Click on a thumbnail sketch to see the full size picture.
Pat and I drove Tina the tan van pulling Rex behind us in a trailer. We hit the road close to when we planned on Friday 10:30. Julianna and her kids were in a separate van with Meg and Ben. Allison drove her truck separately. Brian and Michele drove separately. At the last minute we were joined by Laura Allen and her two kids.
About the time we were passing Eugene there was a loud pop. We were looking around for what tire blew. After all we had 14 of them. But they all looked OK. Eventually we noticed a new ding in the windshield. Mind you this ding is about 6 inches across. Sigh. I didn't notice if the truck I was behind had mud flaps. I was careful about that from then on.
Things were going well until we started losing power. This was between Eugene and Roseburg and we had about 3/8 of a tank of gas left so we should have been allright. We looked at the engine and tried to puzzle what the problem might be. But neither one of knows a whole lot about engines. We fiddled with the distributor and scoped out the gas filter. And we messed with the battery cables. After that the van drove another ten miles before giving us trouble. And it got continuously worse from there. By the time we got to a dinky town, Riddle I think, we were moving pretty slow. The tank was down to 1/8. Figured it was time to fill it. We also dropped in on a mechanic and had him look it over. Joe pulled the two fuel filters and commented about crud in the tank from running it so low. Joe is a GUY. He one of those guys who speaks mostly in grunts. But he seemed to know what he was talking about. The filters were basically OK, altho one of them had some water in it.
We got back on the road and the van drove well after that. Looks like you don't want to run the tank below about 1/2. That will be awkward. We bought some additive to try to get the water out of the tank. It will take time before we find out if that makes a difference.
Noticed some loss of power at 5/8 tank. What a pain!
The trees along 199 were majestic. It always would be nice if we could dally along on these trips. That's about when I noticed that I left my sleeping bag in Corvallis.
We got to the Kinetic Labs in Arcata about 7:30PM.
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The Kinetic Labs. The labs were active, but considerably less active and crowded than in the previous three years. |
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Julianna and Jeremy standing before Rex early in the morning. |
The race starts in the square. All the vehicles drive around in circles approximately two times. I say approximately because you just go around until the officials open the gate to the real start of the course. They estimate when the vehicles have gone around twice. If you happen to go by the gate just before they open the gate, well then you go around a third time. Rex was lucky and drove up to the gate shortly after they opened it.
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Rex with Allison posing. |
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Rear view of Rex |
The race really starts with a fairly long but fairly flat stretch of city and county streets. Its really not a challenge except to the most feeble of vehicles. Actually we lost a shift cable for the left front chain hanger. But that just meant Allison couldn't get to the highest gear ranges. She didn't really need them.
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Rex. Here we are on road wheels for speed and low friction. |
The first challenge is climbing the sand dunes to get down to the beach. In years past Rex has needed special maneuvering to occasionally get unstuck from self created holes in the soft sand. This year we have the new, larger ATV tires. Rex had no problem at all.
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Rex on ATV wheels. Converting between road wheels and offroad wheels only takes a couple of minutes. |
Dead Man's Drop is a special challenge for Rex. This is because in non-water configuration, Rex's center of mass is high and forward. That increases the likelyhood of doing an end-o. In 1996 we used duct tape to fasten the pontoons further back. We filled a bag with sand and hung it from the rear of the vehicle. And one of us pilots hung off the back of the vehicle. That was adequate. In 1997 one pilot hung off the back, but we dispensed with the other precautions. That proved to be inadequate. This year we hung two people off the back of the vehicle. While Pat steered, Allison and I hung off the back of the vehicle. That proved to be adequate, again without tweaking the pontoon position. If we had known this would be legal we would have done it back in 1996. Except for the extremely high mosquito concentration, Dead Man's Drop went very smoothly.
After Dead Man's Drop came another fairly long drive into the city to the Mall in Eureka. All the vehicles were parked in the Sears auto repair garage for the night. As I walked the Mall, looking for a place to fill my water bottles, I wondered if anyone was offended by having so many of us entering, very dirty and sweaty. But I didn't hear any complaints.
I also tried to buy a shift cable, but Sears was out. Fortunately Randy Frost was at the Kinetic Labs, where I spent the night. He gave me a shift cable.
But when I installed the cable, I discovered the cable housing was badly rusted at the point where the cable had snapped. Gosh, maybe that's why it broke. Brian was able to beg some housing off of another race team.
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Rex on US-101: only 267 miles to San Fransisco. Do you think we can make it by lunch time? |
The drive to Fields Landing includes a section of US-101. I was able to take a picture showing Rex approaching a sign showing the mileage to San Fransisco.
The weather was cooperating for the Humbolt Bay crossing. Oh, there was a light drizzle. But no significant wind. Nothing that would slow down the race.
Pat and Allison where champing at the bit to go. Shortly after the officials started allowing water entrys they were off. Those of us left behind quickly lost track of them as they sliced through the salt water.
The plan had been that I would accompany them in my Kayak. That would put me on the other side where I could assist them in regular pit crew duties. Since the second day had been extended, compared to previous years, the day didn't end after this water crossing. Instead they were to continue across several miles of sand and across the next water crossing, the Slough. I would need land transportation once I got to the other side. The plan was to carry my bike on Rex's luggage rack while they crossed.
This plan became difficult when we discovered a leak in the kayak. We did a quick patch, but Rex left before the kayak was ready to go. Since we could not be sure what would happen at the other end, they left without my bike. I decided to go anyway. I had seen racers who carried a bike on a kayak. I used duct tape to lash it on.
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That's Rex just to the right of the crowd. Rex really moves in the water. |
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Brian Kahn helps me, Allen Brown, launch with my kayak and bike. The duct tape covers a hasty patch over a very fast leak. The patch survived the crossing without any trouble. |
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Kayak and bike crossing Humbolt Bay. |
This was working adequately. But I must admit the combination made for a squirrely contraption. For no apparent reason the kayak would occasionally swing almost 90 degrees to the left or right. After going about 1/8 of the way I wasn't sure this was a good idea.
At that point I came upon Brewmaster who was dead in the water. The chain had come off his water drive. I put it back on for him, but it just wouldn't stay. It was clear that the sprockets were not aligned. And there was no chain tensioner to make the system more forgiving. Brewmaster called over the Sheriff's boat and requested a tow, giving up his shot at an Ace.
My point in taking the kayak was to try to say with Rex and to see if this was a practical thing to do. At this point Rex was far ahead, and as far as practical was concerned, it looked like I could make it but with the bike on the kayak, it wasn't much fun. I figured this was an excellent opportunity to get a ride to the other side. But the Sheriff wasn't hearing my request for a ride. I figured a tow was almost as good and the only way I could do that was to grab the rope in the middle. Since I was situated toward the back of the kayak, balancing the weight of the bike, the tow would be backwards. No problem. I tried calling on the walkie-talkie to Rex, but there was not response. I also tried the other pit crew, but again no response. I pulled out the digital camera and took pictures of us being towed and also of Melvin in their crossing.
The sheriff towed us both to about half way to the other side. But then the water started getting a little choppy. And the kayak started to get a little more squirrelly. I tried to keep control, but was unable to keep the kayak aligned with the rope. At this point it became clear to me that being in the middle of the rope was not a good idea. If I let go of the rope I risked being run over by Brewmacter. When the rope got almost perpendicular to the kayak it flipped me over. The water was cold. The sheriff transferred the Brewmaster pilot to their boat. They then dredged my paddle, my bike, my kayak, and me (pretty much in that order) out of the bay. They then commenced to tow Brewmaster again, this time pilotless.
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I'm being towed in my kayak with my bike held on with duct tape in front of Brewmaster. |
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Showing the Sheriff towing us |
By the time I was out of the water I was a tad chilled. I stuffed myself down low in the boat to reduce wind chill and kept myself as covered as I could manage. But the sheriff quickly noticed I was getting hypothermic. They called another boat over to take Brewmaster. They then gunned the motor for shore. When we got there I hightailed it to the MASH tent. Every year in recent memory when there is a water crossing at Arcata the MASH unit has provided a warm tent with hot soup free for racers. It was a lifesaver for me this year. Even though the tent was very warm (some peopled complained about the warmth) and I was the closest to the stove AND I was being fed hot soup, it still took about a half hour before I stopped shivering. Of course my clothes were worthless.
KHUM interviewed several racers and I got in on that, describing roughly what had happened. Fortunately Laura was listening to the radio and learned my plight. She showed up at the MASH tent about a half hour later with dry clothes.
During all this time, and for several hours afterward, all racers were being held up from making the next water crossing. I didn't catch the details, but it was something about the weather. So Pat and Allison were hanging around, in the other MASH tent as it turned out. But eventually the second water crossing was officially blessed, and the racers continued on with Rex. It was now when the learned just how much soft sand they had yet to cross before reaching that second water crossing. Actually, I had told them, but hearing something is a far cry from experiencing it. We are talking miles of sand. By the time they reached the second crossing they were pretty tired.
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The Rex pilots have just completed the most difficult sand of the race. |
But they still did a good job crossing. Actually they had some trouble upon entering. They were hit by a strong wave. Allison was thrown against the side of Rex. As well as hurting, this also broke the Teddy Bear seat right off. This crossing was at the slough. Lots of the other vehicles had trouble with this crossing because of an extremely strong current from the ocean up the slough. The best exit was not actually on the slough, but faced the ocean instead. With excellent advice from Laura, the Rex pilots made a wide detour around the mouth of the slough. It was inspiring to see how very fast they were able to draverse that distance. It made the progress of the other vehicles in the water look like they had just been drifting. The Rex pilots then took a straight shot at the beach exit point. This worked well and they were quickly on dry ground.
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TimeRex |
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TimeRex in the ocean |
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TimeRex out of the water |
This was a legal push zone. Pat and Allison were ready for a good long rest so Brian and I decided to pedal Rex back to camp. We also got a push by Meg and Laura and her clan. This was moving us a nice clip, but then something broke. In particular one of the two jackshafts just broke in two. This was a shock. It was also rather odd timing since it was probably under less stress than it had been during the actual race. But as Brian has pointed out, the mark of a good vehicle is one that breaks down at convenient places. As far as that goes Rex has always been a very good vehicle. It has never left us stranded.
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Brian and Allen ferry Rex to camp |
We then faced the question "can we continue the race"? The broken jackshaft only took out power from one pilot. And Rex is capable of doing most things with only one. Both road and water travel could continue, although at a slower pace. Most of slimey slope is a push zone, so the mud part of the race might be beatable. But there was one obstackle that couldn't be shrugged off. Sand. There still remained about 1/2 a mile of it. With only one pilot powering Rex it could only go in circles.
At the camp there were a couple of groups that could do welding. For a simpler break I would have gone for it. But this was a break on a tightly packed shaft. We might have been able to weld the shaft together, but then we would probably not have been able to get the bearings and sprockets back on.
I especially appreciate the offers from Captain Chuck Schuler of the Yellow Submarine They were willing to provide power tools and the power to use them right there where I needed it. With the right replacement parts this would be very helpful. But getting that replacement jackshaft was the first hurdle.
One possibility remained. Vernon, from the Clam team, said he might be able to cannibalize one of the sculptures in the Kinetic Sculpture Meauseum in Ferndale. It seemed like a long shot, but it was the only shot that had a chance. We kept a vigil at Rex while Vernon went to town. Vernon searched for five hours but was not able to find a suitable shaft.
In the morning we faced the fact that we would not get a replacement jackshaft and that we were out of the race. We trailered Rex into Ferndale to the corner where all vehicles were to assemble for the final parade into town. Pat and Allison were pretty well worn out anyway.
We trailered Rex into Ferndale to wait for the start of the final parade into town. At the corner where the parade was to start there was a little girl with a jump-rope. She was intensely interested in what we were doing. She asked me if I was a "Kinetic Sculpture"? I laughed and asked "yes, do I look like one"? She smiled and shyly nodded. To my questions she told me her name was Emma and she was seven years old. I told her about Margeaux who is nine and wanted to be here. When we talked about wanting to rinse things down to wash off the salt, she volunteered to get us some water. She introduced me to her grandmother who was in a nearby trailer coordinating the race by radioe. I gave Emma and her grandmother Rex buttons. Later Pat and Allison paraded Rex into town with the other Kinetic Sculptures.
I made preparations to take my bike to Slimey Slope to watch the other racers at their last challenge. She said she really wanted to go to Slimey Slope but her mom and grandmother wouldn't let her. They were afraid she would soil her shoes. I thought that was rather likely.
At Slimey Slope I heard the KHUM reporter report on several vehicles. I gave him updated info and he announced the correction that Rex had been trailered.
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Rex at the finish line. Glorious if not victorious. |
This was controversial since Bass Ackwards wasn't able to complete the race as an Ace. The Ace is in the written requirements for this award.
There were about a dozen Aces announced. But this list is doubtful since Rex was included. Upon my insistence, Allison told Hobart Brown, who announced that Rex had not Aced after all.
On the return drive I drove the van and trailer alone. But I kept the tank near full and experienced few problems.
Unfortunately there was a communication problem between me and Pat & Allison. I thought Pat drove back with Allison. Allison thought he was with me. I didn't find out that Pat had been left in Eureka until I arrived in Corvallis. Perhaps as a result of this unfortunate incident they decided to drop out of the Rex team. I regret their loss and wish them success in the future.
In the weeks after returning to Corvallis the problem with the van was diagnosed as a dying fuel pump. At the time of this writing I am trying to find a machinist to make a new jackshaft for me. It looks like the shaft will cost about $50. But that's just the way it is when you build a Kinetic Sculpture.
Even though Rex broke down and was unable to complete the race, overall I feel good about how it did perform. Not once did we have to lift Rex out of hole in the sand. It just drove right over all the obstackles. This was a big improvement from the previous year and puts Rex up with among the best vehicles on sand. Water performance was excellent. We had very little trouble on the road with instability at high speed unlike last year. Evidently tightening the steering cables fixed that problem.
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The broken jackshaft is an onomoly. It broke at an existing hole. But the hole is a holdover from a previous configuration. With the new jackshaft configuration, there will not be a hole there. Without the hole, the jackshaft will not break. In the picture on the left, the two shaft ends each show the hole that caused the shaft to break. The one on the right side still has an old screw in it. In the background you can see our 'Loser' trophy. |
Numerous people have helped me with contributions of their valuable time preparing TimeRex for the Arcata-Ferndale Race. Here I list a few of them:
Special thanks to our main sponsor
In addition, some companies have provided discounts toward purchases.
So Rex is already an excellent machine for all terrains. But is it finished? Well, no. I have an idea to improve water conversions. It would be really desirable to be able to convert without leaving your seat. Imagine being able to do the conversion while still pedaling! Road to water would be like a continuous motion. Well, that may have to wait for next year, and maybe for the next set of volunteers. If you want to be a part of the team to create such a machine, just let me know. We will make it happen.
| This site: http://brown.armoredpenguin.com/~abrown/rex/TimeRex/Arcata1998/index.html |
My home site:
http://brown.armoredpenguin.com/~abrown |
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Last modified 11 Dec 2006 |
Copyright 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 |
