About Us

The Mission of Clarity Sailing Adventures:

 

Our goal is to show that people can do whatever they want to do, and that, if they remain healthy in body and mind, they can do it for a long time.  An active, healthy lifestyle is the most important thing you can do in order to maintain your physical well being, and an open, contemplative mind will bring you peace and contentment.

We also wish to share the knowledge and experiences we attain during our voyaging, both with others who may take trips with us, and by those we reach out to both online and in person.  After all, helping one another is a trait that makes mankind, well, human.  We dedicated our 2011 Everglades Challenge entry to Aidric Hunt and the memory of his mother, Larsen, and will be doing so again in 2013 when I make the attempt solo in our 12.5′ AMF Puffer.

Life has given us so much, we feel compelled to return what we are able to the rest of our fellow riders of this big blue orb.

 

 

 

About Mike:

 
I’ve been sailing since my dad taught me the basics in a Sport-Yak dinghy at age 3. I’ve sailed and raced small dinghies, weekender sized keelboats, and various beach cats on Minnesota lakes. I’ve sailed and commissioned yachts on Lake Superior, sold sailboats, worked in chandleries, helped deliver a 70′ schooner from Tampa Bay to Ft. Myers, ran a 700+ member kayak club, managed a charter sailboat operation, played bass in a few bands, restored vintage racing Jags and Porsches, been a headwaiter, toolmaker, sailmaker, mechanic, cook, and alarm technician. But I am, and have always been, a sailor at heart.  And with Sue in my life, sailing has returned to my soul as well.

Press Releases:

February 6, 2013:

My name is Mike Barnett, and I’m humbly announcing that I will be dedicating my entry into the 2013 Everglades Challenge this March 2th to help raise funds and awareness for Feeding Children Everywhere, a social charity based in Orlando, Fla. I will be sailing a 34 year old, 12.5′ open sailboat over 300 miles in 8 days or less, with no outside support.

Feeding Children Everywhere was launched in 2010, and their mission is to empower and mobilize people to assemble healthy meals for hungry children. The driving mission is to mobilize individuals from all walks of life, empowering them to answer the need to end hunger through their own personal actions. Meal-packaging events show fundraising groups that they are having a tangible impact on the hunger crisis, as their involvement makes distribution possible. The food is provided at no cost to local organizations in the U.S. and in different regions around the world. To date, the FCE team has mobilized 50,000 people and shipped more than nine million meals worldwide. Please visit http://www.feedingchildreneverywhere.com to learn more.

The Everglades Challenge is an unsupported, expedition style adventure race for kayaks, canoes, and small sailboats. It starts at Ft. Desoto Park in Clearwater, Florida, and ends on Key Largo.  There are 3 checkpoints on the way to the finish, and the distance is roughly 300 nautical miles depending on your course selection. There is a time limit of 8 days or less.

I am honored to be able to help, and I hope that many of our fellow sailors, along with non-sailors, will join with us to make the lives of children provided meals by FCE, along with many other lives, to be happy and healthy.

Additionally, I will be carrying a custom sail used as a fundraiser for Aidric Hunt, whose mother was tragically murdered in a case of domestic violence on October 26 ,2010, along with honoring the memory of his mother, Larsen.

Mike Barnett, of Clarity Sailing Adventures :  https://claritysailingadventures.wordpress.com/

Feeding Children Everywhere : http://www.feedingchildreneverywhere.com/

WaterTribe, Everglades Challenge Organizers: http://www.watertribe.org/

January 28, 2013:

Contact Person: Allison Riggs

allison@feedingchildreneverywhere.com

Feeding Children Everywhere

For Immediate Release 813.389.3178

Local Adventurer Will Battle the Everglades and Sail to End World Hunger

TAMPA – Mike Barnett, manager at The Galloway Group in Tampa, will be embarking on Water Tribe’s Everglades Challenge on March 2, 2013.

The Everglades Challenge is an unsupported, expedition style adventure race for kayaks, canoes and small boats with a distance of about 300 nautical miles from Fort Desoto Park to Key Largo, with an eight-day time limit.

During the race, Barnett will be promoting Feeding Children Everywhere through decals and banners made for his boat, a 34-year-old, 12.5’ AMF Puffer sailboat named Discovery. He has been promoting FCE via his blog, Clarity Sailing Adventures, as well as his personal social media accounts.

“I’m going to bring some FCE meals along,” Barnett shared. “And cook them at remote camp sites as a demonstration that these meals can indeed be used anywhere you have water and heat.”

Barnett has always had a passion for sailing and has been since he was three. “We had a small, rigid plastic dinghy with a 35 sq. ft. sail,” Barnett recalled. “My dad tethered me to shore with a 100’ line and let me sail.”

For Barnett, the Everglades Challenge is a test for himself and his spirit by pushing himself to not only exceed his self-believed limits, but also to discover how much further past those limits his real limits are. Helping FCE puts an external purpose to what otherwise would have been an internal exercise.

“I think helping others is an important, human thing to do and this is one way I can use my skills to promote a worthy cause,” he shared.

This is not the first time that Barnett entered a race representing a cause. In 2011, he and his (ex)wife Susan entered the Everglades Challenge and carried a specially made sail that was made as a signing canvas for people who donated money to Aidric Hunt, an autistic child. Unfortunately, they had to retire from the race due to a developing leak in the boat.

“I will be carrying Aidric’s sail again this year,” he said and is committed to reach the end of the course this year.

ABOUT FEEDING CHILDREN EVERYWHERE

Feeding Children Everywhere (FCE) is a social charity based in Orlando, Fla. The FCE concept was launched in 2010 and their mission is to empower and mobilize people to assemble healthy meals for hungry children. The driving mission is to mobilize individuals from all walks of life, empowering them to answer the need to end hunger through their own personal actions. Meal-packaging events show fundraising groups that they are having a tangible impact on the hunger crisis, as their involvement makes distribution possible. The food is provided at no cost to local organizations in the U.S. and in different regions around the world. To date, the FCE team has mobilized 50,000 people and shipped more than nine million meals worldwide. Please visit http://www.feedingchildreneverywhere.com to learn more.

January 2013:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OVER 100 BOATS TO COMPETE IN WATERTRIBE EVERGLADES CHALLENGE AND ULTRA MARATHON
A 300-mile adventure race for small boats paddling and sailing from Tampa Bay to Key Largo in 8 days or less.
On Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 7a.m. over 100 small boats with over 125 experienced and intrepid mariners from around the country will launch from Fort De Soto County Park on Mullet Key just south of St. Petersburg, Florida to compete in one of two adventure races: The Everglades Challenge (EC2013) and the Ultra Marathon (UM2013).
The EC2013 is a 300-mile trek along Florida’s Gulf Coast ending in Key Largo and must be completed in eight days or less. The Ultra Marathon is about 62 miles and finishing at Cape Haze Marina in Englewood. These races are open to boats propelled by human and/or wind power only. No tows, no rides. Modern GPS tracking units allow race officials and anyone with internet access to follow each race participant in real time as they make their way along their chosen route.
“I designed the Everglades Challenge to be the toughest week long adventure/endurance race for small boats anywhere in the world,” said Steve Isaac, founder and “Chief” of the WaterTribe, which sponsors the Everglades Challenge.
The basic race rules are simple: First one to the finish wins. Additional rules are designed for safety as well as define who should consider entering these races. For example, all competitors must be able to drag their boats, without assistance, off the launch beach and into the Gulf of Mexico near the entrance to Tampa Bay at the start of the race. This rule is designed to filter out large boats without a lot of rules defining the size of a small boat.
WaterTribe is pleased to announce that this year Cape Haze Marina in Englewood, Florida will be the finish for the Ultra Marathon and the first checkpoint for the Everglades Challenge. The Marina offers a great location and facility as well as enthusiastic support from their staff and the folks at Hooked on SUP.
For more information please visit the links below or one of the contacts.
EC2013 Full Details at: http://www.watertribe.com/Events/EvergladesChallenge/
UM2013 Full Details at: http://www.watertribe.com/Events/UltraMarathon/
Tracking Map at: http://www.watertribe.com/Events/ChallengeGMapper.aspx
Short Video Captures WaterTribe Spirit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AbPpuZ-BPs

CONTACTS:
Steve Isaac (aka Chief) Founder of WaterTribe and Participant in EC2013 Tel: 727-535-7819 (home) Tel: 727-204-3276 (cell) Email: chief@WaterTribe.com.
Paula Martel (aka PaddleDancer) Race Manager, EC2013 and UM2013 Tel: 702-296-4268 Email: pjmartel@cox.net.
Ken Stead Cape Haze Marina, General Manager Tel: 941-698-1110 Email: kenstead@capehazemarina.com
Paige Bakhaus Cape Haze Marina, Hooked on SUP Tel: 941-504-1699 Email: hookedonsup@gmail.com

December 16, 2010:

Mike and Susan Barnett of Clarity Sailing Adventures humbly announce that they will be dedicating their entry into the 2011 Everglades Challenge Race this March 5th to helping raise funds and awareness for Aidric Hunt, whose mother was tragically murdered in a case of domestic violence, along with honoring the memory of his mother, Larsen.

Aidric Hunt is a 8 year old child with Autism, and he needs special care.  His mother Larsen, a 25 year old Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit nurse, was doing a wonderful job of caring and nurturing him, but she was taken away forever on October 26th 2010.  Aidric has a wonderful family support unit, but they need all of our help with the special care he requires.  To this end, they have established the Aidric Hunt Assistance Fund ( http://www.hope4aidric.org/ ), which will help not only Aidric, but other Autistic children and their mothers, especially single mothers, with all the challenges they will face in life.

 The Everglades Challenge is an unsupported, expedition style adventure race for kayaks, canoes, and small sailboats. It starts at Ft. Desoto Park in Clearwater, Florida, and ends on Key Largo.  There are 3 checkpoints on the way to the finish, and the distance is roughly 300 nautical miles depending on your course selection. There is a time limit of 8 days or less.

There is a specially designated sail available for signing at various fundraisers leading up to the Challenge (a $10.00 minimum donation is recommended).  After the Challenge, the sail will be presented to Aidric and his family as a permanent memento of our sail, and, more importantly, of all the people out there who care.  An online map of the race will be available, with near-real-time tracking of the competitors.  More information about the Everglades Challenge can be found at www.watertribe.com and more about Clarity Sailing Adventures can be found at https://claritysailingadventures.wordpress.com/

We are honored to be able to help, and we hope that many of our fellow sailors, along with non-sailors, will join with us to make Aidric’s life, along with many other lives, happy and healthy.