Hello Everyone, tomorrow July 28th, I will finish my three month kayak trip in the Baltimore Inner Harbor! I plan to paddle in at about 12pm. If you are in the area, please come and say hello.
Location etc. to follow.
Second To Last Day
6.23.08
Sorry I have been so lax in updating this blog the last week or so (basically since I got to the Chesapeake Bay) it’s just that I haven’t had great cell phone service and when I have it seems like I have been really busy, it has been quite an interesting few days. First of all, I had the most amazing time on Smith Island, I learned so much there about the Chesapeake Bay. I think I had crabs for almost every meal… soft, caked or steamed. It was so great to hang out with Phil. We paddled a canoe which man I stink at. I never would have made this trip in a canoe. Phil kept yelling at me to stop leaning. Next I paddled to Hooper Island, where I got stuck in a thunderstorm. It seems as though I have been stuck in a storm almost every night this week. At least at this point I had researched what to do in an electrical storm. I felt a little safer because I had the knowledge and knowing is half the battle.
The next day my aunt and uncle came down from Pennsylvania. I had my first on the water company which was great. My uncle paddled with me for a couple of days and it was nice because I was talking but not to myself for once. I was having a hard time keeping up with him, he is must faster then I am. On Sat, it was my father’s birthday. He came down from Baltimore with my sister and mother. Then his grandmother, (my great grandmother) came up from Chincoteague with my great aunt. It was quite a reunion! We had lunch and I hadn’t seen my father since March so that was great. My great grandmother is one of my biggest fans, she follow my blog very closely.
I came out to James Island and camped here Sat night. Yesterday when I woke up I felt like relaxing. Since I had a nice hammock set up I decided to stay for the day. I swam, read and made a feast. I should be Annapolis Tuesday afternoon and then hang out for a day. I am giving my self plenty of time, I am in no rush. I love not having to do 30 miles a day and I love being able to lounge. I know I need to upload pictures; I haven’t had a Wi-Fi connection so I will continue to look for one. When I get to a computer I will upload more info about Smith Island… what a cool place, I learned so much. It will be an easy day about 20 miles to where I am headed. More to come!
The details from a couple exciting days since crossing the mouth of the Bay:
Ok lets see.....
After touching the shore of SE VA on at Kiptopeke SP on thursday afteroon I was in a tremendously good mood. The folks at the park had been firm in stating that I was not allowed to beach my kayak if I wanted to camp with them ( I asked whether they were encouraging me to drive in instead to which I didn't get a response) so I paddled very leisurly for a couple more hours staying right off the beach. There were no creeks or inlets to duck into but I didn't mind camping there right under the sandy cliffs and I found a nice little spot between two big fallen trees that would provide a little break from the wind, hide me a little, and prevent morning walkers from strolling by. It was an un-eventful but pleasent night and the next morning I got up ready to paddle what I expected to be 5-6 miles to Cape Charles where I planned to visit South East Expeditions, a kayak/kite surfing shop owned by Dave Burden the brother of Sarah who helped me out in SC, to get some local knoweldge. Turns out I was already in Cape Charles because in ten minutes I had come to their little harbor. I realized why I had been getting looks from passing boats, they probably had never seen anyone camp there before. HERE IS THE SPOT.
Anyhow, I found Dave's shop which was nice and spent awhile talking to John who I suspect is from England (or Australia - I didn't ask) who gave me lots of good information. He did confirm my suspicion that the general attitude to camping along the beach is not a favorable one. Oh well. I spent a few hours poking into their little boutique shops and getting coffee/lunch and generally being a tourist. They were having a Schooner festival the next night (Sat) so I admired some tall ships that had already come in. By the time that I got back underway it was like 1 oclock and I had only gone about a mile earlier. I didn't have much motivation that afternoon either and I took full advantage of the Eastern Shore's ample kayak "rest stops" to relax and just Enjoy. I was feeling very glad that I spent the time and effort to get over here because it was perfect paddling. Very calm wind, I stuck close to shore and admired big empty patches of marsh, all the usual suspects of shore birds, rays, crabs and some nice houses up on the banks. It was just a very relaxing afternoon. Towards dusk my lucky timing once again struck and as I paddled past a large group of kids playing in the water their mother yelled out an offer of a cold beverage for a spin in my kayak. She was probably just kidding but I took her up on it imediatly before she could retract and just like that I was sitting in one of their lounge chairs sipping a rum and coke while she took the Steiner Liner for a little cruise. It was the first time in 2 and a half months that someone else besides myself has paddled my boat. After she was done we let each of the kids (ages 6-10) play in it too. I was so impressed that these little guys were able to maneuver it so well. The best one was the oldest boy, Jordan, who I'm ashamed to say handled the boat better then I do. It turned out two families had rented the place for the weekend and had come over from Virginia Beach. They didn't believe me at first when I said that I had come from Miami and insisted that I had to have a vehicle close by. They ended up feediing me a big plate of spagetti and let me camp there in their yard. It ended up working out well since I had just been warned that morning about camping along the beach.
Saturday I woke up early after something ( I suspect a pine cone) slamed into my poor little tent (I suspect a child with a good arm) and got on the water as soon as I could. It was another fantastic day and I decided there is no reason to push it so I moved along at a reasonable but certainly not aggresive pace. At one point I was saddened to see a large sea turtle washed up, still completly intact except for a large slit down its shell, presumably from a ship. I also learned about a frustrating trap for paddlers here on the eastern shore. When attempting to follow the shore you have to be very careful of marshy bays that you have to back-track out of. For almost the entire length of the ICW I was able to get by using eyeball navigation and perhaps I picked up some bad habits but twice on saturday I got suckered into areas that proved to be dead ends. These impeneratrable marsh walls seem to appear out of nowhere bc they are so low and I still don't carry binocs. Its particulary frustrating to when, like Sat, there is a tail wind and you're crusing and then you have to turn around and paddle back into the wind to get around the jutting laing. and its particularly embarrising when you pass a good sized riviera and wave and say hi to all the shirtless dudes and girls in bikinis and then 5 minutes later you are paddling back in the other direction. I don't know if that makes sense or not to you all but regardless its something I'm going to be more careful of.
Ok, and then the day got interesting. The plan that I had made in my head was to set my self up for a nice, straight-shot open water crossing to Smith Isl on Sunday so I stopped for the night at the tip of IIIIIIIIIIIIIIii so that I wouldn't end up paddling FARTHER from Smith. The little spit of land I selected wasn't like the ideal camp spot but I could have been fine, I've definitely stayed in stranger places along the way. Well it wasn't until I had finished cooking dinner and getting ready to through up the tent right at dusk did I hear over the weather radio that there was a rapidly growing storm that was going to be headed directly for me. I was being stubborn maybe but I was very reluctant to paddle somewhere "safer" so I decided just to hunker down and ride it out. Well it was only like 1.5 hours till high tide and I had at least 10 feet of sand between me and the water so I figured it could be close but I would be fine. I positioned the boate inbetween my tent and the water thinking that might help a little if the water did actually rise. It did, and my little breakwall didn't help. First the storm brought strong winds which pulled out most of my stakes - they don't tend to hold very well in sand - and lots of cloud to cloud lightning. The winds filled up my tent with pounds of sand and put a nice coating on EVERYTHING. I was sure that my tent was going to blow away with me in it. Then as it began to rain the lightning began to struck the ground/water. I'm not one that gets nervous in storms and have never really been worried about lightning but my tent being the highest thing in a large sourounding area I got a little anxious. I wasn't sure whether aluminum tent poles attract lightning or not but I felt pretty sure that I was going to get struck. And then my tent gets smacked by my boat. The water had already risen high enough to move it about 4 feet up the beach and hit my feet (yes, it was tied to something so it couldn't float off). I moved my tent back as far as I could which was not much farther and got back inside right as the rain began to pound. It was almost midnight and I was exhausted so despite all this excitment and my nervousness I fell asleep. I woke up a few hours later and the storm had mostly passed it was just raining lightly and I felt very fortunate. It was without a doubt the worst weather I have had yet - I cant remember ever seeing so much lighning associated with one storm.
Wow this is a long update already and there's still 2 more days to catch up on. Its funny, I'm here on Smith Isl and a very similar storm is coming through as I type this. Tis the season I guess. I'm glad I'm in the safety of a house this time. I was warned that we might loose power and I don't want this long update to be lost so the second half of this update will come once the storm
I am here on the good side!
I made it to the Eastern shore of Virginia, no longer on the western side. It’s all down here from here; I am in a really good mood. I got stopped by a police boat in the beginning of the day. There were hover craft doing tests for beach landing exercises. The police told me that the guys flying the hover crafts couldn’t see me and told me that he needed to tow me. I didn’t want him to tow me because I had come so far. So I went out of my way a little bit out of the course I was intending to take because I wanted to make it on my own. I went 25 miles so here I am! Tons of dolphins and sting ray today!
End of the Intracoastal!!
Monday was a big big milestone. I completed the intracoastal. I came to Norfolk and I felt like a little teeny ant amongst a variety of huge ships. I was a little disappointed I couldn’t see the “mile 0” marker. I wanted to take a picture as a memento. I heard there was one on the there but after looking and looking I couldn’t find it. I paddled along the port and around the piers and saw a ton of boats, container ships, a naval yard, huge Navy boats, aircraft carriers and cruise ships. I rounded the corner to go under the bridge to Hampton a submarine passed me. I saw just about everything coming through Norfolk, it was very lively. The cruise ship I saw was followed by a couple of police boats; they kept following me around, maybe because of my packed kayak and creepy beard? Yesterday, I set out to try cross the mouth of the river to, following the bridge over to Cape Charles. I didn’t get that far though before I felt a little apprehensive. I sat at the mouth of Little Creek and tried to make up my mind; it was HOT yesterday, near record temperatures. The part that got me worried though was the visibility it was really hazy from the heat and the south wind we had from the last couple of days had blown the smoke from the south Carolina forest fires up here and I couldn’t see more then a mile. I was at the mouth of Little Creek and couldn’t see the bridge. I was worried about getting run over once I get out there because I had been told that most guys put their boats on auto-pilot and I am going to cross the shipping channel about half way along. I am in no rush… I have plenty of time to cross the bay. It’s about 8am now. I am going to give it another try right now. I will let you know how it goes, I will keep you posted. Keep your fingers crossed as it’s a big crossing. Tons of pictures, next time I get to a Wi-Fi spot I will upload them…
I stayed on Al and Mary’s boat again last night. They are amazing, they have done so much to ensure the success of this trip, and I can’t thank them enough!
Great Dismal Swamp/Norfolk
Here it is on Sunday and I have emerged from the Great Dismal Swamp, North Carolina and (very very nearly) the Intracoastal Waterway.
The last two days coming through the canals/locks have been a complete change from the Albemarle region and certainly a grand adventure. I just wish that it hadn't been record setting temperatures. When I got up to the visitor center on friday it was like 5:05 and all the girls were just locking up to go home for the weekend so I didn't get to check out their little center. I was able to step inside the cool, AC filled restrooms to freshen up and take a little break from the heat. When they told me the day before that I would have no problem tying up they must not have realized how low a kayak sits on the water bc I had to literally climb up the 5 foot dock to get ashore. I had been hoping that they had something a little lower so that I would have been able to get into my hatches because I had nothing edible left in my cockpit or deck bag and I was starving. (side note: I used to always say when I was hungry that I was starving but I think I've actually experienced that sensation a few times on this trip. When my body is eating away at itself because I'm burning many more calories then I can take in. This was one of those times). Anyhow, instead I had a lovely vending machine snack and then headed back out to find the feeder ditch that would take me to my intended campsite for the night.
The canal inside the locks is maintained at 6 ft. by Lake Drummond. Connecting the 2 is a feeder ditch that is about 3.5 miles long. Just about at the very end of the ditch is a recreational area overseen by the army corp of engineers which they call "the reservation" and that is where I camped for the night. CLICK HERE TO SEE THAT LOCATION. There's not much there except for a few outhouses, a very cool electric trolley that will take your boat/kayak over to spillway, and 2 screened pavilions. Those were a livesaver. You can imagine being in a swamp how bad the bugs must have been. Not only was it incredibly hot and humid but there was zero air flow. I took full advantage of the screened areas to cook, organize my things, and make a plan for the next day. It was so hot that I sweated right through the night even in a mesh top tent, with no shirt on and, of course, no sleeping bag that night. It was nice being the only one there and there were a few outlets in the laddies latrine that I found worked so I was able to plug in my phone and some auxiliary batteries too.
Saturday morning I was moving slow and by the time I got all my things together and packed the kayak back up it was 930 and I realized I hadn't left myself much time to make the 130 Deep Creek Lock opening which was a little over 15 miles away. The water in the canal is totally flat with no current so I could paddle 4-4.5 mph easily but it was hard to maintain that pace in the heat. I was sweating like I never have before. The air was so thick and humid in that canal that it was like paddling in a sauna. I couldn't take in enough water, I was stopping to drink every 10-15 minutes it seemed like. I tried my hardest to stay along the east side of the canal and get any shade I could, the only problem being that there are so many overhanging limbs and submerged obstacles along the side that it makes it tough. I pushed it as hard as I could and reached the lock right on time, bc he was running the southbound traffic first I really even had a few minutes to spare and I slipped under the low bascule bridge and got right up in place while a little nordic tug-looking thing that had passed me miles back sat waiting for it to open. The Deep Creek lock tender couldn't have been nicer and we chit chatted while he lowered me down about 7-8 feet and he brought me out an ice cold pepsi because he said it "looked like I desperately needed something cold to drink." He couldnt have been more right. I rarely drink soda, and I normally never would while I was paddling but that was one delicious pepsi and it saved the day. I felt totally drained at that point, and I was to find out later that the record high for june 7th in norfolk was set yesterday at 99.
When I got out of the lock it was like dorothy stepping out of her house into color after the twister. What a change! Whereas I had seen a total of 4 other boats in the canal on emerging I was immediately surrounded by at least 20 wave runners. Back and forth. They never seem to go anywhere exactly, they just stick within a little 1 mile range zipping around, hooting and hollering, and putting up bath-tub wake. That was when I realized that I had just about had it for the day. I called a really nice fellow named Al who had contacted me and offered a place to crash and we arraigned to meet at a public ramp another 4-5 miles up north. I am so luck that he was able to help me out because I was completely worn out. It also meant that I didn't have to worry about paddling through the Norfolk harbour while tired and with the tall ship festival going on.
Al and his wife Mary helped get me all fixed up last night. I had a nice big dinner, an unbelievable shower (it felt so good to get 4 days of sweat and river/canal water off me) and played with their awesome dog Pandit before crashing hard for the night. I took advantage of their generous offer to lay low for a day to hang out in some AC, hit the grocery store to resupply, and do a little planning. I'm 90% sure I have a good strategy figured out for tomorrow but it could all change at a moments notice. We'll see what happens. I've really enjoyed meeting Al, Mary, their son Chris who was nice enough to cart me around today, and hearing Al's great stories about his own adventure up the ICW with his daughter as his first mate. THANK YOU GUYS!
BTW I'm really glad I decided to go the Dismal Swamp route. It really was an experience. Not only is it the oldest waterway in the country (1784) but it was surveyed in part by George Washington, was a hide out along the banks for freed slaves, has the only joint highway/waterway visitor center in the country, and is listed on the registry of national historic places. I did hear a lot before I started about its tranguility and that's true I guess in parts but it does basically run parallel to rt 17 so there is a lot of car/motorcycle noise which is strange. From what I've read though many cruisers are scared of the canal bc of the many horror stories of broken props and snagged mast heads so the ones that do run it are part of a special little group. Plus not every boat can - you have to draw 5 ft or less. I would like to consider myself part of that group now.
Oh, so I didn't even mention: I'm not done with the ICW yet. I took out at about mile 4. So unless there is a VERY LARGE unforeseen problem tomorrow morning will be another milestone in the trip and I will leave the ICW behind. Its very exciting (to me).
Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter but on the bay there should at least be a breeze.
“Lock it up”
After a great stay in Elizabeth City I ventured farther north today to the Great Dismal Swamp, woke up and the day seemed fitting because there was blanket of fog over the city, it was thick, I figured that it wouldn’t be very hot until it lifted. As I was getting ready this morning, I pulled a real bone-head move, I accidentally put my GPS and the spot locater in the water … kind of a long story, bottom line, it happened. I am an idiot. I found out that my Spot locater floats but the GPS apparently does not. I was tied up at the ramp and I saw exactly where it fell so I was able to wade in, walk down to the ramp and try to find it. I had to getn up to my shoulders in the beautiful, brown Pasquatank River before I could locate it. Fortunatly I was able to do so with my feet and I brought it to the surface like I was collecting sand dollars so I didn't have to go under with my head.
It wasn’t the best way to start the day but Im just glad that I recovered it. Coincidently, I haven’t dropped anything in the water in two months, not one single thing, yet here at the Pelican Marina I nearly lost 2 things to the river. The night before while trying to board Josh, the dock master's boat, my croc (shoe) slipped off and immediately began to drift away. Without a net handy I could only watch it disappear into the night. I tend to have the best luck with these sort of things though so the next morning when I took a walk I found that it had floated in about a 1/4 mile down the road. It would have sucked to only have one croc left - they are the best paddling shoes.
Anyhow, what they say about Elizabeth city is entirely true: the people are so kind, generous and hospitable. Everyone I met welcomed me so warmly and was excited to teach me about their town and make sure I enjoyed my time there.
I felt very fortunate to be able to stay on Dave’s boat. He is the photographer for the coast guard. His boat, "puffin," he got in a most unusual way. He actually got it for free from a fellow off Craigslist who just wanted to see it go to a good home.
Dave's slip neighbor (whose also named Dave, but goes by Hippie Dave) is a live aboard and certainly one of the most interesting people that I have met along the way yet. He's in the early phases of constructing a dingy of his own design out of discarded water bottles, vinyl duct tape, solar panels and an electric motor. I saw the plans and it looks quite impressive. He'll call it the Solar Gondola. I'm glad I was able to contribute a couple of empty bottles to the project.
The manager and dock master of the marina, Josh, was a big help as well. He is very enthusiastic and couldn't have been more accommodating to me. I can tell he is great with all of his customers and very fun to hang out with. I highly recommend if you are going to Elizabeth city (which is the thing to do) to go the Pelican Marina, they are great. I can’t wait to stop back there my next time through.
This picture here on the left was taken by Dave (my generous host) a few weeks ago. I loved it because it looks exactly like it did this morning.
So back to the swamp, don’t let the name deceive you, the name sounds scary but it’s actual quite beautiful and tranquil. It is very hot and muggy, well at least it is today. I feel like I am in the rain forest, I am baking. I missed the 1pm lock opening only by a little bit, but once I got up there and radioed to the tender he opened it got me through early so I didn't have to wait till 330. You are supposed to have two lines -bow and stern- to keep you against the side while the strong currents from the quickly filling lock try to move you. I only carry one and the lock master wasn’t too psyched about that so he gave me his dock-line stick to use to hang on to the wall. It worked fine I locked up about 8 feet or so and now I am on the other side and I’m going to cruise up here to the visitor center and then hopefully find some place to camp. That’s the plan for the rest of the day. Have a great Friday everyone!
Good bye Albermarle Sound
It feels good to have Albermarle Sound past me and be in the Pasquotank River. It was an adventure yesterday, but it went really well. It took me from 9am until 2pm or so. It wasn’t too bad, the wind died down and from 12 – 2 it was relatively calm. I have been thinking about crossing this sound for the past couple of days now, it’s been in the back of my mind and I was anxiously anticipating it. I had heard scary stories about it. It really was just a mental thing; paddling yesterday wasn’t that much physically harder then any other day. Yesterday coming out of the sound, I saw this huge building in the distance, I saw it for hours. Turns out it was a blimp storage facility. It’s one of the largest buildings in the world.
Here in Elizabeth city now. They have a big public dock here downtown. They greet each cruiser with a rose and a wine and cheese party. They are a very generous town. I explored a bit yesterday and talked to a nice fellow Dave who offered his boat for the night. This was great. Tomorrow I will start my way up to Great Dismal Swamp which won’t take that long. Hopefully in about 2 days here I will reach the end of the waterway which will be a huge milestone. Hopefully I will have fun going through the swamp tomorrow.
6.4.08
I crossed Pamlico where the jelly fish were still crazy! I will update tonight so look for new pictures tomorrow. It was a beautiful morning; I had a bad camping spot the night before so I was on the water very early saw the sunrise. It felt like a big stretch the water was still and looked like it was frozen. , came up the middle of the Pungo river, could see a mile an a half to either side, I was out there all by myself, it was gorgeous. I pulled right into Bell Haven, was trying to get some supplies. I got some local advice which I am glad I did because I have a tough stretch coming up. Got a great lunch at this place called farm boys it was the most hoppin place in town. I met a guy named Mike and his juvenile Macaw Einstein. He let me borrow his bike. I used it to go down to the town and get some groceries. It started to get really blow so I ended up staying in Bell Haven, moved my boat around to Riverside Marina and ended up staying there in their dock house. There I met Keith who is coincidently he was on the second day of a bicycle trip, you can find out more about the trip on his website: (link to site) Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page! It was cool because I actually felt like I had advice to give him because he was just starting.
Got a pretty good start the next day after some Sunday breakfast, went further down the Pungo there was a huge Redneck Riviera. I talked to them and I wanted to get out and have a beer but I kept going because I knew camping spots are sparse through the area. Low and behold I got a killer camping spot, so much better then I had anticipated. I will upload a picture, it was gorgeous. It was right on the shore, tons of pine needles. Supposedly there are brown bears in the area but I didn’t meet any. Met a huge deer, climbed a huge deer stand and had a great evening.
The next day I didn’t want to leave (Monday) so I made breakfast and slow start and took my time packing up. I finally got going around 9:30am. I immediately wished I had got an earlier start because the weather report was dead wrong. The wind was flowing north not southwest as the report had predicted, NOAA seems to be wrong a lot of the time. I got up to the Alligator River; somehow the wind was still right in my face… it made for some of the worst paddling conditions. 1-2 foot chop coming straight at you in open water. My boat comes up and over the first hard into the second wave. It totally kills your speed and its draining to do that all day long for 5 or 6 hours, the up and down, you get soaked (event though I have my skirt on) it’s very tiring and if you stop paddling, the water pushes you back. The banks are impenetrable in this area. The cypress trees make cypress swamps. The old cypress trees that used to grow on the shore, so although the trees have died, the stumps and knees (roots) are still there. You can’t see them but if you get too close to shore, my paddle hits them or my boat hits them and some are very sharp. That have died and fallen down have left their stumps 40 feet out of from the shore and it’s like a mine filed. Even if you try to get close to shore it is pretty tough and I was really getting frustrated. Finally about 8:45 that night I got into the marina.
Later, a green 36 foot sail boat called the Transom that I have been noticing for a while, invited me for dinner. As I was changing, they left me a note on my boat saying they had noticed me as well and invited me to dinner on their boat with their cat named Mr. Mischief. They served me some fantastic goulash and we exchanged stories. Its funny, I have noticed that a lot of these cruisers have cats instead of dogs because it’s easier. They clean themselves and they aren’t interested in jumping into the water.
My body hurt badly from the past couple days, especially from the rough day yesterday. I have been contemplating which way to go because the waterway splits; there are two waterways from here up to Norfolk. I am about 80 miles from the end so I am in a pretty good mood! Tomorrow will be the most open water yet, it will be about 20 miles across. I decided to go up to Elizabeth City, its more scenic and pretty. It is going to be a big day; I am planning on leaving early and get going first thing.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Fish
Yesterday I came out of Oriental, it was awesome. I headed north and I pretty much paddles all day heading east of the Neuse River. As I went through the sound, there was nothing out there, it felt like the ocean. I stopped and had some lunch at a beachy point around broad creek. I paddled until I got to the bay river and found a little cut there. There were very limited places to camp. All day today I saw soo many jelly fish. The night before at the silo barn I had been warned by a diver that the jelly fish were crazy right now and he told me I would see tons of them, well he was right, I must have seen 1000 jelly fish. I don't think there as any time that I looked and didn't see one. These weren't the jelly balls, they were the fish, they were white or purple with tenticles and I knew it was a matter of time before I got stung and sure enough one got wrapped around my paddle and bit me. I was testing my luck after seeing a few good camping spots that afternoon, thinking I would be able to find something better. I was wrong though and ended up having to camp at an awful spot at the end of the road. It was so buggy. the bugs were just out of control, they somehow infiltrated my tent just as I was about to get in for the nigth. It's about 6:30am now (Sat. 5.31.08) I'm heading up to bell haven.
(More to come, including locations...)
5.30.08
I haven’t had cell phone service for a few days so I haven’t been able to call in an update, here is what’s been going on; Tuesday was a pretty straight shot out of Swansborough up to Moorhead, good practice for upcoming sections because the water was pretty wide, had m skirt on the whole day, in the morning a dolphin was hanging out with me for about half an hour, come right up to the boat, flip over and show me his belly then swim along with me. He seemed to really enjoy playing along with me. Paddled straight through the day with no breaks right to Moorhead city in-between there and Beaufort up into a creek, finally the waterway became a little smaller and I could take off my skirt and relax, then I paddled up to Sea Gate Marina met a great couple Mary Beth and Frank on vacation from Maine I hung out with them and they fed me. We enjoyed each others company, I was really happy they were there; they really took care of me.
Wednesday I thought would be a pretty easy day paddling up to Oriental. Boy was I mistaken. It took me all day to get 10 miles to Adams Creek because of the 20 mile an hour winds right in my face. I then had to cross the
Yesterday I was finally able to cross the river, there were strong winds and a pretty good chop, it was about 3 or 4 miles, it was hard, exhilarating and a lot of fun, I felt like I was paddling all day, it was tiring but I made it. I spent the rest of the day in Oriental, had some lunch and ate about 4000 calories in one meal which was great. I enjoyed hanging out at the docks, going to a paddle shop, got a new pad for my seat, hopefully it will help. I met with Rob and Joe in the afternoon and I really enjoyed spending the night on their boat, I appreciate their kindness.
5.27.08
First off, good morning to Scott, thanks for your message the other day buddy.
I hope everyone had as nice a holiday weekend as I did. Saturday I left Debbie and Keith pretty early and as soon as I got on the water it started to rain and it was pretty ugly for most of the day. I pulled over and tried to wait it out. It didn’t really clear up too much, it died down a little but there was pretty heavy rain and north winds. I trudged on and made it about 16 or 17 miles. I stopped just south of
Thank you to Lamar, Debbie, Keith and Paul.
A LOT TO CATCH UP ON...
Ok so I have a hodgepodge of different things that I have been waiting to mention but I haven't gotten any computer time in for awhile now.
so I want to go all the way back to Waccamaw River (which seems like so long ago). One of the coolest parts of the ICW is how varied it is. Its remarkable when I think about how many different types of ecosystems and the contrasts in the surroundings that I've passed through. The Waccamaw was completely unique. The water was dark and tanic from the cyprus trees that grew out of its meandering banks. It also seemed to be almost entirely fresh water but I guess it did have low levels of salinity. I was amazed by how abundant the Ospry were - I suspect that this was due to the fact that they nests were safe atop trees growing out of alligator infested water. I loved how I was paddling 10-15 mile stretches without seeing anything, not one house, marina, or bridge. Surprisingly though there was sporadic advertising attached to live trees.
And then, all of a sudden the beauty ended. Just north of the Socastee Bridge, Myrtle Beach's infamous "rockpile" section started. This was the last portion of the waterway to be completed by the corp and certainly the narrowest section so far. Apparently they were having trouble blasting through the thick rock to create the canal so as the construction schedule began to lengthen and lengthen they began to just making the channel narrower and narrower to remain on budget. You can see here why they call it the rockpile. It was very obvious from the development on the high banks that this was all very new. Houses were being built very close together on lots that never should have accommodated houses in the first place - I suppose everyone just wants something "waterfront."
I'm so glad things worked out and I was able to stay at Dock Holidays: thanks to Charles and Rhett.
As soon as I crossed into NC the waterway changed again. The last few days I have been cruising a pretty straight section on the inside of some barrier islands. I had a tough little stretch when I had to head up the Cape Fear river to Snows cut. I had it planned perfectly and waited around in Southport for the tide to change. Hank and I even went out on a skiff to check the conditions which was cool - that was the first I had scouted out a section prior to paddling it. Although I had a great plan I didn't execute well. I was riding the incoming tide well and hit 7.7 mph but I stupidly left the shipping channel to early and struggled to paddle 4-5 miles in stagnant 3 foot deep water. Yesterday with a low tide in the afternoon I enjoyed the Myrtle Grove/Masonboro Sound area. Its notorious for shoaling and I saw 2 people get stuck. The sea tow guy was busy all day - he looked surprised every time he passed me every few hours. I know that the traffic this weekend is going to be crazy because it was bad yesterday as I came through the Wrightsville Beach section.
Ok next, I've been meaning (since like FL!) to tell you guys about a game that I made up. It actually isn't much of a game, because its not really fun, and I also borrowed a name from another very popular game: power hour. The idea is to paddle for a full hour without breaking my stroke. so no taking a break for water, change the song on my ipod, or scratch an itch. It might be a little silly to sit there and be uncomfortable but it does really help me cover some miles. plus i've realized that when you are paddling at 4.5 mph that only means that you'll actually go 4.5 miles with you paddle for all 60 minutes. Everytime you take a break you're going 0 mph (or even worse, negative (backwards)), and so you have to factor that into your average. Since I made up this game like 500 miles ago I've gotten pretty good. I now sometimes play a couple times a day or even go for power 1.5 or 2 hours. One time I was able to do 2.5 hours straight without breaking my stroke - it felt great.
let see what else....
Oh I noticed that there are 2 versions of the website up which confuses me on how that could happen. Please make sure that you direct your browser here . If not you are seeing an old version of the site. This came to my attention because I think my notice on the gmaps link updates has been going overlooked. Unfortunately the SPOT is full and I can't accommodate any more email addresses but I will make sure to publish all of them here on the blog.
I guess thats it. There is a lot of big water coming up and I don't really no how I'll approach it. Does anyone have any advice??
5.23.08
So yesterday I got on the water by 8:30am and paddled pretty much non stop for about 12 hours. I got out once just to fill my water and get some local advice in the Mason Borough marina, besides that I was just paddling along. There was a lot of traffic because of the upcoming holiday weekend. It was a shallow section and a narrow canal; I saw a lot of people get stuck, as low tide was in the early afternoon. I almost got stuck myself but I was really pushing it and even though I wasn’t making great time, because I was out there for so long, I was able to make it 33 miles. Hank was staying at his mom’s cabin just off the waterway so he and his step dad came out in their boat and met me on the water, gave me a beer and some encouragement. When I got to where we branched off, they actually towed me into the house which was a first and a lot of fun. It’s 2 o’clock now and I am just starting for the day so I am thinking I will only make it about 10 miles.
Hank's the man
Hank helped me out tremendously again, I came up to
Hank got me going from that same spot this morning. I hope he caught his ferry; I don’t want to make him late for work especially since it’s his birthday and he went out of his way two days in a row to help me out. Hopefully I am going to meet him again tonight at his cottage which is right on the intracoastal.
Its 11:30am, I just pulled in to Mason Borough Inlet to get some water and some local advice, the guys here were super nice, and I want to thank them. The goal right now is to go another 20 miles to Top Sail Inlet. If I can do that I might take off tomorrow because there is a lot of work I want to do on the website.
New State= Good......Tornado Warning=Bad
I had strong winds to my back all day (5/20) and cruised as far north as I could, heading for Southport, NC. I stopped for a quick break at Ocean Isle to call my friend Hank. It was too far to make it to his marina (over 40 miles) so we arraigned to meet at a public ramp at Holden Beach. I felt very fortunate to sleep under a roof last night because not long after I got off the water the weather took a serious turn for the worse. The radar was showing purple - which is never a good thing - and there were tornado warnings all through the area.
Hank and his wife Laura filled up my belly and since he spends a lot of time on the water and works in a marina, Hank was able to give me lots of good advice about the upcoming stretch. About 15 miles from where I am now is the Cape Fear River which is apparently a VERY tricky.
I have a lot that I want to detail about the last few days, especially the transition from the Waccamaw to the Myrtle canal to my first impressions of NC and I will as soon as I get some time on a pooter. So I know I said this yesterday but please continue to stay tuned.
Here's where I stopped yesterday
And here is a link that you can check out too
5.20.08
Its 9am and I am at Dock Holidays. It worked out really well to camp here; I slept like a baby and was un-bothered. There are southwest winds today and tide is going with me so I’m going to try to meet up with my buddy Hank and his wife Lara. I have spent the last three nights in a row camping so a bed will be very nice. I had a really good time talking with Charles form the local paper, learned a lot about the area. This has been a unique stretch not the most beautiful but unique. In about an hour I will be in
Last night in SC?
I left Georgetown and I guess I was a little naïve, I made 30 miles in 6 hours the day before and figured I could replicate that or at least close to that. I had a marina in range about 28 miles north of
First night sleeping ON the water
The last two days have gone pretty well… mostly uneventful on the water. From
I passed the most obnoxious boater yet yesterday. He totally waked me after blowing his horn about a dozen times from a quarter mile away, warning me to move over. Then he comes flying by, totally wakes me and gives me the salute wave. Along this stretch of the Santee and
I am about to get some breakfast before I leave for the day!So, I am leaving
5.15.08
I finally got going yesterday around 4pm. I got advice from a local that the Wappoo Cut is tricky to navigate but I was able to time it just right because the tide was on my side and the wind was on my back which got me cruising at 9 miles an hour, double what I can do normally, it felt amazing. On the way, I came upon some dolphins that were “getting it on” and they seemed kind of upset that I interrupted them that one even went so far as to splash me. After finishing the 12 or so miles to Charleston from Adam’s on Johns Island, I was able to dock my boat in the Charleston city marina amongst the big yachts. My family friend Laura and her fiancé Scott were nice enough to meet me and pick me up. I got another night’s sleep under a roof which I am clearly happy about. Thanks Laura and Scott! This morning, I had coffee and cake samples (their wedding is 13 days away) Sugary goodness and caffeine were a great way to start off my day. I am looking for a place to camp tonight on Capers Island. I have heard you need a permit to camp; I think I will be fine though.
slow news day.
if you have a fewe minutes to kill - obviously you do or you wouldn't be on this site in the first place - check out this link: http://www.islandpacket.com/lowcountrylife/story/494134.html
Happy Mother's Day
Here is where I slept/started from.
Yesterday (5/10) was a surprisngly nice, easy little day. I had a moderate wind to my back and had the current assisting me almost the whole time. Only at one spot did The Waterway get wide at the North River, just East of Edisto. After that it was just hour after hour of nice meandering river. For whatever reason there were lots of cruisers heading north, maybe because it was Saturday, but 90% of the boat traffic was going the same direction.
The last 10 miles of the day was awesome. Definitely one of the best stretches yet. The Stono River along Johns Island and Hollywood is a narrow, pristine gem with large, unique private homes on both sides many of which had fantastic super-long docks. I love those long docks. I'm talking about the ones that seem like they're a 1/4 mile long. The kind that takes you 15 minutes to walk down. In the middle of all these homes there was a beautifully manicured golf course. I thought it was interesting the designers had avoided the usual aproach to have holes play out to the water and instead had created 3-4 hours running right along the river. The fairways were basically directly adjacent to the waterline. It looked like paradise. Plus they had their own dock so you could arrive but boat for your tee time if you felt so inclined.
I stopped just shy of the John Limehouse brige, about 10 miles south of Charleston. I am staying with the Lawrences, (Adam, Kate, Grace, and very soon Addison) who were nice enough to take me in. I met Kate's parents while I was in Hilton Head who got me in touch with them. Adam is actually a fellow UVM alumnus and a paddler himself. And because I got to their dock it 4:30 (earlier then I had planned) I had all afternoon to relax, meet the neighbors/friends, take advantage of Adam's kegerator, and eat some delicious home made pizza pies.
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A special thanks today to all the awesome women in my life, especially the moms. And ESPECIALLY you mom! Thanks for dealing with me.
Monkey-ing Around
I woke up to some pretty gross weather - overcast with storm clouds in the distance - but I ignored it, got my things together and started to paddle around 9. Pretty much right away it began to rain and quickly I found myslef with my skirt and rain gear on, head down trying to just trudge through the storm. At one point the rain did get so intense that I was forced to take shelter underneath a boat that was up on a lift at the end of a long dock. The people were probably looking out from the house wandering what I was doing out there in the first place. As soon as the rain passed it became beautful though. Well, sunny at least, but there was a pretty good south-ish wind. I entered the Coosaw River which was very wide and got carried along by the wind at a pretty good pace. The problem was that the river was so wide and straight that I was having a very hard time seeing markers which were way to spread out, I think, anyhow. I'm pretty sure that I have mentioned this before but it is VERY hard to navigate unknown water from a kayak. I don't sit much off the surface of the water so my eye-line is just 2.5-3 feet from sea level. From that height I can only see about 2 miles to the horizon - not much when you are in open water. Its easy to spot markers and distinguish cuts in the marsh when you are standing up on the deck of a boat but not for me. Plus I don't have any binoculars with me, which admittingly is my own dumb fault. Anyhow the point is that I got lost. I missed what I was looking for, the Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff, with seems to be nothing more then just a small passage through marsh. I instead paddled to a marker that appeared to be right according to my chart but when I got up to it I noticed it was #3 (with no yellow triangle of course) opposed to #186 as I was expecting. If you think I'm an idiot then also understand that at the time I was also getting beat up by 2-3 foot waves caused by a 15-20 mph wind so it wasn't like I was just floating in calm water with lots of time to reference the chart.
So I was pretty upset about being lost. Marker #3 was nowhere on my charts, my GPS was vaue about where I was, and my phone (of course, Scott) had no service. I really was totally lost with no idea where I was. I refused to backtrack though which would entail paddling back into the wind so I just kept going. Fortunatly the island the I came to on my left had all these little white signs posted every couple hundred yards along the shore and even without being able to read them I knew that it had to be Morgan Island. Although I had never been there I knew of Morgan Island from its infamous reputation and I was aware that it was in the area. Actually I had originally always intended to detour off the waterway to visit the island but the night before Patrick and Rob had adamently advised that it would not be wise/worth it to go that far out of my way. I think Patrick's exact words were, "that would be an all-day affair." With that in my mind I had mixed emotions knowin that I had gone pretty far out of my way but also that I could see some wild MONKEYS! That's right, Morgan Isl is full of wild monkeys. Who would think, in SC of all places. I hadn't been out of my boat all day (it was like 3) so I ignored the no trespassing signs and went on shore to try to see if I could get a glimpse of one of the monkeys - I figured it would be hard to find them. Boy was I wrong. In just a minute I saw this little monkey in the trees, jumping from one to another and I was tiptoeing after him trying to get close enough for a good picture. I came around this corner and there was a little clearing and there in front of me were literally hundreds of monkeys. They all seemed aware of me and kept their distance but they didn't flee so I just watched them for awhile. I considered trying to lure one over for a photo with a piece of Sweet Baby Ray's beef jerky but I realized that (besides being ecologicaly irresponsible) there was the potential with so many of them for the situation to get out of hand.
Knowing that I was on Morgan Isl I was able to use my GPS to get my bearings and hatched a plan to get my back on The Waterway. It was 4 oclock by this point and I was tired so I didn't expect to reach it that afternoon. I also had no idea where I was going to sleep. My GPS did label Ottor Island which I remembered Scott mentioning that people sometimes camp there so thats where I was heading for. When I got up to the northern point of Ottor Island at about 7 I was SOOOO relieved to find marker 162 which signified that I was no longer lost. Apparently my very inacurate and outdated charts refer to Ottor Isl and Fenwick Island. Either way I was at Fenwick Cut and I was siked. Sure I had gone hours out of my way and paddled aobut 15 miles when the path was only about 7 but I had gotten to see monkeys. The sun was dropping and I didn't know what I was going to do for the night, though, so my excitment didn't last too long. I think have said this before too but while in this stretch them in right now (since basically the St. John's River) dry gound is really hard to come by. At least dry ground that is accesble by a kayak: pretty much everything has a border of marsh around it. Plus the tide was just starting to come back in so I had oysters and pluff mud between me and any land too. Based on my charts I had one potential option for camping: Raccoon Island. The fact that it was directly across from a place called Alligator Creek didn't make me to happy but I was desperate. I was very very lucky that Raccoon Island's banks were firm (that honeycomb-ish looking clay mud opposed to pluff). I pulled my boat all the way up, slipping and falling on my butt I few times, and found a few trees to sleep between. The old Clark Hammock saves the day again. It actaully wasn't that bad for the marsh - buggy, sure - but I was so tired I slept like a baby.
5.9.08
So I got back going on the water at about 10am yesterday, leaving Hilton Head. It was hard to get back in the water and leave but I realized it was just mental and I knew just the first day would be hard. I left from Broad Creek, repeated a section I had done the other day which was about an hours worth of paddling. I cruised up Calibogue Sound, along Skull Creek where I saw my buddy Scott who was out on the water with some of his customers. It was nice to see a familiar face as I paddled out of Hilton Head. I am kind of rusty I guess and it was kind of stupid for me not to put my skirt on as I was crossing Port Royal sound, it wasn’t terribly rough but it was choppy and the tide was moving out of the sound fast. I got pretty wet and was wet the rest of the day. My shoulder was initially hurting very bad and I was getting worried but fortunately it loosed up a bit. For some reason once I got in the rhythm of my strokes, my shoulder started to hurt less but it hurts doing just about everything else. Despite my best efforts, I missed the Beaufort river entrance but I paddled back and got to see Paris Island and the marine recruiting station where I heard something going on above the marsh grass, some hooting and hollering, some sort of training exercise I guess. Apparently they used to tell the Marines that the river was filled with alligators and sharks so they wouldn’t be tempted to try to swim away because their boot camp (apparently) is the worst 8 weeks you could have in life. I passed Paris Island and came up to the town of Beaufort which is awesome. They filmed a lot of Forrest Gump and the Big Chill here, it’s the second oldest city in South Carolina, I really wanted to stop and stay in Beaufort as it’s such a beautiful place. I have been there plenty of times though when I lived in Hilton Head plus it was after hours and the city marina seemed to be full. I kept going past my original idea for a campsite in Beaufort and campsite and it was getting late, didn’t know if I had enough sun light to get to the campsite I had intended to stay at which was still 12 miles away. When I rounded the corner, there was a new boat ramp that wasn’t marked on my chart; I talked to some guys who were fishing. I decided to pull over and try to make a new plan for camping that night. One of the guys suggested that I walk up to the row of houses that lined the creek and ask someone to let me tie up my kayak to one of their docks. Luckily I met a really, really nice newlywed couple Scott and Tiffany who just returned from their honeymoon and were spending the night in their new house for the first time. They fed me, took me in They were very kind to let me crash at their place.
Click here to see where I stayed last night
Thank you for your help: Scott, Tiffany, Rob, Patrick, MJ, Abby and Charlie!
If you've been wondering what I've been up to.....
I hope no one has been worried about me; I haven't drowned. Actually, I'm safe and sound here on beautiful Hilton Head - my old stomping grounds. Since I arrived on Thursday I have engaged in a stress free regiment of sleeping in, reading, eating and visiting with friends trying to relax and let my body recover. My sore left shoulder has really seemed to benefit from a couple continuous days off. I've set around the pool, I've gotten caught up on playoff hockey/basketball, and I've regained 8 pounds since I pulled in: its been a little vacation within a vacation.
BUT....The second half(ish) of this adventure is set to begin! It took 31 days to paddle the 556 miles from Key Biscayne to HHI and there are now 564 miles left on the ICW until its northern terminus at Norfolk, VA. Now, of course, after that I'll have to figure out how to navigate the Chesapeake Bay (which I haven't thought about at all yet), and there's the fact that I've actually done about 30 miles more then the waterway's length up to this point bc of my failed shortcuts, but I'm disregarding all of that because I like the notion of this nice break conveniently being right in the middle. Either way, I know I won't take another extended break like this. Pretty much since day 2 I had my sights set on HHI, knowing that if I could make it here I would be able to catch my breath, reassess, and that it would signify success in being able to reach the goal of Baltimore. I've also been able to take this time to get some small boat projects done - the critical ones anyhow. I fixed my thigh support padding, smoothed and waxed the hull, and made some more adjustments to the seat back supports. I abandoned what I decided was frivolous plans to attach cleats and install a fishing rod holder - I just don't think I would ever even take the time to fish when I could be paddling and its just another piece of equipment to care for and break. The most important project, repairing my good paddle's ferrule, was a huge success. I'm glad I wont have to use my spare paddle any more (btw the ferrule is the middle of the shaft, where the two pieces attach).
So tomorrow I'll be hoping back in my boat and leaving HHI behind as I head for Beufort. I'll be honest, I am pretty anxious about starting again. I think the second half of the water is going to be a lot different and that uncertainty has me feeling a little apprehensive. Part of it is that I've spoiled myself while I've been here on the island and its going to be tough to give it all up again. When I started in FL I was naive to a lot of the process and how hard days (c/w)ould be but now that I do know its tough to be excited for that. Then again, Miami doesn't seem like that long ago or that far away so I know its just a little case of butterflies. Plus all I have to do is remember how much fun I have been having and maintain the feeling of how fortunate I am that I get to do this at all. So tomorrow will be the day. If you're reading this and are in the HHI/Bluffton area and want to come out and paddle with me, well that would just be great.
I want to officially thank everyone again and who helped this first month. I've gotten tons of support through this first stretch which is the only reason I was even able to make it here to HHI at all. I don't want to leave anybody out so I'm reluctant to mention names but....
THANKS TO:
Wayne, Devin and Dienna, Bob & Allison Smith, Gracie and Zach, Ed & Edna, everyone at OHH, Whittney, Sari, Steve Cox, Brian Harder, Jack Anderson, Margo, LiveOac and everyone in my family particularly Jim&Becky, Barbie&Hudson, my brother, RACHEL, and mom & dad. THANKS GUYS, I owe you all one (or three or four). This list is totally incomplete btw, this is just a smidgen of the people who have been so generous to me.
And sorry for my absence in posting all week but the blog will resume a regular schedule tomorrow as the paddling continues. I hope I haven't lost any readers: you can't afford to when you only have a handful.
Also, in honor of the tight primary contest going on answer the new "exit poll."
So Close...4/30
HERE'S THE MOST CURRENT LOCATION LINK: AFTER I BROADCAST THIS I PADDLED TO AND LANDED INBETWEEN THE 2 GOLF COURSES ON DAUFUSKIE ISLAND (I'M NOT STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WATER)
So I'm here on Daufuskie Island, just across from Hilton Head. I left Skiddaway right at 10 and despite what I said just the other day I started paddling out towards the ocean. I had talked the night before to Captian Joe who runs charters out of Delegal Creek and together we had decided that if the conditions were right it might be worthwhile to jump back out into the ocean to cut off some more miles. When I got out into the ocean it was a little choppier then I had expected but nothing like Monday it the waves were more of an annoyance then a concern. Although there was a north east wind it wasn't to strong and the breeze felt good. I had a real tough time getting around the side of Tybee Island, there must have been a pretty strong current wipping around the beach coming out of the Savanah River but once I turned the corner I was able to cross the shipping channel and some open water to get over to Daufuskie. I didn't land here till after 6 and the tide was starting to come out of Callibouge quick so I knew there was no way I could make it to where I wanted to at Shelter Cove Marina at the end of Broad Creek. I'm worn out. I pulled my boat up to Roger Pickney's house and am staying with a friend, Jack Anderson, who was nice enough to put me up at his art gallery . Tomorrow I cross to HHI!
Today's ocean venture was a just about 20 miles compared to over 30 if I had gone the "back way." What I realized today that I really should I have thought about a long time ago is that a mile on the waterway and a mile in the ocean are not the same. Its not apples and apples. Either way, it paid off again. I'm like 3 for 3 on my last couple shortcuts.
Its nine o'clock and I'm about to crash. I'll leave at low tide tomorrow at 11 and hopefully ride the incoming all the way to my marina. I would love a nice "lazy river" day.
Seth
NOTE: theres a new picture I put up of my first view of HHI when I rounded Tybee. You can't tell its HHI at all but I could and it was a fantastic sight. I'm too tired to link it or put in in the body of this post, but don't you be lazy too.....click the link at the top of the page and check it out.
Georgia Is Just Wild; Monday 4/28
Whew, what I day! This was BY FAR the hardest/most adventurous/dangerous/trying day yet.
It started out bad before it even began (does that make sense). I mentioned camping on the beach sucks bc of the exposure, well if I have any choice, I won't do it again. It was very windy all night and it made it very hard to sleep with my little tent trying to blow away. People have been asking me what I've lessons I've learned so far and I tell them that I haven't really taken the time yet to analyze all my reflections BUT there is one thing that I have concluded, and I'm totally firm on it: April is windy! I think I've had one calm day all month. The stiff wind continued all day, fortunatly at least from the South. It just makes everything a little more difficult and frustrating. Like trying to take down a tent, or read a chart book, or put in contacts, or make a phone call, or pretty much anything.
I left the beach at Blackbeard early and let the wind move me very quickly across Sapelo Sound. It was very choppy and so I had my skirt on bc it was a cool overcast day and the last thing I wanted was to be wet all day. Well...the wind was carrying me so fast and my boat wanted to track left the whole time bc of it I ended up missing the ICW at the entrance of Johnson Creek. It was my fault but I have to say that the waterway in GA is really not marked very well. There could be more channel markers. Its especially tough for me bc my view is from 2.5 feet above the water surface and I'm not carrying binoculars so it can be very ticky to discern land contours off in the distance. Shell banks can blend together and a cut though the marsh can be complelty invisible until I'm right up on it. So I get to this marker which is missing the yellow triangle and I realize that I went to far so I have to pop my skirt to look at my chart and of course get immediatly soaked. I then have to paddle about a mile back INTO the wind and waves to get where I need to be. What a start to the day. It wasn't even 11 am by the time I got into Johnson Creek and into calm water and I already wanted to quit for the day. I had only gotten a couple hours of sleep and I was sore and now wet. So I paddled slowly up to Walburg Creek and headed down that, leaving the ICW again, bc it looked like it would take me past some dry ground on the west edge of St. Catherines. I'm glad I did and got up close to it bc what a crazy island. As far as I can tell its pretty much undeveloped. I did pass one dock that appears to be part of a still-being-built high end resort, I could see a few nice stone houses through the trees but thats it. North of that was like jungle. I thought I had seen all of GA's wildlife in one day yesterday but boy was I wrong. I paddled past groups of whitetail deer, a couple wild boars (pigs??, I don't know what you call them), and more alligators.
Today's alligator sightings where much scarier then yesterdays. Two were up on the bank together and came upon them as I was paddling right next to shore - close enough that I could have reached out and touched it with my paddle. Well I think this is a case of them being just as afraid of me as I of them, and they must feel safer in the water bc as soon as they saw me they made a beeline for the water. The problem was that is where I was! They came racing directly at me full speed with their little legs, hit the ledge dissapear into the water. And of course I'm paddling the other way as fast as I can. At first I was a little shocked by seeing all these gators in the marsh but when I thought about it if they're out there (which obviously they are) who else has a better chance of seeing them then someone spending 10 hours a day in their environment moving in silence (when i'm not singing to my ipod) at 4 mph?
So.... (THIS IS WHERE THE DAY GETS INTERESTING) I stopped at the north end of the island - the above picture - to make some calls and a plan, stretch my legs and use the little boy's room. I heard back from some friends of friends who were very gracious to invite me to stay with them at their house on Skiddaway Island which I was siked about. The problem was that it was still 25 miles away by ICW, the tide would be against me, and it was already 3 oclock. I knew I couldn't make it before dark, if at all, unless I came up with another plan. I called the harbormaster at the marina where I could tie up and got his advice on the idea of jumping out into the ocean to cruise right up the east side of Ossabaw Isl to avoid the twists and turns of the waterway behind the island and cut off some considerable distance. I did still have that S wind anyhow. He wasn't complelty discouraging of the idea and when he checked the radar for me it looked like the big storm in the area was going to miss me to the west so I decided to give it a try. I made sure everything was secure on the deck, I attached my skirt and set off across St. Catherines Sound. Initially it wasn't so bad...there were good size waves but nothing to serious and as I made my way around the southern tip of Ossabaw I headed out past the breakers, a couple hundred yards off shore. Well, the waves continued to grow, and grow, as did the wind. My radio had said the wind was to forcast to decrease from 15-20 to 5-10 in the afternoon but that wasn't the case - the wind picked up plus I was in the ocean after all so theres zero exposure. I was out far enough that I didn't have to worry about the waves heading into shore, just the open-water waves created by the wind which were coming hard from the SE. At first it was quite fun, the waves were coming from just over my right shoulder bc I was on a N/NE course, and I was enjoying the thrill of the open water, the excitment of the waves and jamming out to my ipod. The waves just kept getting bigger though and I kept moving faster. At this point though there was no option besides stick to the plan to continue all the way up to Ossabaw Sound because the surf waves were way to big to try to land on the beach, especially without a helmet. I was taken tons of spray and waves over my bow and body and got complety soaked, plus it started to rain: the storm didn't miss me after all. And the waves got to the point where I started to get pretty nervous. I've never been involved, in any manner, with waves that big before. When I was in the trough I couldn't see anything else and the distance from the trough to the crests must have been 8-10 feet. I was starting to regret this decision but there was no other option then to keep going. After about an hour and a half I could see the end of Ossabaw and felt a little relief. The final 30 minutes though as I tried to enter the sound though was the trickiest. The waves lost all sense of pattern and started to come from my left, my right and from directly behind. (note: my charts only show the ICW and the small sourronding area on both sides so I couldnt see what the East side of Ossabaw was like. Today looking at the NOAA chart online WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE, I noticed that there is a big sand bar coming off the NE tip of the island which was causing this) I had to conintually slow myself so I didn't take off surfing one of these monster waves. There were a couple close calls where I thought I was going over but I managed to stay upright. I fully recognize the potential catasrophy which could have escalated if I had capsized and not been able to succesfully roll being out so far off shore alone. FORTUNATLY it didn't happen. I finally made my way into the sound where the waves diminished a little bit and I was able to take a big sigh of relief and relax. I had traveled about 14 miles in just 2 hours and I thought at that point I was golden - naively I thought that I would just float right up to my intended target: Delegal Creek Marina. Well I got my bearings and realized I was South of Racoon Key which was about to become a barrier to my path in minutes bc of the outcoming tide which was stronger then I have ever felt it. At this point I was exhausted, soaked and mentally worn out. I was paddling with all the strength I had left and moving at a pace, according to my GPS, at .7 mph! So frustrating. To make matters worse Delegal Creek was right on the edge of two pages of my charts and I couldn't really get a good sense of where I needed to go. Instead of making a straight shot at the creek I ended up paddling in a million different directions at one point ending up all the way down at the cut between Wassaw and Pine Island. It was pretty brutal and the sun was dropping. Right at about 8 o'clock, 3 hours after leaving the ocean!, I made it to the entrance of Delegal Creek. As I was paddling into it the sunset was directly infront of me and the sky turned totally red and a pod of dolphin appeared all around me. It seemed like such a fitting end to such a tough day. Oh and then just a final twist of tragic-comdey the two markers in the creek were different then what they were identified as on my chart and so I thought that after everything I was in the wrong spot still! My chart must just be outdated. I have never been more exhausted and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of a hot shower and meal which the Smith's, Allison and Bob, provided after scooping me up at the marina. So I finished the day at mile 600, another 35 ICW miles that I was able to do in about 29. I would never have attempted to go so far without a place to stay so THANK YOU SMITHS!
So today was obviously I much needed day off and thats why this blog post is so long. Theres probably a lot more that I'm forgetting to mention but Ill add it later if I remember.
In retrospect the ocean venture might have not been the safest idea, it certainly was a gamble, but it paid off and I'm glad I did it. I won't again, that's for sure, but I'm glad I did. PLUS, now I'm only a day (two, tops) away from HHI!!!!
Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!
Seth
Georgia is Wild(life)!; Sunday 4/27
Sunday couldn't have gone much smoother or been more enjoyable. I left the Lanier Isl. bridge (SEE THAT LOCATION BY CLICKING HERE) around 9 am at the start of an incoming tide. It was a beautiful few hours up the Mackay River where there was nothing but pristine, undeveloped marsh all around me. A maybe saw only a dozen other boats total before noon. I had scouted out a potential campsite on Blackbeard Isl which is a National Wildlife Refuge (so you're really not supposed to camp there) but the problem that I've noticed in GA is that dry land alond the ICW is hard to come by. Its pretty much marsh the whole way. So when I saw a nice spoil area at the NW corner of Little St. Simons I was tempted to stop, afraid that I wouldn't be able to reach my spot at Blackbeard, which was 40 miles away, and that I wouldn't find anything else. But I kept going into the Buttermilk Sound and thats when all the animals began showing up.
In a span of about an hour I was entertained by a large pod of friendly dolphin, several stingrays swimming close to survice and a sea turtle - I guess a Loggerhead?, I'm not good at identifying turtles. I also became a believer in what the crabbers had told me the day before bc I saw two alligators. The first was in the water, eyes and nose exposed as they often are, and I initially mistook him for a buoy and paddled too close. Just when I realized it was a big gator is when he decided to dive down so I changed my course and took off. Not even 5 minutes after seeing the first gator (I'm still looking over my shoulder to make sure hes not following me) I see some big shapes moving around on a marsh island in the distance. I was so curious so I paddled over to it and discovered cattle, at least 50 of them just hanging out. Where they were was on a small island, which my chart only classifies as MARSH -not even a name -on the north side of the waterway, just west of Dolbow Isl. I thought it was rather strange that they would be out there all by themselves and so I paddled along the edge of their island trying to snap some pictures of them to show you all. Well thats when I got an upclose look at my second gator. He was up on the bank sunning himself bc it was overcast and not too hot and when I came around the corner he let out a deep croak -kind of like a bullfrog - and then bellyfloped right in the water. I'll be honest I do not like seeing the alligators. I don't know if any of you have seen the horrible movie Lake Placid but I have and I could only immagine that gator swimming up from behind and jumping into my cockpit and tearing me apart. Anyhow, it was just a lot of animal interactions in a short time. Oh and I almost ran over a manatee right before: he surfaced right in front of me and I was just barely able to pull up my skeg in time so it didn't hurt him. Also I had these 2 annoying flies buzzing around my head like electrons all day which was so frustrating. I didn't get angry though bc I knew I would have the last laugh when they realized how far they had to fly to get home.
When I got to Deboy Sound (between Commodore and Sapelo Islands) the tide was moving out and the SE winds against the current created some large following waves. I didn't have my skirt on and I have to take my PFD off to get it over my head, which I obviously didn't want to do bc I was rough conditions) so I ended up getting pretty wet there. I took a shortcut up New Teakettle Creek and into the Mud River to avoid the longer Old Teekettle Creek/Front River route which worked out perfectly and saved me a few miles. It was getting late at this point and I was getting tired but I finished the day by paddling along the south side of Sapelo Sound finally reaching the beach at Blackbeard where I had planned on camping. It was a relief to see that it was indeed hard firm ground (sometimes Gmaps is hard to read) and that there was nice flat soft sand above the high tide mark. Stepping onto Blackbeard around 730 pm was the first I had gotten out of my boat all day so I was a little wobbly but was able to set up my tent and cook some pasta before passing out. It ended up being 42 ICW miles but only 37 for me bc of my sweet shortcut. One word about camping on the beach: it sucks. First off sand gets everywhere and you are totally exposed. It was my only option and it wasn't ideal but it worked so I cant complain. HERES THE LINK FOR WHERE I CAMPED
Also: Special Happy Birthday wishes to Sun all the way to Korea!!!
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