1963 Texas Water Safari

by Roger Zimmerman

Jay Daniel asked me to tell about the 1963 Texas Water Safari in one page. Here goes.

In 1962 Frank Brown and Willie George made a 500 mile 20 day 8 hour survival trip from San Marcos to Corpus Christi in a 14’ Long Star Semi-V bottom fishing boat.  This was well documented in three issues of SOUTHWEST HOLIDAY and is known as the prelude to the Texas Water Safari. 

Frank Brown organized the first Texas Water Safari in 1963 so others could have the opportunity to enjoy the same trip.  Race sponsors were San Marcos Chamber of Commerce and Corpus Christi Buccaneer Commission.  It was billed as “The Toughest Boat Race in the World, a 500 Mile Marathon”. Years later it was discovered to only be 330 miles.  Only paddles, oars or sail were permitted.  Any type or size boat was permitted with any number of paddlers per team.  There were no classes or team captains.  Everything had to be carried from race start to finish with no outside assistance of any kind (except for water on the bay).  The entry fee was $25 per team.  There were no age limits except persons under 21 had to have a parent or guardian waver.  Life “preservers” had to be worn at all times while on the water.  Typhoid and tetanus immunizations were required.  Fire arms were permitted.  Contestants had to drink river water after their on-board supply was used, except drinking water was supplied at Austwell on the bay and before daybreak and after the end of each bay leg.  Prizes included a boat/motor, turkey feeder, camper, town lap prizes and over $6,000 in cash.

One hundred twenty six men and one woman in 58 teams entered the 12 day race. The boats started in San Marcos on April 29 in 30 minute waves. River checkpoints were at secret locations.  Race officials were supposed to contact paddlers by messages on mandatory transistor radios.  Most if not all were wet and ruined on the first day.  There were over 50 log jams on the San Marcos River, many of them tall and massive.  There was a mandatory portage “from the downstream vicinity of the Tivoli bridge into Hynes Bay” after a 3 mile log jam below the bridge.  A white flag was hung below the log jam on a tree limb marking a 2.2 mile portage into Hynes Bay increasing the portage to  5.2 miles total. The white flag portage led across waist deep swamp water, knee deep mud and mosquitoes so thick you could hardly breathe.  A number of teams quit during the swamp portage.  Only 20 out of 58 teams clocked into Austwell before the official sunrise start of Leg 2 on May 8.  All the bay legs were from official sunrise to official sunset under Coast Guard supervision.  The Leg 2 deadline was official sundown at Mills Wharf on May 8 where only 13 teams clocked in.  May 9 proved to be the worst day of the race when 13 remaining teams left Mills Wharf at official sunrise with small craft warnings  flying.  Facing 30-40 knot winds with 6-8 ft waves forced 9 of the 13 teams out of the race in the bay off Rockport with a number of Coast Guard rescues required.  Only four teams remained in the race at the inland portion of the intracoastal canal leading to Ingleside.  Facing 30-40 knot winds as well as strong tidal currents against us in the barge canal that afternoon, two teams including me could make no progress paddling.  We were wading and pulling our boats down the barge canal when time expired.  Team 102 used oars and made it to Ingleside with moments to spare.  Team 163 used a sail and were able to sail almost dead into the wind down the canal.  Both teams finished the fourth leg into Corpus Christi without problems on May 10.  Team 102 comprised of Lynn Maughmer and Jim Jones won the race in 110 hours 35 minutes.  Fred Hurd, Jr. and Sam Hare in Team 163 took second place in 145 hours.

The 1963 TWS was the most difficult and challenging thing I have ever attempted.  And I almost finished it solo without food from Victoria on except for what I could find.  I still regret not making that 3 miles into Ingleside.

Entrants for the 1963 Texas Water Safari