Day 68 02/11/2010
Start: 8:15 AM- St. Petersburg, FL Finish: 5:15 PM - Sarasota, FL Time: 9;00 Daily dist: 32 miles Total dist: x miles Companions: None Weather: North wind at 10mph partly cloudy with temps in the low 60’s Notes: First day back on the water after two weather and rest days with my friend Russell The weather is supposed to be trouble tomorrow. With rain and winds predicted to blow out of the NE at 15 mph then swinging to the SE at 20 mph I will have to tip toe around the weather to get any miles in at all. With that knowledge I knew I’d need to make the most out of today’s nice weather and log at least a few extra miles down the coast. Somehow, however, the route I chose on the outside open coast (while it was a fun day) only added miles to the route but didn’t move me any further south than if I had stayed in the Intracoastal. I didn’t know if the islands on the map I was heading toward were dry enough to camp on or if they were if camping was allowed. It’s an unsettling feeling to be heading toward a destination that you know you won’t reach until late in the day and even when you do if you’ll be allowed to stop there.  I looked but couldn’t find a worse picture of Russell It was with that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I got a call this afternoon from my friend Dave Lindo at OKC Kayak out in Oklahoma City. He’s been watching my progress and knew I was nearing Sarasota. It just so happens his little sister lives in Sarasota very close to Siesta Key which was exactly where I was headed. He had spoken to her and she was happy to take me in if I needed a place to stay. With the option of a place to stay if the islands didn’t work out I was able to relax and enjoy the rolling swell and beautiful emerald green water I was paddling on. I called Ann (Dave’s sister) and made sure she was interested in picking me up. She said it’d be no trouble and had plans to take me out to dinner (per Dave’s orders and pocket book). So the plan was for me to try to paddle down to where she works on Siesta Key then go home with her.  the sun was getting low and I still had miles to go to the take out I pulled hard, but like I said, the miles didn’t go by very fast today so by 5:00 when I was still six miles shy of our planned meeting point I found a backup takeout and called it a day. I was just too tired to slog out another hour and a half of paddling. While I emptied by boat Ann drove over to pick me up. From the boat landing we set about finding a place to grab a bight to eat on big brother Dave’s tab. It was once again a very fortuitous turn of events set about from friends and friend’s of friends that has saved my rear so many times on this trip.  CommentsJohn 02/12/2010 7:19:24 am So you paddled all day in 60 degree weather, then some guy calls you up and has his sister pick up up, take you out to eat, then he pays for it! You need to find a way to market that karma! Charlotte Key 02/12/2010 8:56:58 pm Weather on our Gulf Coast continues to stink. It is unlike any winter EVER to my knowledge in Florida and I am a native. Snowed in Pensacola today for God's sake! George Miller 02/13/2010 9:09:12 pm Glad to hear you're doing OK, Jake. Weather in your old Channel Islands CA stomping grounds hasn't been that great either. many wind days and more than a few rainy ones. Leave a Reply | Best of the Blog
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