. I will get those added in, an make any necessary adjustments as soon as I get a confirmation from the man himself.

Where ever he said he landed he was hoping for some cold "gold tops" and a mail box. He said it's been several days since his last cold beer and he feels he's overdue. Capt. Ned also informed me that he filled up one of the cameras that Larry and Kevin gave to him when they visited him in Darwin. He said he'll be dropping it in the mail ASAP, which means we'll get them posted ASAP. I cant wait to see some of the scenery the good 'ol captain has been seeing and some of the people he's met along the way. One thing he was disappointed about though was that he never took any pictures of the fiasco that took place last Friday night that involved his first 911 call. See one of the previous blogs for details of the fiasco.

I realize the blogs have been king of sketchy and kind of all over the place the last couple days, and for that I apologize, but it's been kind of hard piecing several broken conversation between several different people together. The bottom line / consensus of all the Mott's is that Captain Ned is still alive and grinning. He's still having fun, and still meeting new people.

It's now 8:45 pm 6/13/'08. I just tried to call but it went to his voicemail. I'm going to think positive and picture my dad relaxing with an ice cold Busch beer in his hand plotting tomorrows attack on the mighty Mississippi River. Tennessee is right around the bend. Capt. Ned is blowing through Kentucky like sh!t through a goose. Stay tuned...there is excitement to follow...trust me.

2008-06-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Day - 21

We don't have an update direct from the source himself yet, but we do have an update. I made a few calls this morning and first one being too Deputy Scottie Sauls of the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office. Deputy Sauls said he knew Capt. Ned was there a day or so ago, but said he would run down to the boat ramp (Old Shawneetown) to talk to a couple of the guys down there. Deputy Sauls called me right back and confirm that Capt. Ned camped there Saturday night, had breakfast with a couple of the locals at the diner near the river and pushed off Sunday morning. Deputy Sauls also gave me contact info just down the river. The kind deputy also posted a comment on yesterday blog. Thank You Sir!

Another call or two put me in touch with a very nice woman named Judy. Judy works at the Cave-In-Rock Ferry Service Office. The Cave-In-Rock ferry is a free service that runs 7 days a week and crosses the Ohio River between Illinois Route 1 and Kentucky Route 91. Judy jumped on the marine radio and put out the inquiry. I overheard everything. It wasn't 30 seconds later and I heard, "oh yeah...the loan kayaker came by here yesterday morning at 10:00 am".

Judy was back on the phone with me 2 seconds later informing me of the spotting of the Kayak Kid. Judy said that there is absolutely no cell signal down in this area on the water. With that said, it may be another day or two before hear from Capt. Ned. Who knows. One things for certain though...I'm sure he'll have some stories.

Oh!...Breaking news...Lindy just talked to him. He said "I'm fine girl, I'm about 3 hours from Paducah, Kentucky and I'll catch everyone up then".

Oh crap!...hang on...he's calling...okay, he still has a poor cell signal, he just passed where the Cumberland River dumps into the Ohio and he'll be setting up camp in or around Paducah. He said he's been making real good time. Yesterday he was hugging the Illinois bank and was moving along at about 5 - 51/2 knots. Today he's been hugging the Kentucky bank and going about 31/2 knots. The wind is blowing at about 15 knots which he said is "one hell-ov-a lot better then the 30 he's had for the last couple days". But still making pretty good time.

The river is real wide and kind of rough, but he's guessing he's only two days from the Mississippi River. Once Captain Ned sets up camp and gets settled in we'll get a little more accurate info and I'll get a new map posted, along with a picture or two of the "Prancer". I'll have to do a little digging for some digital pictures of the "Rainbow's End".

Now, I believe thanks are in order. Special Thanks to everyone who helped chaperon Capt. Ned the last couple days and who stopped what they were doing to help the Mott family find his whereabouts...Deputy Scottie Souls, Betty from the Elizabethtown, Illinois sheriff's dept., the woman (sorry, I didn't catch your name) at the Lodge in Cave-In-Rock, Judy and the guy who immediately responded to Judy on the radio. From the Mott family...Thank you all very much!

2008-06-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

Day's 18, 19 & 20

Saturday day 18 started out in New Harmony. The roll over skirt was used for the first time and worked great. The sponge that's being kept below to soak up any excess water is working well. Working harder then Wilson, that's for sure.

Uncle Keith reports that Captain Ned stopped in Hudsonville...not to be confused with Hutsonville. Now it's not that I don't believe my Uncle Keith, I trust him with my life, but I cant find that damn place anywhere on the map. I looked everywhere...even that popular web search engine I mentioned before that sounds like bugle and starts with a G.

Anyway, the cell signal on day 18 was very poor. No major bars could be found...for drinking or talking. You can thank Keith for that little funny, it came straight from the inner family email. He's the only one who talked to Capt. Ned on Saturday.

Sunday day 19 was the beginning of new life for 'Ol Ned. The Captain has left the Wabash and is now on the Ohio River. Captain Ned and I played phone tag several times on Sunday but we never actually spoke. He ended up leaving me a message that said he was in Old Shawneetown, IL. Keith is the lucky one who actually spoke with him Sunday. The captain said the water is clearer but also rougher. Battling the wind a bit, but nothing he cant handle.

Captain Ned's original plan was to stop and set up camp where the "Rainbow's End" moored together with "Prancer" a couple years back. This spot is just south of where the Wabash and Ohio River's meet. I believe this may be the spot where these two boat's met in the water for the first time...but don't quote me on that.

"Prancer" is the name of my Uncle Dave's boat. Uncle Dave built "Prancer" in his back yard in Monroeville, Indiana. "Prancer" is bigger then the "Rainbow's End" but they both share the same thing...the love and determination of a Mott dream.

David M. Mott, Ned and Keith's brother and best friend passed away 2/15/2007. Dave is the father to Larry and Gary.

Okay...quick story...people always try to come up with new & different ways of doing things with the ashes of loved ones. Well...like it or not, these were Dave's wishes and you can damn sure bet we carried them out. Dave wanted to be mixed in with some paint and painted onto "Prancer". David M. Mott's wishes were carried out and he will now forever travel with his nautical dream.

I'll see what I can do about getting the picture of the "Rainbow's End" and "Prancer" together at this point. It's a beautiful picture. We may have to wait until Captain Ned gets home to Tarpon Springs, FL. I can however post a picture of "Prancer" when Larry and Gary had the painting party and painted Dave's ass...shes onto his boat. They did the painting and I showed up for the party.

Back to Captain Ned, the site where the brother's boats were tied together, there was no place to camp. It was under water. As is the camp site where he stayed just a few days ago and was interviewed by Tom Compton, the Hutsonville, IL reporter. I got an email from Tom on Sunday stating that they ran the story on Capt. Ned in their Saturday's paper. Check it out...go to the Robinson Daily News... http://www.robdailynews.com/ . The title of the story is "The Adventures of Captain Ned on the Wabash". It's a good read. Thanks Tom.

Monday day 20 - Unfortunately no one, including JR over at the shipyard in Tarpon Springs has had contact with Captain Ned since Sunday, so we don't actually know where he currently resides. But not to worry, Ned is a "Captain" and knows how to read the water. JR said that when he talked to him, which was just before Ned hit the Ohio River, Ned said once he got onto the Ohio he was going to hold up somewhere, ride out the storms and let the river fall a bit.

I'll bet he's still in Old Shawneetown, IL ripping the lid off of a few "gold tops" the with a Larry style cell signal, saying damn the bad luck. I'll let you know as soon as we hear something.

2008-06-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

EXTRA!!! EXTRA!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!

Day - 17 News Flash!

7:42 pm I received a voice message from Capt. Ned. He was laughing and said if I wanted to know what kind of exciting things were happening to him that I had better call him back. He continued with every things okay but it's a good one. I had actually just hung up the phone when his call was coming in, so my phone never actually rang, it went right to voice mail, but lucky for all of us, I was right next to it when I heard the message alert sound. I immediately called him back.

After 2 rings he answered with a "you ain't gonna believe the Chinese fire drill I juts witnessed first hand". He said he was just sitting there enjoying the sites when this young lady drove up and unloaded this little 12$ POS (peice of sh!t) 8 to 10' dime store inflatable boat with 1 paddle about the size of a spoon. She was getting ready to launch this thing into the Wabash. Let me remind you that THE RIVER IS UP! Capt. Ned quickly intervened and said "do you really think that's a good idea...do you have any clue as to what you're getting your self into".

She responded with a clueless "I just want to paddle around the river a little bit". Ned said "well, it's only going to take a little bit for you to end up in the Ohio River. Now I cant stop you, but if this is something you feel you really need to do, I strongly suggest you go up stream, so when you come flying by I can call 911 for you".

About that time, out of the blue, somebody on a golf cart came by and took this woman and her POS up the river. Well...game on. Capt. Ned said he sat back cracked open a gold top, opened up his cell phone and was just waiting to dial. Yep...it wasn't long before she come rollin...rollin...rollin down the river. Screaming, yelling and frantically paddling with her spoon. It was at this time the good 'Ol Capt. Ned dialed 911 for the first time in his life.

Hey dad, I know it's going to be a long time before you're back aboard the "Rainbow's End" and read this, but damn...ain't it a bitch always being right. I know the feeling...I'm a Mott.

Captain Ned was still on the phone with 911 dispatch, still yelling for the woman to give up on trying to reach the Indiana bank and for her to head to Illinois, when New Harmony's Marshall Scott Champlin pulled up. Followed by a police rescue boat, the EMS, a fire truck and couple more squad cars. Lights flashing everywhere.

The police rescue boat was immediately launched to then immediately discover that it wouldn't start. Now we have a police rescue boat, not necessarily in distress, but yet floating down river. In the mean time, the woman in distress is clinging onto some trees on the Illinois bank. A few moments later another rescue boat arrived and rescued both the woman in distress and the rescue boat.

Once the distressed woman was safely back on the bank Indiana bank of Historic New Harmony she hugged and thanked Captain Ned for spotting her and calling for help. Ahh...hello...lady...my dad saved your life. Capt. Ned simply asked her "did you learn anything?".

After dad was done telling me the story, that we were both laughing heavily through out, I had too ask "Scott...you said Scott pulled up...you spoke as if you already knew him". Capt. Ned said that shortly after he first pulled up to shore Marshall Champlin stopped to see what was happening and asked what he was doing. Ned said "if your here to charge me for anything, please do it while I'm sitting down, because I'm damn tired". Captain Ned's intentions were explained, pleasantries were then exchanged and all is good. Marshall Scott Champlin will now be following the blog and enjoying the journey. Welcome, it's only just begun.

2008-06-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

We don't know where he is. We know, but we forgot. We now know again.

Day - 16 & 17

The faithful inner family email started out "we don't know where he his". I guess my cousin Shawn was talking too him on his 2-way, but the signal was crappy. A couple hours later we got an inner update from Ruthy stating she talked to him last night, but now, LOL, she cant remember where the hell he is. By the way, Ruthy is Capt. Ned's step-sister which is Esther's daughter, which in turn is Ned's step-mom. Okay, enough with how a family tree works, which for the record, ours has branches...were not from that one state...you know the one, the one that doesn't branch out. Moooving on, Ruthy talked to Ned for quite a while and although she couldn't remember where he was, she said he was laughing and joking the whole time.

11:45 am 6/6/2008 I was contacted by the source. Captain Ned is currently in Historic New Harmony, IN. He's just down below the old toll bridge that connects Illinois to Indiana. I can now go home tonight and tell my kids "hey, guess what...Grandpa is living below a bridge again", and I will do this with pride. He said he was getting ready to go get a couple gallons of water form the Indiana welcoming center. I looked up New Harmony on that web search engine that starts G and sounds like the valveless brass horn instrument called a bugle. There are pictures of the area that you can zoom right down on to see where he is, but I thought it best not to print key photo anything due to the "all right reserved" BS that accompanied it. Anyway...pretty cool...check it out.

Capt. Ned has been camping in New Harmony since yesterday early afternoon. The wind was atrocious and was creating a serious chop on the water that was soaking him pretty good. He said he was taking on a little water from the splash. He wanted to keep his gear down below dry so he decided to make a pit stop to put on his roll over skirt. When he realized he was a short walking distance from everything he could possibly need, he then decided it was time for a couple cold beers. Time to stretch his legs and check sh!t out.

The wind was not much better this morning when he woke up, so he decided to just chill for the day, check out some more sh...tuff and relax a little. Relax between relocating hit tent higher and higher on the bank that is. The river is still on the rise, I believe he said it was up another 12 feet, which puts it at near 24 now.

Capt. Ned was eating breakfast at a small diner that's a stones throw away from his camp site. The rising river was the topic of conversation between the locals, when one of them stated that he spotted a guy that was kayaking down the river. Capt. Ned fessed up and said that it was him. Well...'Ol Ned now has friends in Historic New Harmony. The weather of course was another topic of conversation. There's a mild cold front coming in tonight that should tame the winds and with only 42 miles to go before he hits the Ohio River, he'll be leaving his new found friends behind come sunrise. Sunrise...HA!...yeah right...Capt. Ned will keep on keeping on, I'm guessing around the back side of 9ish.

Wilson! Oh my God! I damn near forgot to tell you about the umbrella sail known dear to our hearts as Wilson. Don't panic...he fine, still lazy considering out of the 300+ miles traveled so far he's only assisted in about 25 of them. But again, he's fine. In fact he's fixed. Yep...Fixed. Not like a vasectomy, neuter, spayed or anything weird like that, but Ned believes he's been modified for the last time. He's now set up like a parachute with risers attaching to the handle.

The hope to be final modifications were put to the test for about 2 miles prior to living in New Harmony. Captain Ned said he was sacred half to death, hitting mind blowing speeds of up to 61/2 knots. He said he knows he be able to use him a lot more when he hits the gulf. I told him he has to make to the gulf first. We laughed and joked some more then wound up our conversation. We talked for a good 15 minutes or so and when we hung up I confidently thought to myself...no fears...my dad will be hitting the Gulf Of Mexico before you know it.

2008-06-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hello - Hello

Here are some more photos of the Darwin camp site. The top 1st picture, left to right, is Kevin, 'Ol Ned, Larry and Jake. Jake is Karen's son. Karen is a long time friend of the family. In the 2nd picture Capt. Ned is trying to teach Larry his A B C's...just kidding, he's showing Larry a new route that he's decided to take.

In the 3rd picture Capt. Ned is playing with his new crank radio. The view of the background confirms the fact that Ned is having a good time. He's seeing things most people never get to see and meeting people he never would have had the opportunity to meet. Dad gave me some Mott wisdom a long time ago, he said "never get so damn busy that you forget to live, because when you're old & gray and you no longer have your health, all you'll have are your memories...so make them good ones". Another one was "when you are on your death bed, trust me...the last thing you will say is...I wish I would have worked more". Hmmm.

The 4th picture of the captain, Kevin, Karen and Jake can be easily summed up...chilling & telling lies. The 5th and last picture of the bunch is the last one that was taken just before everyone left the camp site to let 'Ol Ned get some shut eye. Grinning from ear to ear with a belly full Gold Top - Busch.

Day - 15

Before I log this day I want to give another quick thanks to everyone who is helping keep me informed. Especially my Uncle Keith. Uncle Keith has not missed a day of keeping the family informed of his brothers whereabouts. The first thing I do, as I think all the Mott's now do every morning, is check their email, and as sure as the sun, there it is, the inner family email from Uncle Keith entitled "The Kayak Kid". Thanks!!! Everyone else in the family who's talked to Capt. Ned in the past 24 hours then tacks onto to Keith's email with their input. I couldn't do this without you. Thanks!!!

Lindy reported that she spoke with her Uncle Ned at 11:00 am and that the captain was currently relaxing and drifting down river backwards checking out where he had been. He started off the day with a couple mix-n-berry granola bars and was planning on snacking on some of Aunt Becky's famous jerky.

Now let me tell you a little something before we go further, my Aunt Becky, besides being a total sweet heart, cant be singled out for just jerky. This woman can cook, bake and grill up a storm. Every time I visit there are always fresh baked goods sitting around just waiting to be munched on at will. And there is always something homemade that's either ready or will soon be ready to chow on. Even if it's leftovers. We all know the leftovers are sometimes the best. Just an FYI...most all of the vegetables come fresh from her garden. If you leave the company of my Aunt Becky hungry...it's your own damn fault. Man...I'm all of the sudden real hungry...Ohh and thirsty too...my cousin Kevin can make one hell of a mean bloody mary. It's like a meal. I could go on and on, but we need to get back to the captain. I guess I'm just thinking about the trip I have planned to head back up their.

Back to Capt. Ned, he told Lindy he was having a ball and that all of the people he has been meeting along the way have been great! He said that Wilson was still giving him fits and that his last unscheduled stop for modifications lasted about 2 minutes before he flipped in-side-out again. He then said he had to get going because there was a log bumping into the kayak and that it was trying to push him back north towards Ft. Wayne. He chuckled and told her to tell everyone to "hang in there while he keeps on keeping on".

Day 15 ended about 4 miles from Grayville, IL were more modifications on the umbrella sail that he named Wilson were going to be made...yet again.

2008-06-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Day's - 11, 12, 13 & 14

I know it's been a few days since the last entry and you've probably been chomping at the bit for an update, so please accept my apology, I've been busier then a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. It can be summed up with a nasty little 4 letter word...work.

Before we get to the update, lets cover the photos above that were taken in Darwin. The first one, of course, is the Kayak Kid himself, Captain Ned Mott. The second is his current means of transportation, that is tied up next to the ferry. The last one is...you guessed it...Wilson. If you notice Wilson had to be modified with some string from the survival kit to help keep him from blowing in-side-out. Hmm...I wonder if there is an actual nautical term for this type of rigging, or if it's just known as I damn sure hope to hell this works.

FYI...More pictures will follow. The blogger would only let me load so many at once.

Day - 11

Hutsonville, IL is where capt. Ned set up camp at the closing of day 11. It's been reported that the natives were great!!! Captain Ned was given a warm welcome greeting complete with homemade beef stew, strawberry shortcake, cold beer and oh yeah...cold beer. Then the bull sh!t sessions commenced. One of the kind natives was a Mr. Tom Comptom, a local news reporter for the Robinson Daily News. I got to work after a long weekend, checked my email and one was titled Captain Ned in Hutsonville, IL. Tom was kind enough to send me an update on Capt. Ned. It was short sweet and to the point. Thank you again Tom. Tom informed me that was going to be doing a short story on Capt. Ned and that I should look for the story later in the week. Pretty cool. I'll keep my eyes peeled for it and will follow up.

Day - 12

The morning started off a little sketchy. The good 'Ol captain almost lost his kayak. The river rose 4 feet over night and started to float the kayak away, but a mighty fine young lad saved the day and rescued the kayak, got it back to shore and tied it safely off. Guess what Kayak Kid was doing...he was sleeping off the strawberry shortcake.

The day was saved, all the gear was packed, loaded and the captain was off like a cannon shot. The Wabash is still rising and is expected to crest around 6 feet. The current is zipping along at at least 2 knots. Capt. Ned put 29 miles behind him with ease. He set up camp 5 miles north of Vincennes, IN. Had a great day and he wants to continue having great days and meeting new people. One of the ways he going to ensure this continues to happen is for him keep hold of his kayak. He is now using an old fashion early warning system that puts Doppler to shame...he's tying it to his toe...Tom Sawyer / Huck Finn style. The fun will continue.

Day - 13

Another 20 or so miles of Indiana Illinois river banks are behind him. He said Wilson has been sluffing off, not doing much accept hanging around below deck snoozing. Capt. Ned was only able to keep him awake for about an hour. The river is running a good 3 knot current, which made for a nice day. Captain Ned set up camp in St. Francisville, IL near an old ferry site. He stayed in this same spot many years ago just after he was discharged from the Navy. I'm not exactly sure what was on the dinner menu but I do remember him telling me that he polished off the rest of his Gold Tops. He said they were worm, but didn't care, they were wet and they were good. Hoping to make it to Mt. Carmel, IL tomorrow.

Day - 14

Mission accomplished. The days mission of making it to Mt. Carmel that is. He said he could have kept going, he still had day light left to burn but the winds were starting to blow like a hooker on nickle night and creating some serious chop. Storms are on the way. Camp was set up on an island which was high and dry. Dry being part of the problem...no Gold Tops to sip on. All & all...another good day. Weather permitting only about 3 days to the Ohio River, and only 1050 miles to New Orleans.

Moving on to an unofficial day 15, I spoke with 'Ol Ned 10:30 am and he was on the move again. Mt. Carmel was now behind him. The Wabash is getting pretty wide an the rains have got the river up about 10 feet. Around 1:00 pm Kevin reported that Wilson was inside out again and an immediate stop for repair had to be made. The official day 15 and more photos will come early tomorrow. Thanks for stopping in.

2008-05-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Days - 9 & 10

GOOD NEWS - GOOD NEWS - GOOD NEWS...and a little bit of bad.

Lets go ahead and get the bad out of the way right now so we can get on with the good. Day 9 didn't get Capt. Ned as far as he had hoped. I talked to him at 8:30 pm and he said he was unable to use Wilson all day. It was completely manual. He paddled 20 miles and ended up 4 miles from Darwin, Illinois, where he set up camp on the Illinois bank of the Wabash and had oooodles of noodles for dinner.

He said that in the morning he planning to stop in Darwin to do a little trading with the natives. Darwin, by the way is one of Clark County's first settlements. It still maintains a ferry for crossing the Wabash. The ferry is mostly used by the local farmers to access property across the river. Sounds like an award winning little town.

You're probably thinking that's not so bad, so he had to do a little paddling, he knew what he was in for. Well...it now gets worse. Day 10 lasted only 4 hours. He stopped around 1:00 pm this afternoon. Captain Ned currently resides in Darwin. Yep...4 hours to go 4 miles. Can you say...major head wind. He earned those 4 miles. I myself haven't talked to him yet today, but I know the call will be coming later and I can pretty much bet he'll say it was worth it. Oh he'll also say that he damn sure would have rather been hanging out with Wilson, but it's still all good.

Okay enough about that, lets get on with the good...I just save a bunch of money on my car insurance. I'm sorry I could resist. Day 9 wasn't all bad, yes he had to paddle all day, but he didn't have the head wind. He also informed Keith that he had his first fish bath. He said there were gazillions of carp jumping all along side of the kayak and soaked him. Pretty cool. He's now had breakfast with deer, he watched an eagle swoop down 30 yards off of the bow and snag a fish and now he finally had a bath.

Speaking of bath, I know he's had a couple along the way, but he will no longer have wait, wish or wonder when the next one is coming. My cousins Kevin and Larry hit the road around noonish today, day 10, and was heading south to meet up with their good 'Ol Uncle Ned. They're taking him supplies. One of the items being a very compact portable shower unit that will heat the water. Other items are a solar powered cell phone charger, which Larry said he tested the day before and it worked great. A small crank radio, that runs either on AA batteries, or you can just crank that sun-of-a...gun right up.

But wait...there's more...

Some of the best news for Capt. Ned is they have a cooler full of icy cold "Gold Tops". Well let's see here, it's now 6:20 pm 5/30/08 I'll bet their having a few of them bad boys right now. Okay, I'm jealous I wish I was there. So lets not talk about them. What they have or what they're doing, lets talk about us and what we, the readers, get. Not only will Larry and Kevin be taking some pictures of the captain, and his Darwin camp site, which I will get posted ASAP, but they also picked us up a couple disposable digital cameras. Our cameras include stamp addressed envelopes, so we will now be able get some action shots from Captain Ned Mott himself. I hope for our sake, because it's all about us, that he takes pictures better then he used to.

2008-05-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

Day - 8

The good 'ol captain made a few calls yesterday. Larry reported that he talked to his Uncle Ned around 10:00 am. Capt. Ned got off to a good start and that he was currently kicking back letting the freshly repaired Wilson do all of the work. Oh, just FYI...Uncle Keith informed me of the contents of the survival kit, and yes it included Kentucky Chrome. It also included needles, thread, hooks, rope, velcro etc. See...I told you he was like McGiver.

Around 10:30 am my cell phone started rocking to the currently programmed ring tone of "Hell's Bell's" by AC/DC, I looked and Dad was displayed on the caller ID. Unfortunately the call was very short lived. The only thing I got was his common Bohemian style greeting of "hey mon" he then said "I'm alive, well and still grinning". I tried to respond with a simple that's good news, but I don't think he heard me. After we were disconnected I thought that he either had a Larry style phone signal or he was trying to practice the second 50% of the Eskimo Roll. He has the first 50% down to a science.

Now, I feel I must let you in on our family razzing of Larry and his cell signal. Every week or 2 Larry falls off the grid for a few days and doesn't respond to email or calls. We all know it's work related and that he has to travel, but that doesn't stop us from ribbing him. Larry is in the wireless signal business. Now you understand why we enjoy teasing him so much. And now for the plug...if you or anyone you know is having wireless signal issue within the walls of your home, warehouse, business etc. feel free to contact Larry...he's the man. http://www.indoorwireless.net/

Back to the kayak krooz...Keith reported that it was kind of late before The Kayak Kid set up camp and that he wasn't sure what was on the dinner menu yet. Camp was about 5 miles from Terre Haute. He's hit the 200 mile mark. Averaging a not too shabby 25 miles a day.

Capt. Ned is shooting for Hutsonville, IN in day 9. He said he met a fisherman who told him about a good spot to camp. Let's just hope that when we hear from him at the closing of day 9 he has an icy cold gold top in hand.

2008-05-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Day - 7

Captain Ned pushed off a little late today because he was having a big eggs, bacon and home fries breakfast and was busy telling tall tails at a small Covington restaurant and shooting the breeze with some of the locals. I imagine he was probably savoring the taste of coffee that he didn't make with Wabash water. He gave the locals he had befriended this blog address but he said he believes that he forgot to tell them .com at the end. But by the time he realized this he said he was too far down stream to paddle back and fix his mistake. "Damn the bad luck". He said he hopes they don't cuss him too bad.

Both Kevin and Larry reported that Uncle Keith's survival kit has come in pretty handy. I'm not sure exactly what's in this survival kit, but if it came from Uncle Keith, you know it's good stuff...he's like McGiver. I would almost bet that the kit included some good old fashion Kentucky Chrome...A.K.A. duct tape. The survival hit has assisted Old Ned, as he refers to himself, with fixing his lawn chair and stitching up his umbrella sail which he has named Wilson. He figures that it takes Wilson a good 5.5 to 6 knot wind before he turns inside out.

Capt. Ned said that even though he's run into some rain along the way, his trusty pal Wilson almost drown and he drank coffee made from river water he's having a blast. The only worry that may lay ahead is a natural dam, with a 5' demon drop, near the Ohio River that locals he had breakfast with told him about.

As previously stated, in yesterdays unofficial day 7 report, camp was 6 miles north of Montezuma, where he had to pitch his tent in the rain. And now there you have it...it's official.

2008-05-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-05-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

Day - 3

The rain forecast that Kevin had mentioned was confirmed. Capt. Ned said it rained pretty steady all day, but his gear kept him dryer then a pop-corn fart. He said he pushed off around 8:30 am and kroozed about 30 miles before setting up camp again. However, he did mention that before he pushed off this morning he had to lighten his load a bit. He is now less one frying pan. The damn thing just wouldn't fit. I believe we all know what he did with his computer when it was malfunctioning. So I don't believe you have to guess real hard as to what happened to the frying pan. He said day 4 may be lighter yet.

A couple 100 yards of the 30 miles was a quick paddle up into and then right back out of the Eel River. It's now official, Old Ned has kayaked the Eel River. Just as he told Uncle Keith yesterday he's getting better at navigating the river, but he's still smacking into his share of rocks. Damn rocks. Jokingly he said he was almost afraid to survey the bottom of the vessel.

Tonight's camp site, that he will not be frying any food at, is half way between Lockport and Delphi. He plans to get moving around the same time tomorrow. He's excited about hitting the 100 mile mark, which will happen early on. He said he's having an absolutely wonderful time and will continue to do so as long as the kayak holds out.

2008-05-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Day - 2

6:30 pm Captain Ned set up camp 7 miles from Logansport, IN and was getting ready to feast on some noodle soup. He said his day started out good when some deer joined him at breakfast, and the rest of the day went just as smooth. He also said the river was getting a bit wider and the current was slowing down.

Rain showers are in the weather forecast for day - 3.

2008-05-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

2008-05-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome.

Yesterday 5-21-2008 Captain Ned E. Mott of Tarpon Springs, FL set out on his journey to kayak from Indiana to the Rainbow's End. Capt. Ned launched his kayak into the Wabash River just south of Huntington, IN.

Day - 1
It's been reported via Uncle Keith, Aunt Becky and cousin Lindy that he went about 25 to 30 miles and was traveling at 3 to 4 knots. He set up camp on the Miami/Wabash county line, just east of Peru, IN