Blog Archives

Day 57 (Happy Birthday to Micah & Heart Day to Dad!)

1/31/2010

Daily stats Start: 7:00 AM- Spring Creek FL
Finish: 3:30 PM - on Rock Island
Time: 9:30
Daily dist: 29 miles
Total dist: x miles
Companions: None
Weather: NE wind 20 mph overcast until evening
Notes: It’s my nephew Micah’s 2nd Birthday and 6th anniversary of my Dad surviving his heart attack!

I was very excited yesterday to finally be where I’ll have some protection by land from the east winds that have been blowing since I made it to Florida. It was that very protection that enabled me to go anywhere at all today in the 20 mph winds that were blowing out of the northeast. Of course the nature of the shore around here meant that I didn’t get quite as much shelter from the wind as I had hoped. The trees that block the wind are a mile inland from the salt grass marsh that borders the shore line. On top of that, sand bars and oyster beds pushed me even further of shore often up to two miles from what little protection the trees could give to begin with. Still the most I had to deal with today was an occasional run against two foot seas when I crossed open bays. Otherwise it was relatively smooth cruising on light chop. However, the constant sound of wind blowing in my ears and splashing water blowing in my face, was psychologically tiring. What I did to lift my spirits was sing Happy Birthday for my nephew Micah who turned 2 today. At first it made me home sick, but with thoughts of being with him when he turns 3 next year I felt better as I crawled my way through the wind.

dull grey day

highlight till island

For most of the day it was just a dull slog in the wind. The skies were overcast and gloomy, the shore was so far away it appeared as a featureless green mass. The only thing that marked my progress down the coast was the passage of time. A highlight was when I came upon a channel marker for the Econfina River. Finally I knew exactly where I was on the map. I was afraid the gloom and drudgery would be all I’d have to write about but things did change for the better. At about 2:00 the skies cleared and the sun finally shone on Rock Island my home away from home for the night.

I should tell you that rocks are a strangely rare thing in Florida most of my experience in this state in the past has shown me only sand, shells, and, mud. There is a spine of limestone (ancient coral reef) that runs down the center of the peninsula, but along the coast you just don’t see much rock unless it was put there by man. So when I saw the name “Rock Island” on the map I was curious as to exactly what kind of rock this island could be made of. As I approached I was happy to discover that the island was high enough to support trees and not just marsh grass. In addition my eyes could detect the shadow of a ridge along the shore. I assumed it was mud banks but sure enough, it was rock. In fact almost the whole island is rock the same type of ancient coral reef that is seen in the center of the state. It actually still looks like coral full of holes and tunnels much like a block of Swiss cheese. The receding tide left numerous pools still full of water which reflected the shimmering sun and now blue sky, a beautiful sight indeed.

tide pools

reflecting pool

Instead of set up camp in the same overused established campsite complete with a steel fire ring I opted to get out of the wind and in the sun a hundred yards down the beach to the west. It was a chilly day but once I had the tent set up and was completely out of the wind for the first time in the day it was a nice cozy spot and a great end to a tough day.

Because of the nature of the relatively featureless shore line (which is hard to get close to because of the shallows) paddling this section of coast runs the risk of being a dull slog. However, Rock Island is a jewel of an island that makes all the effort worth while.

WOW!

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Day 56 (edge of the wind at last)

1/30/2010

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To me tonight Spring Creek Florida is a little slice of heaven. After a full week of slogging against persistent head winds out of the east I’m finally at a point where the east winds can blow all they want and I’ll be protected by land. Tomorrow might be trouble, but if the weather does as is predicted I should have a break from the wind for the next few days. To add to the good feeling of finally being able to look ahead at a few days of good paddling is the fact that I a pair of RV campers (Tom and Patsy Junes) at the camp ground where I’m staying have graciously adopted me for the night. I struck up a conversation with Patsy at the boat landing when I arrived, later on when I mentioned that I was going to walk over to the restaurant for dinner she insisted that I help them eat up some of the leftovers that they had from yesterday’s dinner. Not being one to pass up food I was happy to oblige by making a heaping plate full of meat balls and mashed potatoes disappear. Patsy was an army cook for years and judging by the meal she fed me, those soldiers must have eaten well. Afterward Patsy invited me to stay and charge my batteries and work on today’s blog inside their cozy camper. Once again I’m wowed by the generosity and kindness people can be capable of.

Patsy and Tom are from Kansas and after their recent retirements they sold their home, bought this RV, and are setting out to explore the country. They settled on Florida first in order to be a bit closer to Tom’s family for a while. They had first set up in an RV park near Tallahassee and endured a summer in the heat, then got smart and relocated down here where the breeze keeps things a bit cooler and the open spaces and swaying marsh grass reminds Patsy of home in Kansas. When the weather warms this spring they plan on hitting the road with no overworked plan on where to go, rather they’re going to go wherever the road and adventure takes them.

It was a very lucky break in the weather that got me this far today. The winds were predicted to blow out of the southwest at 15-20 mph swinging to the north at 20 mph later on. I figured if I could make it out of the river where I was and to the coast before the winds swung to the north I’d have a chance to make it here. A thunderstorm and torrential rains kept me tent bound so I got a little later start than normal. I can’t say I felt bad when the storm was raging at 5:00 this morning and I had to stay in bed a bit longer. The sleep-in ended however, when I realized that the river that had had been 40 feet away last night had climbed it’s banks and was now only 30 feet away and gaining. Besides that I also managed to situate the back half of the tent in a low spot which was beginning to get wet. So I broke camp in a light rain and finally got on the water by 9:00 AM.

Flooding river getting close.

The river proved to be even more beautiful this morning than it was yesterday. Wispy clouds of fog hung along the banks and hardly a whisper of wind wrinkled the mirror smooth surface. The most remarkable thing was the sounds of all the birds, their songs carrying across the water so clearly that it seemed like they were right next to me. Again, I highly recommend paddling the Crooked River if you ever get a chance. One thing I’d like someone to explain is how on earth a river can flow downstream in two directions which is exactly what this river does. I had paddled up stream all day yesterday and this morning I paddled down stream all the way back out the other side. The fast moving current of the river was a blessing that got me to the open coast in short order. When I realized the predicted winds that had yet to arrive I didn’t even slow down, rather I turned north and made my way up the coast to Spring Creek. I made it here just in time, it was literally minutes after I arrived that the wind switched to the north and started to howl.

A calm start to the day.

The Florida Circumnavigation guide I’m using said I could find water and a restaurant (which means a chance to charge batteries) so it is a perfect place to stop before making my way across the top of Florida and down the other side. The only thing this camp is lacking is a laundry which I could have used. However, a few weeks into the trip somebody suggested doing my laundry by shaking it around inside a dry bag with water and soap. I gave it a try today and it worked like a charm and I now have fresh clothes to last another week. Thank you to whomever it was that made that suggestion.

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Day 55 - (Friday 1/29/10)

1/29/2010

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It was a late night for me last night so it was very hard to get up this morning. It didn’t matter because with the intricate shallow water channels outside of Carrabelle I needed daylight to see where I was going anyway. Before I could do any paddling at all I had to drag my boat over a couple hundred yards of tidal mud flats due to the fact that the tide was out and I pulled out of very shallow water last night. The drag went well and thankfully the mud was firm enough that I didn’t sink in past the top of my boots.

Taking boat for a walk

From camp it was a short mile and a half paddle into town where I pulled out at a boat ramp and walked a block up to the IGA grocery store to replenish my supplies. By now I know when my food reserves are getting low when I start to notice surplus room in the Ikkuma‘s hatches. As long as I was at the store I indulged in a few donuts and a pint of milk. The donuts only came in packs of a half dozen which I feared would be too much but somehow they all disappeared in minutes. It’s remarkable to see just how much food I can eat and still be hungry. Once I was re-packed and ready to go I pointed my boat inland and continued on my way.

Anybody that was following along with the SPOT hits that didn’t know about the river route I took must have been baffled as to why my location was showing up five miles inland. Taking a cue from the Florida Circumnavigation Guide I used this route to get a day away from the winds which lately have been a constant hindrance to my progress. The irony is that I ended up working harder in a full day of paddling verses what I would have achieved in a few hours on the open coast even with the wind. However, if I had stayed on the open coast I would have missed one of the most beautiful paddling routes I’ve ever seen. If you ever end up in northwest corner of Florida, I strongly recommend paddling this section of water. It is amazing.

View on the river.

I spent the day on the Crooked River which I picked up in Carrabelle and followed roughly NE toward Ochlocknee Bay. True to it’s name the Crooked River is very crooked. Starting out near Carrabelle the river is mostly a salt water tidal stream surrounded by salt water tolerant grasses. As you move inland and upstream the water becomes less salty and the grasses give way to pines and cypress. At the same time the river narrows drawing the tree lined banks even closer. I was on a constant look out on all the sun warmed banks for a potential sighting of an alligator but all I saw was a few camera shy turtles. The river passes through state forest land and the state has set up a series of very nice camp sites for paddlers to use. With storms in the forecast tomorrow I don’t expect do much paddling on the open coast so I took my time on the river and decided to camp back here tonight. It is a very different experience camping amongst pines and cypress rather than sand dunes and grasses. The frogs are singing a constant chorus and the sound of the wind blowing through the pines is one of the most soothing sounds I’ve ever heard.

View from camp.

Storms are supposed to blow in tonight so I made sure everything was staked down tight and am now enjoying the calm before the storm.

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Day 54 - (Thursday - 1/28/10)

1/29/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 6:30 AM - South Apalachicola Bay
Finish: 3:30 PM - Carrabelle, FL
Time: 9:00
Daily dist: 31 miles
Total dist: 1,556 miles
Companions: None
Notes: Clear, breezy and choppy, with SE current.

Before dinner I didn’t have much to report about today except that it was another long hard day spent paddling into a persistent head wind. I’m also convinced I was working against a long shore current as well. Both combined forces kept my average speed at just below three miles per hour which meant I had to work hard for nine hours to achieve the same distance I could normally do in seven. All day long I was headed toward a town called Carrabelle where just outside of town there is an undeveloped point of land where one can pitch a tent and not upset the locals. The Florida Circumnavigation Trail guide that I’ve been using the last few days has been a huge help by highlighting places just like this. It truly makes the logistics of handling the Florida coast much easier.

As I toiled against the wind I could see on the map that the town of Carrabelle is only about a two mile walk from camp, so a seed of hope was planted that perhaps I could fill my water bags and more importantly get a burger for dinner. It was with visions of a juicy burger that I found the resolve to grind out the last five miles of the day arriving on the beach exhausted and hungry. I set up camp and hung my things out to dry then fired up my computer to see if google earth could tell me where the nearest restaurant might be. It turned out that a place called “Wild Hogs BBQ” was about two miles down the road. I called the number shown to be sure it was open and an ornery voice on the other end said “Yea till eight.“ It didn’t sound welcoming but I wasn’t in a position to be fussy, so I stashed all my gear, grabbed my valuables and empty water bags and started off on a long walk to town. A half mile later I had just stepped off the sand trail I’d been following onto pavement when right before me stood the most beautiful sight I’d seen all day. “Two Al’s Cafe” and it was not only open but the parking lot was full, a very good sign. To find a perfect little restaurant like this so close to camp is like winning the lottery. I stepped inside and grabbed one of the few remaining tables.

A little corner of heaven

Motivation!

As I waited for the one very busy waitress to catch up with me I reviewed maps of the next few days route and watched the already busy restaurant fill up with even more people. It turns out that Thursday is trivia night at “Two Al’s” and as one person put it, “In this town, it’s the ONLY thing going.” As the last remaining tables were grabbed I invited a pair of people to join me at my table. Before my burger (and hot dog) arrived the game started so I figured I’d play along too and joined the pair seated at my table to make a team of three named “Fish”. The three of us proved to be an intellectual powerhouse and managed to maintain a fair lead throughout the night. I even won a mini puppet on a speed answer round by knowing that, after the White House, Graceland is the second most visited home in the US.

I named him Graceland… Not sure where he’s going to ride

Before the game was ended we lost our lead in a bonus round and missed our chances at $10 coupons for the café. It was no matter to me, after the last few days of hard paddling it was enough to be around people having a good time. I walked back to camp with a full belly, a fresh supply of water, and renewed desire to continue on down the coast. Who knew such a hard frustrating day could turn out so great.

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Day 53

1/27/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 6:15 AM -South of Tyndall Airforce Base
Finish: 2:30 PM -South Apalachicola Bay
Time: 8:15
Daily dist: 38 miles
Total dist: 1,525 miles
Companions: None
Notes: Clear, calm, and great paddling.

sunrise on the time zone line 6:00 AM or 7:00 AM I’m not sure

The sun rose at 7:00 AM on the bow of my boat and 6:00 AM on the stern as I crossed the line into the Eastern Time Zone this morning already an hour into my day. This was the first morning in the last several that my tent wasn’t already shaking in the wind when I woke up. So I wrapped up my gear cautiously not wanting to alert the wind gods to my presence and have them unleash their blustery wrath. The seas had calmed overnight and I launched easily into one foot surf. There was a puff of a northwest tail wind all morning as I paddled on the outside of the St. Joseph Peninsula then as I rounded the corner at Cape San Blas and grabbed a photo of the lighthouse there, the winds went flat. Figuring I better make hay while the sun shines I stayed on the water and extra hour and a half and made good time all the way to Little St. George Island on the west end of Apalachicola Bay.

lighthouse on Cape San Blas

I could have kept on paddling but after two long hard days me and my gear were beginning to show some signs of wear. I spent the afternoon rinsing gear, tuning up my cook stove, changing batteries in my headlamp, lantern, and SPOT device, and figuring out why my VHF radio suddenly couldn’t find the weather reports. After all of that I turned to doing a little repair work on my feet as well. After all the walking yesterday, (some in my paddling boots, some barefoot, and some in sand covered sandals) my feet were rubbed raw and blistered in several places. Thank goodness I’m sitting on my rear all day instead of walking.

The camp site I ended up at tonight is probably the best I’ve had on this trip so far. I’m set up amongst sand dunes on the end of a peninsula looking west across a half mile of shimmering blue water at the uninhabited and tree covered St. Vincent Island. For the first time since I was on the river there are no signs of human habitation or development anywhere in site. It‘s just me the sand, the water, and the dolphins hunting in the channel. It’s amazing.

Sunset from camp on day 53

Tomorrow promises to bring a bit of a head wind once again so I’m going to get as early a start as possible to try to get as far east as I can before it catches up with me. Bigger winds and rain are in the forecast Friday and Saturday but I think I have a plan to deal with that. It might get interesting but should be fun.

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Day 52

1/26/2010

10 Comments

Daily stats
Start: 6:40 AM-Panama City, FL
Finish: 4:10 PM -South of Tyndall Airforce Base
Time: 9:30
Daily dist: 20 miles
Total dist: 1,487 miles
Companions: None
Notes: windy, portages

Today was one of those days that I probably shouldn't have broken camp. I did get twenty miles in but I earned every inch. I launched at 6:30 knowing that the seas on the open gulf were rough so I decided to stay behind Shell Island until I was warmed up. It was an hour and a half later when I should have reached the end of Shell Island I learned that the island is no longer an island but a peninsula connected to the main land.

The Ikkuma on my cart...pretty much sums up the day.

So began portage number one. I scouted a route over the sand dunes, assembled my kayak cart, lightened the load by putting some gear into duffel bags to carry, and made the portage to the other side. What I saw when I finally caught sight of the open coast was heartbreaking. Beyond a do-able 2'-3' surf zone was a blown out confused sea of rolling whitecaps. I could have gotten through the surf but I wasn't ready to subject myslef to what would have been 20 miles and 5 hours of the kayaking equivilant of being in a Maytag washer.

The weather is supposed to improve a bit by tomorrow so I was ready, even at 9:00 AM to call it a day and wait for better conditions. However, I happend to be sitting right on the very same military property I was trying to avoid by paddling so far yesterday. So setting up camp so early on a fairly frequently visited beach was not an option. I happened upon some folks out doing a bird survey and asked them what they thought would happen if I did set up camp, even after dark. They knew the beach was patrolled and said it probably wouldn't be a good idea. They did present an option of portaging down the beach a way to access the next lagoon to the East which would then allow me to continue on another ten miles and reach non-military land. I had nothing else to do for the rest of the day so why not.

So began portage number two. I once again put the boat on the cart and this time wheeled it, alternating with carrying bags of gear, over a mile and a half to the next lagoon. While I was scouting exactly where I could drop back in I met a couple military guys out on their lunch break seeing the sites. I explained what I was up to and they ended up helping me move my boat and gear the last quarter mile half way up the board walk then over the railing into the marsh grass bordering the water below. After bidding them farewell I re-packed the Ikkuma and pushed off into St. Andrew's sound. I followed this narrow body of water another six miles south until it dwindled into a narrow channel and came to a gravel road. After verifying with a passer by I knew I had found the road that would lead me back to the beach.

So began portage number three. Once again I went through the now familiar routine of assembling the cart and putting my gear into duffel bags to be carried on my back. A half mile portage later I was finally back on the beach and at my camp site for the night. Of course still on military land but hopefully far enough out of everyone's way that they won't notice or care.

Tomorrow I may get a small break in the wind so I'm going to try to make the best of it. My goal over the next two days is to make sure I end up someplace comfortable for Friday and Saturday when another weather system is supposed to pass through making things too rough to paddle. I literally got on my knees and prayed for less wind this afternoon.

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Day 51 (a long run and a big ditch)

1/25/2010

5 Comments

Daily stats
Start: 7:20 AM-Destin, FL
Finish: 6:00 PM -Panama City, FL
Time: 10:40
Daily dist: 51 miles
Total dist: 1,467 miles
Companions: None
Weather: Sunny and cooler with a great tail wind from the west
Notes: The longest day (by time) of paddling yet

When David showed up at 6:00 AM this morning to give me a ride back to the water I had no idea this would be the longest day of paddling I'd do so far. It was only after I made really good time with a strong tail wind across the first stretches of open water that I started considering my options. Because of the way the campable land is situated, in order to avoid camping illegally on military land it would mean three short days of paddling or at least one really long day of paddlling. I figured that I was well rested, got an early enought start, had a good tail wind, and would be finishing up inside sheltered waters so why not crank out a really long day today.

A sixteen mile section in the middle of today's route passed through a dredged out canal I"ve been told is nicknamed "The Big Ditch". It really isn't much more than that. It seems as though the original canal was doug and the spoils were piled along the sides creating 20-40 foot high sand and soil banks. On top of the banks pine trees have taken root and have grown into a dark green forest. One can almost imagine they're paddling through the Badlands of South Dakota capped with green pines. It was a rare opportunity to get close to the pine forests that cover much of Northern Florida. Beyond the wooded banks I could occasionally catch a glimpse of the newer dredged spoils that have been pumped in a sand and water slurry beyond the original earthen berm. If one choose to scale the steep banks they would discover acres of white sand beyond the row of trees that flank the ditch. It could make good camping but would be a lot of work.

Sharing the ICW canal with a couple of yachts

'The Big Ditch' note the dredged sand piles that compose the banks.

The 6:00 arrival into Shell Island (just outside Panama City) meant finding and setting up camp completely in the dark. I've taken down camp in the dark so many times that it really was no trouble. Super long days like today however do take it out of me, I am plenty tired and ate a double dinner trying to put the calories I burned back in. Tomorrow should see the first day back on the open coast I've had since entering Florida waters. It might be a bit bumpy considering the winds we've been having but I'm looking forward to paddling beside an endlass horizon again.

Still on the water at sunset. Still a bit choppy too.

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Day 50 (a weather and real rest day)

1/24/2010

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The sign says it all.

The big winds that were predicted certainly held true but, as of yet, the thunderstorms that were promised never materialized. We did have a couple downpours and big gusts of wind but no thunder and lightning to really make things interesting. At any rate it was still a no go for paddling today. After a day spent fighting head winds yesterday I had no desire to do it again today in even bigger winds. Instead I took the chance to have a real rest day not doing much more than eat, catch up on e-mails, and putter around the RV park with my camera. It felt good to have some down time to myself but I’m itching to get back on the water and get back at it tomorrow. Dave (one of the standup board paddlers that helped me out yesterday) is going to stop by the campground office tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM to cart me and by gear back to the water. He’s planning on joining me for a while so it should be a great start to what I hope is a great day.

The red flag that I saw at the beach this morning confirmed my belief that it was a day better spent sleeping in.

My tent set up on the edge of a concrete slab. Anchored onto the grass and to my kayak loaded with gear to weight it down.

A reminder of where my trip began.

OK then.

Good Lord...I need to get back on the water.

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Day 49 (Six hours into a head wind is enough)

1/23/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 6:09 AM- Fort Walton Beach, FL
Finish: 12:00 PM - Destin, FL
Time: 5:50
Daily dist: 18 miles
Total dist: x miles
Companions: None
Weather: WINDY 15-20 mph head wind
Notes:The wind took it out of me today so I pulled off the water early.

If you had asked me this morning "What is the worst wind you could see today?" I would have said, “East... please no east wind.” Of course that is exactly what I had…. All day. The wind is actually what woke me up at 3:00 AM. I had planned on paddling out of the Intracoastal to the open coast and down to Grayton Beach. However, when I woke to the wind already blowing so early I opted to stay on the inside to try to hide from the wind as much as possible. Going on the open coast to Grayton would have committed me to the outside (and potential big seas) for the next couple days, which could mean I‘d be going nowhere. With big winds in the forecast until Tuesday I figured staying inside would increase my chances of being able to move and put more miles on. I had set my sights on an island 32 miles away at the entrance of a very narrow dredged out portion of the waterway known as the “Big ditch.” In the end, however, the wind changed all my plans.

After six hours of slogging into harsh headwinds I finally threw in the towel and decided to go for plan B and find someplace to hunker down for the next couple nights. I originally had plans to meet up with a local paddle boarder named Cory, he had been the one to recommend Grayton State park as a great place to stay, and wanted to meet up and paddle a bit with me down there. The big winds took paddle boarding out of the picture, but thankfully not Cory. Cory is a truly great guy who is currently at ground zero of the local paddleboard community. He has started "Waterman Gulf Coast" on-line and with that organization he has put on several great events to promote this relatively new sport beyond surfing and racing to everyone else. When I found a place to land I gave Cory a call and he (and his friend another local SUP paddler, David) came down to the park where I was to pick me up and take me out for a bight to eat. When they found me I was engrossed in a conversation with a local Sherriff’s deputy in his squad car (nothing but good things this time) and yet another local SUP paddler just in after playing around in the very wind that was too much for me. The SUP community is certainly alive and well in northwest Florida.

This sherrif's deputy and I chatted while i waited for Cory to pick me up. It was nice to talk to a law enforcement officer and not require his services..

It’s interesting how, in my experience, almost all of the folks come in contact with who are involved in paddle-sports are great people. Cory and David showed me that stand up paddlers are no different. It seems as though if you are the type that enjoys putting paddle to water, in no matter what craft, you’re probably going to be OK in my book.

Me with Dave and Cory two of the big names in the local paddling community.

After lunch Cory drove me to Wal-Mart to replace the watch I had lost the day before (which of course I found later on) then on to a nearby RV park “Camping on the Gulf.” Cory turned on his charm and helped me explain my predicament to see if they could make room for me for a couple nights. The campground was very sympathetic to my cause and helped me get set up on one of their smaller sites. I was warned by the staff that when it rains (there are storms in the forecast) the grassy areas usually flood so I ended up setting my tent up on the concrete slab there for RV’s to park on. With my good sleeping mat I wasn’t worried about the hard ground, but anchoring my tent to deal with the blowing winds was interesting. I ended up using the Ikkuma itself to anchor one side of the tent and was able to pull my anchor lines over the edge of the slab to anchor the other three sides.

I'm not much for RV camping and have come to prefer my tent on a nice sand bar in the river to just about any other place to stay. However, “Camping on the Gulf” is amazing and the manager David and the rest of the staff have gone out of their way to make sure I'm comfortable during my stay. The campground has every amenity a person could want complete with two pools, a hot tub, rec. center, store, laundry, and (of course) campsites right on the beach. I’m looking forward to a nice shower and might just take a soak in the hot tub, despite my brother’s warnings that it can sap my energy. Somehow I don't think twenty minutes in a hot tub could be any worse than six hours of head wnds.

The plan now is to lay low for the day tomorrow (Sunday) to wait for the storms and wind that are still in the forecast to finally clear out. Then I’ll be back on the water Monday to put on some miles toward Panama City. David volunteered to give me a ride back to the park where I took out today and is planning on paddling along with me for part of the day. With the sunshine and a nice tail wind that’s predicted we should have a great time.

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Day 48 (At Peace With the Banana)

1/22/2010

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Daily stats

Start: 8:15 AM - Pensacola Kayak and Sail, Pensacola FL
Finish: 4:09 PM - Fort Walton Beach, FL
Time: 7:52:49
Daily dist: 37 miles
Total dist: 1,396 miles

Plans had been made for me to stay at the kayak shop last night in order to get an early start today. However, after dinner I was just too sleepy and comfortable to re-locate all my gear and get settled into a whole other location for one night. So I stayed with the Blackingtons one more night and they gave me a ride over to the kayak shop bright and early this morning. Waiting for us at the marina was Tom whom I have been corresponding with ever since I put out the call to the Pensacola fishing forum looking for info on the local waters. I didn’t have the energy to visit with him last night so he made the trek down to the put in to see me off this morning.

Aside from providing me with some excellent information about the local waterways I believe this fortuitous connection with Tom may have come with it a higher meaning. You see… Tom’s on-line moniker is “Banana Tom.”

There was a thread of thought, from those who appreciate my observation of the superstition around bananas on boats, that it was bananas that may have caused the streak of bad luck that befell me on the first month of this trip. I had purged the dehydrated bananas from my food stores and thoroughly scrubbed the location where a prankster stashed a banana peel under my deck lines last fall. Yet I still felt a twinge of doubt that the banana curse had been completely exercised from my craft. This morning however, I think I finally removed all doubt that the bad luck of the banana has been neutralized by handling the curse on a more diplomatic level by inviting Banana Tom to sign my boat.

Making friends with 'Banana Tom' A diplomatic solution to the Banana curse.

Of course I asked him to sign it “Tom” not “Banana Tom”… there is no need to push my luck.

One noteable thing I saw today was another group of kayak campers. They were set up on the far west end of the series of islands where I am camped now. This was only the third group I've seen since the start of the trip. The first was on an island jsut above Lake Wisconsin on the first day, the second was below Natchez MS on the Mississippi River. I hope with the weather getting warmer this becomes a trend that continues for the rest of the trip.

I'm not the only one... Other campers on the water.

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Day 47 (a day spent exploring Naval Aviation)

1/22/2010

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If I was to think of one thing that would sum up what Pensacola Florida is all about it would be naval aviation. On the map as I was paddling in yesterday I counted no less than seven air strips within the city limits that are controlled by the Navy. There was hardly a moment when I didn’t see some sort of military aircraft in the sky practicing maneuvers. On the ground the Navy’s presence is felt by simply seeing military guys all over the place, as well as businesses advertising with Navy inspired designs (commonly an image of the Blue Angels). The fact that it’s a military town is unmistakable.

Seems how Pensacola is a Navy town with almost 100 years of naval aviation history, there was no better place to spend a day off the water than the Naval Aviation Museum. I had the added benefit of being escorted to and through the museum by my host Robert Blackington who is a retired Navy pilot and flight instructor who not only knows much of the history but lived it.

Mr.B next to his plane the Skyraider

Robert had always been interested in flying and actually flew an airplane long before he had his drivers license. He joined the Navy shortly after WWII and entered flight school which is what brought him to Pensacola. It was while he was here that he met a local girl Rosemary who he eventually married and had a family. Robert flew the “Douglas AD Skyraider” during the Korean war as well as a bunch of other aircraft over the course of his carrier. He probably would have flown even more planes but his 6’-3” frame wouldn’t let him fit in the tiny cockpits of some of the planes. His knowledge of the history of aircraft carriers and the planes that had to try to land on them is amazing. There were times when other people in the museum were tagging along with us to hear him tell his vivid stories of flying the planes during wartime and to hear him explain the details of what we were seeing.

A WWI era plane display showing the wooden framework of the wings and body. You can actually touch the display.

The museum itself is enormous and expanding all the time. There must be over a hundred aircraft parked on the ground and suspended from the ceiling. What’s I found as amazing as the number and variety of planes housed in the museum is how accessible everything is. There are no rope or glass barriers separating you from the displays you can walk in around and under the aircraft, tapping on the wings, and touching the propellers as you please which makes the entire experience much more personal. It is an incredible museum, free to the public, that I highly recommend visiting.

Me in the cockpit of a fighter plane

After visiting the museum the Blackingtons invited me out to dinner with a group of their friends with whom they’ve been having dinner once a month for nearly thirty years. It is a group of retired Navy pilots who met while they were all stationed in Memphis. Many of the men in the group had also met and married Pensacola girls. So when their military carriers, spent moving all over the country, ended they all ended up moving back to Pensacola. It was a great dinner and a fun group of people that had as many questions about my trip as I did about their time flying for the Navy.

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Day 46 (Welcome to Florida)

1/21/2010

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Daily stats

Start: 6:30 AM - Walker Island in Perdido pass AL
Finish: 12:00 PM - Pensacola Kayak and Sail, Pensacola FL
Time: 5:30
Daily dist: 22 miles
Total dist: 1,359 miles
Companions: None
Weather: Mostly cloudy with slight east wind with storms once I got off the water
Notes: I took out at the kayak shop just as a very wet thunder storm came through. I’m storing my boat and gear there while I stay with the aunt and uncle of my friend/coworker Alicia.

All along the route up to this point everyone I talked to (almost without fail) warned me of the many perils I would face further down the line. It was as though a map of the unknown waters that lie ahead was marked with notes and pictures that read “Thar be dragons.” It was with an undercurrent of deep seeded caution that I worked my way down the Mississippi always waiting for the monster whirlpool that would suck me and my kayak completely under water. Or of tow barges in the Intracoastal that would kick up wake so big it would wreck my day. Then in the upper Gulf of Bull sharks taking a bight out of anything that moves because they can‘t see that well in the dark waters. The passage was not without it’s risks and very rough conditions can exist. However, people’s visions of what is out there tend to be greatly exaggerated or geared toward the worst case scenario.

That was, of course, everything up to this point. As I neared Florida all of the skull and crossbones warnings were replaced with smiley faces as people gushed about of all the wonderful beaches, clear water, and sunshine I’d experience once I got here. In my mind Florida became the promised land of all things pleasant and I looked forward to making it. So it was this morning when I passed by the last piece of land that was anything but Florida I took a picture, noted the time (8:00 AM), and started looking for the beautiful mermaids.

Of course there are still risks that I’ll face over the next two months in Florida as I will for the entirety of this trip. But there is a lot of truth to the beauty that Florida has to offer (especially to a kayaker like me) and especially on the west coast of the state. Because of the sheer amount of coast line that Florida has and because of the tourism industry (which is geared toward people using the water) Florida’s waterways are designed less for heavy industry and more for recreational boat users. There are pockets of industry where high sea walls and heavy machinery prevail, but those areas are easily avoided and accessible beaches are never too far away. There are sections of coast, just like what I saw in MS and AL, that are almost continuously developed with beach houses and condos, but here state parks are sprinkled throughout meaning there will almost always be a place where I can pull off the water and not be under the watchful eyes of a ten story apartment complex.

What’s really great for a kayaker traveling along Florida’s coast is that the path ahead has already been paved. An excellent guide has been written for the entire coastline highlighting the camp spots, re-supply points, take outs, points of interest, etc that a paddler could need. In addition, in what would be the most tricky spots where sand coast gives way to mud and dense mangrove forests, actual canoe and kayak trails have been established complete with marked and maintained camp spots and even elevated platforms making the passage much easier.

It’s no secret that Florida has a lot to offer sea kayakers and other water enthusiasts add the fact that this state is where I started kayaking ten years ago and I must say it feels good to be back.

This little island is the last piece of Alabama you pass on the ICW before entering Florida

My entry into Florida came in the Intracoastal waterway which I decided to paddle this morning because I was already camped a mile in the night before. My welcome into Florida came later in the day when I reached Pensacola (The western gate to the Sunshine State). I had been corresponding with the folks at Pensacola Sail and Kayak and made arrangements to store the Ikkuma and much of my gear with them. I paddled right up behind their shop at noon today and walked upstairs in my paddling clothes to Jerry who said simply, “You must be the guy.” Jerry helped be get squared away and I took advantage of a hose to rinse the salt and sand off my gear that had been accumulating over the last several days. Once all the gear maintenance was done I called Bob and Rosemary Blackington (the uncle and aunt of my friend/coworker Alicia at Aqua Adventures in San Diego). Alicia had started making arrangements for me to stay with them way back when I had a rough go of things in Vicksburg. In a few minutes they arrived and after a quick signing of the boat, then a stop for a burger, took me home to get cleaned up and rest a bit. Bob and Mary are every bit as fun and entertaining as Alicia told me they’d be and they made me feel right at home in their beautiful house and even offered up the use of their vehicle to get around town while I’m here. I took them up on the offer of the car as I had some other folks in town that I needed to meet.

Mary signing the Ikkuma

Way back in Baton Rouge I wrote about Jamie and George at Baton Rouge Blueprint and how they were so helpful in getting me sorted out for the beginning of the Gulf Coast portion of this trip. They suggested that I post a message on the Pensacola sport fishing forum (of which they are members) to see if I could get any advice from the local boaters. The avalanche of advice, information, and offers of places to stay that came from that one post was amazing. One of the folks I heard from the most “Banana Tom” told me that many of the people get together on Wednesday night for happy hour so I seized the opportunity to meet many of the people and thank them for their offers of hospitality in person. It was at the Oar House Restaurant (pronounced very carefully) that I finally met Tom and a whole pile of people that were interested in the trip. I spoke for quite a while to a great couple originally from Kansas (forgive me guys I forgot your names) he kayak fishes a lot in the area and has been following along with the trip very closely.

A highlight of the evening was when Dale (a very close “like sisters” friend of Jamie back in Baton Rouge) presented me with a Marti Gras bead (medalian) and a very rare pin showing the insignia of the Molly Rogers Pirates of which I have now met two of the select few of this very exclusive group. It wasn’t until I was all set up in camp last night, and started studying my maps, that I realized that I was only a few miles short of Dale’s house right on the Intracoastal. She had offered up the apartment above the garage to stay and I was a little frustrated that I missed the opportunity. Not because I missed a bed to sleep in but because I missed the chance to meet with her a little more.

I also didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Banana Tom but we made plans to meet before I left which should be easy because (small world that it is) it turns out he lives in the same neighborhood as the Blackingtons.

Two great folks that I met at the happy hour

Dale (Jamie's friend) at happy hour

After the happy hour I took further advantage of wheels and headed over to the Super Wal-Mart to get provisions for the next week or so. In a effort to fill the bottomless pit my stomach has become I purchased a small chocolate cake and swiped a fork from the deli counter so I could eat it in the parking lot. To my wonderment, when I got back to the Blackingtons I discovered that Mary had made brownies which I was happy to have a serving of as well.

Florida truly is the promised land.

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Day 45(about as good as it gets)

1/19/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 6:15 AM- Dauphin Island AL
Finish: 2:00 PM - Perdido Cut AL
Time: 7:45
Daily dist: 35 miles
Total dist: 1,337 miles
Companions: None
Weather: Absolutely flat calm almost all daywith temps in the upper 60's
Notes: The nicest day of paddling so far on this trip, actually one of the nicest days I’ve ever spent paddling.

All day long I kept retracing my steps over the last week to make sure that it was indeed just eight days ago when I had to thaw my tent poles with my cook stove in order to get them apart, because today was absolutely gorgeous. Sorry for everyone who had to work, it was about as good as it gets out on the water today and I was thinking about you. Everything came together right today, the water was glassy smooth and my paddling cadence seemed to match the roll of the ocean in such a way that the kayak almost seemed to levitate above the water. It was paddling zen.

A calm start to a great day

Of course with a day so sublime I don’t really have that much to report. Early this morning, just after crossing the entrance to Mobile bay, I did see literally thousands of Cormorants flying east in long single file rows. At first the flocks came through in trickles of 50 or so birds. Then it was like someone opened a faucet wide open and the birds came in continuous rows at least a half mile long. At the end of the day I also had a little adventure finding a spot to camp. The beach I had spotted on Google Maps turned out to be situated directly under the nose of two multi story beach condos. So after a 32 mile day I was without a place to call home for the night. Thankfully just inside Perdido pass I discovered a small island in the middle of the bay. It's dry land but not by much yet a very nice spot to camp. Tonight the island is playing host to the usual number of Great Blue Herons and one kayaker.

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Day 44 (Dolphins in the morning and friends on Dauphin in the evening)

1/18/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 6:45 AM - Petit Bois Island
Finish: 1:30 PM - Little Dauphin Island (entrance to Mobile Bay)
Time: 6:45
Daily dist: 26 miles
Total dist: 1,302 miles
Companions: Rob from the Mobile kayaking club
Weather: Gentle breeze and warm
Notes: Took paddling jacket off for the first time in the trip.

Today was about as close to a text book perfect day as I could have imagined. The wind that was blowing so strong yesterday wore itself out over night leaving a dead calm morning with glassy smooth water in it’s place. As I slipped my boat into the water the sound of a pod of dolphins feeding in the channel to the west caught my attention and I paused for a moment to enjoy the sight of a half dozen of them working together to hunt for fish.

Morning calm

The goal for today was to reach Dauphin Island (named after the French prince) with enough time left in the day to set up camp and catch up with a few members of the local paddling club to say hi, swap a few stories, and share a bight to eat. As I approached the new pass (aptly named Katrina Pass as it was that hurricane that created it) that separates the west end of the island from the more substantial and populated east end I came upon a gentleman in a petal powered kayak. Rob was out on the water today to see if he could intersect me on my way in and paddle with me for a bit. His plan worked and we enjoyed a nice chat as we paddled the last two hours of the day together. As we neared a bridge that accesses the island we were waved to shore by another kayak club member, Maggie, who had also come to greet me. Once she found out our destination she too launched her kayak and shared some time on the water with us as well.

Rob paddled out to greet me today

This little stow away shared Maggie's cockpit

It was nice to have a little local knowledge on my side with Rob as he helped direct me into the perfect camp site. I’m set up on Little Dauphin island behind a large sand dune out of sight of the nearby homes on the main island but within a five minute paddle of the local boat ramp. It was at the boat ramp where I caught up with Maggie for a ride into town for dinner. The Ikkuma with all the signatures is beginning to attract a bit of attention from passers by, I ended up fielding a few questions from a few curious folks and even had a couple add their signatures to the boat too.

In town we caught up with Tracy who is the kayak club president that helped coordinate my meeting with everyone as well as Nick who I paddled with yesterday. Nick thought it’d be worth the not so long drive over from Ocean Springs to meet Tracy and some of the local paddlers right along with me. It was good to see a now familiar face again and I’m glad he made the drive. We had an excellent dinner and I had a chance to learn a bit more about the local paddling scene and get to know a sampling of the core of the paddling community.

Rob, Maggie, Me, Tracy, Nick (photo by stranger in restaurant)

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Day 43 (Good company and challenging conditions)

1/17/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 8:10 AM - Ocean Springs MS
Finish: 3:30 PM - Petit Bouis Island MS
Time: 7;20
Daily dist: 25 miles
Total dist: x miles
Companions: Nick
Weather: Windy and overcast
Notes: Great day with good company and challenging conditions

What a great day of paddling. I was joined for the first leg of today’s journey by Nick who is one of the folks that showed me around town yesterday. Nick has been paddling for a few years now mostly on the rivers and bayous in the area. He was stretching his skill and experience level a bit today by joining me on a 16 mile coastal run in some pretty strong winds and less than calm seas. He handled the conditions just fine and we had a great time paddling from Ocean Springs down to Pascagoula. This was only the second time in this entire trip that someone has been able to join me on the water. I had to laugh at the fact that both times it was very windy and in conditions that barely allowed me to enjoy someone’s company. We spent the entire morning shouting over the constant rush of the wind which made conversation a bit of a challenge. We got a little bit of everything from wind today. For the first few miles it was directly on our beam which meant waves hitting us broad side washing over our decks and laps. As we rounded Bellefontaine point the waves and wind were quartering in from behind us meaning we had to work a bit to prevent weather cocking. Then still further on the wind was directly behind us providing a good push and surfable waves the last six miles in to Pascagoula. Nick handled the conditions quite well but was very happy to be back on land when we parted ways at a boat ramp in Pascagoula. It was a nice change to have company on the water for a while.

It was at the boat ramp that Melissa from South Coast Paddling once again went above and beyond and volunteered to come down to pick Nick up. In order to give me a rare chance to paddle an empty boat for a while, Melissa also hauled down my camping gear. After dropping Nick off, the plan was for me to load up and then paddle only a couple miles out to Round Island to spend the night. Because the strong winds would have meant an upwind crawl to Round Island, I decided instead to run a bit further but across the wind to Petit Bois (Petty Boy) island. Spending the night on Petit Bois also put me in a better position to reach Mobile in a timely manner tomorrow. So after dropping Nick off I headed back out and set a course of 150 degrees and paddled for two hours in exciting quartering winds and choppy seas. It was a fun crossing that tested my skills just enough to keep things interesting.

I touched sand on Petit Bois island after two hours of paddling just as the seas were organizing themselves into three foot steep swell, perfect time to be getting off the water. I had heard a lot about the off shore islands in the Mississippi Sound and this island is every bit as beautiful as everyone described. Even on a grey blustery day the sand dunes and grasses combined with shell covered beaches make for a tranquil setting. It took a little searching but I was able to find a low spot behind one of the largest dunes in order to get out of the wind a bit providing for a nice snug camp. Right now I can hear waves crashing on the beach on the other side of the dune along with the sound of buoy bells ringing out in the wind tossed shipping channel beyond. The sound of the bells ringing is a reminder of how rough it is out there which makes camp tonight seem all the more secure. It was an all around great day of paddling with good company and challenging conditions to keep it interesting. Now I hope this wind blows itself out by morning so I can enjoy a steady run East toward Mobile Alabama.

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Day 42 (A weather day and driving tour of the area)

1/17/2010

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It was already raining steadily at the gathering last night and with 20-25 mph winds and rain in the forecast we already knew there would be no kayaking happening today. So plans were laid for me to get a driving tour of the area with two local paddlers Nick and Damien. Early this morning I counted my lucky stars for not being on an island in the bay when I woke to the smell of Melissa cooking bacon and grits downstairs while wind driven rain lashed against the window panes. Because it was so nasty outside Melissa knew there would be no kayak rental or tour business happening either so she decided to join us for the day. The four of us rendezvoused at the shop and loaded into Damien’s SUV and headed out to explore the area.

We got a bit of a late start (one of our group had to sleep off the effects of a little too much indulgence last night) so our first stop was a local eatery called “The Shed” for some authentic southern style BBQ. It was a great place and truly not much more than a shed with a ramshackle assemblage of enclosed porches added to it over the years. Definitely the kind of place where you can let your hair down and be yourself. It happens to be right where the “Battle on the Bayou” race that Melissa, Nick, and Damien are planning for this coming March is going to finish up. Plans are being made to have a post race party catered by “The Shed” complete with live entertainment. Judging by the excellent pulled pork BBQ I had today, it’s certain to be a great finally to a fantastic event.

It was to 'The Shed' for lunch

After lunch we drove around taking sneak peeks at the local waterways from the comfort of the dry interior of Damien’s truck. During a break in the rain we visited Mark at the local Audubon society field station and visitor’s center. The center resides in an old house next to what used to be a marina. The society has funded a project to turn the formerly concrete enclosed dock filled area back into a natural wetland. The results are a very beautiful wetland that acts as a outdoor classroom for the numerous groups that stop by to learn about the local ecology. The house itself has a classroom area is full of fish tanks displaying many of the critters you can find in the local waters and a very interesting Pelican skeleton mobile hanging from the ceiling (which I was very impressed by). We chatted with Mark for a while about the upcoming race and other events that Melissa and South Coast Paddling are going to help the Audubon society with. Melissa is certainly true to her cause of promoting eco tourism in the area.

Next we continued our driving tour of the area by going back over the Pascagula river delta on the Highway 90 bridge. On top of the bridge we could see down onto the almost endless maze of channels there are to explore below. We continued on to Biloxi MS to a West Marine store where I could pick up a flare gun to complete my safety kit as I continue on down the open cost. The entire tour today, and really every place I’ve been and everyone I’ve been with in this region, there is always an underscore story of what it was before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. It is hard to grasp the reality of the entire first floor of Melissa’s house being full of water even after she points out the repaired dry-wall (well above the door heights) where the water line was. As we drove the beach in Biloxi, past the beach homes and casinos, my three guides explained that pretty much everything we were seeing was brand new. The storm had essentially wiped the slate clean. The rebuild has been remarkably fast but is far from complete with vacant lots some with only concrete slabs others with stairways going to where homes once stood.

We ended the day at Melissa’s shop where Nick and Melissa helped me assemble the last of the charts I’d need to navigate my way into Florida waters. We feasted on a box of chicken purchased at the nearby fast food joint and made plans for Nick Damien and I to paddle a section of the cost together tomorrow. I can’t wait to have some company on the water again.

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Day 41 (a little wind and some fellow paddlers)

1/16/2010

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The breeze was already wiggling my tent and pushing up wavelets on the water when I woke up this morning. I knew by the predictions that it was supposed to blow out of the NE which was EXACTLY where I was headed. I only had 25 miles to go to reach Gulf Shores which isn‘t so far even with a head wind but I knew it wouldn’t be a day at the park. I had paddled most of that same distance in six hours yesterday but today turned out to be an 8 hour slog directly into a persistent 10 mph wind and 2-3 foot choppy wind waves. I did have a few moments of calm such as when I neared Gulf Port and was able to paddle a few miles in the shadow of their break water, as well as a mystery hour and a half when the wind just died out. Otherwise I pulled into the wind all day long. It really wasn’t that bad it’s just that I’ve become so accustomed to making amazing time on the river and had two good days on the open water so far, so working hard to average just over 3 miles per hour today took something to get used to mentally.

Along the way I did see something interesting, there were a bunch of small boats clustered about a half mile off shore with men standing on the decks with long poles the ends of which they had under water which they were wiggling back and forth. As I drew nearer I realized they were oyster “rakes” and all of these men were harvesting oysters. Piles of the muddy grey shells were mounded on the fore deck of each boat. As one or two men scooped them up off the bottom another would sort the pile throwing back empty shells and other debris. One guy waved me over and I stopped and chatted for a bit. He could tell I was out for more than a day-paddle and asked me where I had started. When I replied St. Louis he thought I meant Bay St. Louis near where I had just spent the night. When I corrected him and said St. Louis…St. Louis the other two men in his boat, and a few that overheard us in nearby boats, stopped working and looked our way. I explained the trip and the standard reply was issued “In that little thing?” as well as the standard questions, “Where do you stop at night?” “What do you eat?”, “Can you really fit all your gear in that little boat?”

Men oystering near Gulfport MS

I have to pause here and explain my response to the question of where I had started out. My true starting point as most readers of this blog know was Portage Wisconsin. Of course the story goes that I had to re-start in St. Louis after a winter storm froze things solid up north. For a long time I did answer the “Where did you start?” question with Portage Wisconsin. However, the St. Louis answer has proven to be much more efficient when talking to people as I bob around in my boat on the water. It was proving to be a challenge to educate people on where exactly Wisconsin is and then how on earth I got to the Mississippi River from some small town 5 hours northwest of Chicago. The location of St. Louis most people know. So now when explaining the trip I need only explain that, “No, I won’t be turning around to paddle back up stream.” I had to chuckle today when the guy I was talking to remarked on the head wind I was dealing with and said. “Well…at least you’ll have a tail wind on the way back.”

At this point in the trip I have also come to expect some sort of warning about the potential perils that lie ahead along my route. Usually greatly exaggerated and always from the perspective of a shore bound person or large boat operator. I was forewarned this time about the Gulf Stream and it’s fast currents and huge seas that I’ll encounter off shore from Miami. The currents and seas are there, and for a big boat captain operating ten miles off the coast they are a very real concern. For a kayaker following the coast in clear tropical warm waters… not so much. Of course there is always advice for things to check out in the area. Often upstream or behind where I’ve already come. This time however the oysterman pointed toward the casino buildings 12 miles down the coast and recommended stopping there for the cheap beer and all the "p... er.. um "women" I could want. I thanked him for his advice and continued on into the wind.

The real adventure started for me today when I was greeted on shore by Melissa from South Coast Paddling Company in Ocean Springs MS and shortly there after Sylvia a young reporter from the local news station. Melissa was there to take me home to meet the core of the local paddling community and Sylvia for an interview to be aired on the 10:00 news. I answered Sylvia’s questions then got in my boat to paddle around a bit so she’d have some footage for her report.

Me getting interviewed for TV

Click here to see the televison report

After the interview Melissa and I loaded my stuff in her company van and trailer and she took me home to get cleaned up. From there we drove into to meet everyone at her business partner’s home in town. Before we caught up with everyone we had to stop at the grocery store to buy fixings for a salad to go along with the pizzas that were ordered.

Taking me into a grocery store after a hard 8 hour day of paddling proved to be a bit of a mistake. I made us a bit late as I cruised the isles picking up the few necessities I needed to replenish my stocks and ogling ALL THAT FOOD!

By the time we arrived quite a crew had assembled and I was quite surprised at the turn out. I was also surprised to learn that more than a few had been following the trip and blog long before I ever found and contacted Melissa a few weeks ago. It felt great to be amongst a group of fellow paddlers again and we had a great time swapping stories (mostly me telling mine I guess) and of course, as every paddle group get together requires, eating food and having a few beers.

I had never thought of this area as a great paddling destination but when I was talking to the folks at the party I learned that (beyond the open coast) there is an almost limitless number of paddling routes you can choose from in the local bays, rivers, and bayous. Not to mention the lower 48’s largest un-dammed/un-screwed-with river the Pascagoula is near by. This area is truly a paddling treasure. Melissa and her business partners understand the value of the area win which they live and are paving the way (post Katrina) to get ecotourism running around here. Melissa’s kayak operation is brand new and she is going at it with all the enthusiasm and excitement a fledgling operation like hers needs. Already she is planning events such as the “Battle on the Bayou” kayak race as well as other events that will build the paddling community in the area and hopefully start to attract attention from outside as to the opportunities for paddlers this region holds. I have a feeling that once the word gets out Melissa and her partners will be doing well.

I only wish I had more time to check it out and was here when the area is at it’s seasonal prime… Another place to add to my ever growing list of places I must re-visit som

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Day 40 (adjusting to open water)

1/14/2010

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Don’t miss the day 39 post below. I thought it had posted last night but with the sketchy internet connection I had apparently it didn’t.

Yesterday’s run down the Intracoastal was a sort of kayaking purgatory for me. Not the river and still not quite the ocean. Today was different. A half hour after I left camp I turned a corner and was greeted by one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps not the best sunrise ever, but after a month on the water it was a sight I will never ever forget.

Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico

This first full day of open water paddling proved to be a day of adjustment for me. Without shore close to me on either side the passage of distance takes on a whole new relevance. The headland I’m aiming toward may take hours to get to and with the nearest shore over a mile away it sometimes doesn’t seem like I’m moving at all. I’ve adapted a version of my friend Duane Strosaker’s method for long channel crossings. Rather than paddle to a location… I paddle to the clock. What I mean is that my destination is the next break 45 minutes away not the point of land two and a half hours away. To keep my sanity I need the mini goals to chase even if it’s another swallow of water and mouthful of GORP. The regular breaks also mean that I do stay fed, hydrated, and stretched out. I find that if you just grind out until you get tired or thirsty you’ve started to dig yourself into a hole that’s hard to get out of. I believe on an endeavor like this you need to drink and eat before you get hungry or thirsty.

Another thing I’m adjusting to is human shore development. On yesterday’s blog I mentioned how people were a new thing that I hadn’t seen much of on the river. While it’s a delight to see folks on the water, their houses and condos lining every inch of shore line made finding a camp spot a bit challenging. Melissa from South Coast Paddling Company in Ocean Springsi called around an recommended a spot just outside of Bay of St. Louis. I arrived here very early but because the next possible camp site is a full day of paddling further down the coast I had to pull off the water a bit earlier than normal. I could have opted to take the off shore route from island to island but I want to visit Melissa and her shop tomorrow, as well as other people in the area, so I opted for the mainland route. I’m not complaining though, this spot is nice. It’s situated on a bit of land that had been occupied by a home until hurricane Katrina swept it bare. Tomorrow I’ll be heading on into Biloxi to check in with Melissa.

A nice beach side camp

Ruins where a house once stood

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Day 39 (Saltwater at last!)

1/13/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 7:28 AM- French Quarter, New Orleans
Finish: 2:14 PM - Between Lake Borgne and Lake Pontchartrain
Time: 6:46
Daily dist: 28 miles
Total dist: 1,191 miles
Companions: none
Weather: Started in the low 30s, reaching upper 40s by mid-afternoon. Partly cloudy, with a breeze out of the north.
Notes: Warmer weather ahead

First a thank you to Bill Strickland for picking me up and giving me a place to stay while passing through New Orleans. I'm not sure how this trip would have gone without all the help from people like Bill here in New Orleans and last week Michael up in Baton Rouge. Thank you everyone that has helped me on this trip. I truly appreciate it.

Bill seeing me off at the steps near the St.Louis Cathedral in New Orleans

Waving good by to Bill - photo by Bill Strickland

Saltwater at last!

At 8:15 this morning, after descending ten feet, the downstream doors of the New Orleans Industrial Lock opened onto the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and I paddled out into salt water at last! I said it to my friends in the beginning that I wouldn’t feel like I was really doing this trip until I made it to the Gulf. Somehow up to this point it has been something I wanted to do or was trying to do. Now I feel that I can stand on my own and declare that this trip is something that I AM doing.

Lock doors opening into the Intracoastal Waterway linked to the Gulf of Mexico

As far as paddling goes the ocean is my home turf and when I caught a glimpse through a side channel of the clear horizon on the open gulf I must say that it feels good to be home. The oppressive size and raw energy of the Mississippi river is behind me and while I already miss the incredible distances the river’s fast flowing current allows, it is a relief to be off the river into more stable and predictable waters. The feeling is like when a loud noise you were talking over is suddenly shut off. You may not have noticed the stress it was causing but you appreciate the sudden calm. Today I felt like I had turned off a fast moving busy interstate onto a quiet neighborhood street.

Up to today, I had never paddled the Ikkuma fully loaded in flat water. Almost all of my experience paddling the Ikkuma fully loaded was on the fast moving Mississippi. I had no clue what kind of pace I would be able to maintain in that boat. I had only predicted that I would be able to do a sustained pace of 3 miles per hour. Today I was happy to see that I could maintain a somewhat better 4 mile per hour pace which will allow me to do my planned 25 miles per day with a few miles to spare.

I stopped a bit early today at 22 miles because beyond here there is very little dry ground to be had for another 20 miles. I’m set up on a ridge of land that was deposited here by the dredging operation that created the canal I was paddling. It’s a nice spot all things considered, not much more than a rough grassy bank but way better than the mucky salt marsh that is the norm in this region. Finding today’s camp site was a crux move and something I’ve been stressing over since last week. I spotted the lighter colored ground of this bank on Google Earth and assumed it was something other (and hopefully dryer) than the black soil and marsh that surrounds it. I really didn’t know what was here, and if this spot would work out until I arrived at 2:00 this afternoon. I had back up plan but it would have meant hours more paddling and a lot of stress. It made my day when I saw how nice this spot is today.

If I had known the camping would have been this nice never would have worried.

Besides the nice camp spot, today everything seemed to fall in place. I had heard rumor that the Industrial Lock can be very busy with barge traffic that can lead to hours long delays. However, luck was with me when I called to check in with the lock this morning and learned that there is a bridge curfew on the two draw bridges that flank the lock, and that no barge traffic can go through until after the morning rush hour. It pays to be small because I easily paddled under the bridges and locked through all alone in less than a half hour. From there I made great time and enjoyed the first truly warm day of paddling I’ve had so far, in fact this was the first pogey free (paddling mitten) day I’ve had as well. I also discovered that GorTex must have a temperature below which moisture simply condenses faster than it can pass through the fabric. It was warmer today than ever before but I stayed dry and comfortable inside my paddling clothes all day long.

Being on less intense water brought with it something else that has been missing with this trip so far… people. For nearly the first time I saw boats other than barges and ships out using the water for recreation be it fishing, hunting, or just boating. They were a welcome site and made me fell much less alone on the water. Even the tow operators (which there still are many) seemed less annoyed by my presence than they did on the river. I got more than a few waves and a few hearty hellos from tow captains and crew as they passed by. Two young men I encountered near a huge Billion dollar Army Corps project even slowed and approached me in their personnel transport boats to say hello and to find out just what on earth I was doing. They seemed hard pressed to get their head around the magnitude of my trip, I believe, mostly because they are not familiar with what sea kayaks can do.

From here I have a few more miles to paddle before I cross the Pearl river and float back into Mississippi State waters and the open Gulf.

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Day 38 (a day on the town)

1/12/2010

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After taking five days off up in Baton Rouge I had myself convinced that all I’d do is stop in New Orleans only long enough to take advantage of Bill’s hospitality for one night then get right back on the water. However, as soon as I climbed off the water right below the St. Louis cathedral yesterday, I realized that I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t give this town a look. So today I boarded a street car a few blocks from Bill’s house and headed back to the French Quarter to have a look around.

In a nut shell my New Orleans experience was this; I got a belly full at the Gumbo shop, a mind full at the Louisiana Museum, and an eye full on Bourbon street. And I had a great time doing it.

So often places I have visited as a tourist never quite measured up to the over imaginative mental image I may have had before I made it there. I didn‘t see Sasquach ducking behind the trees in Redwood National forest, or the sun bleached skeletons of dead oxen on the ground in Death Valley. Instead I’m faced with reality and end up discovering a place for what it really is, which really is what travel should be all about. New Orleans and the French Quarter however, delivered (almost to the smallest detail) everything I had imagined New Orleans to be. There really were jazz bands on every other street corner, the food was abundant and amazing, and on Bourbon Street you can hardly fall over and not land inside a drinking establishment of one kind or another. New Orleans is a party town, there is no doubt, but it also drips of history and architecture, and not to mention has a thousand places to get something great to eat.

While I was walking around I paused to take a photo of one of the many festively decorated balcony railings that you see lining the streets of the French Quarter. The woman that lives in the apartment that goes with the balcony caught me taking the picture and invited me up to see it from the inside. I accepted the offer and that’s how I met Georgia from Chicago who came down for Marti Gras in 75’ and never went back. With a couple of room mates and her 13 (yes thirteen) cats the apartment is barely big enough to contain her large book collection and many unique and eclectic artifacts that she has accumulated over the years. It’s not very often that you see an antelope mount adorned with beads next to a black painted silhouette mannequin wearing a lacy garter belt. Her balcony afforded a different perspective of the streets below and as we visited on her porch she relayed the story of how liberated she felt when the National Guard rolled down Royal street to restore some sort of order a week after Hurricane Katrina. Georgia was one of the few people that stayed through the storm (to be with the cats) and was lucky enough to live in an old enough part of town that she didn’t get flooded out. She shuttered when she told of the things she saw directly after the floods such as people breaking into the pharmacy just a couple doors down.

Georgia - from Chicago - on her porch with two of her thirteen cats

After my visit down town I rode the street cars back to Bill’s house and had a wonderful meal with him and one of his friends then spent the rest of the evening packing my bags in preparation for an early ride back to the river tomorrow morning. There is much more to see here in New Orleans but it is going to have to wait for another visit.

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Day 37 (arrival in New Orleans)

1/11/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 6:45 AM- On the river
Finish: 3:00 PM - New Orleans (staircase in French Quarter)
Time: 8:15
Daily dist: 61 miles
Total dist: x miles
Companions: None
Weather: Chilly with clear skies and almost no wind
Notes: Launch was delayed due to frozen gear. Probably the coldest morning of entire trip due to heavy frost. Very heavy tow and ship traffic kept me out of the main channel. Picked up by Bill Strickland to spend the night at his place.

While all the stories of the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans being all industry and boat traffic was not true yesterday, it was most certainly the case today. In the 61 miles I paddled today I would guess that the shore along almost 45 of those miles was lined with either loading docks, parked barges, or moored super tankers. Add to that a dizzying number of tow boats running every which way while they jockey barges into rafts and a few super tankers coming and going in the river, and chaos barely describes the scene on the river today. I was able to handle the rough water created by all the traffic but my hat is off to anybody that has done that run in an open canoe. Camping would have been a challenge along the way today but there was still a few spots that would work if one was not too fussy.

The cold snap we’ve been experiencing is due to lift but it was still very cold around here over night last night. I may not have been the lowest temperature I’ve seen on this trip but with the heavy frost that accompanied the cold my gear was iced up worse than I’ve ever seen. I ended pulling out my cook stove to thaw my tent poles so I could take them apart and stow then in my boat. Getting into my frozen boots proved to be challenging and I had to stand in the river to use the somewhat warmer river water to thaw them enough to squeeze my feet into them. It took about three hours of vigorous paddling until my body warmed the inside of the Ikkuma enough that the tube leading to my water bag was thawed enough to drink from.

The cold and shipping traffic conspired to delay me today and I ended up in New Orleans a bit later than I expected but it worked out well giving me enough time to empty the Ikkuma and get changed before Bill came to pick me up. Where I pulled off the water was at a wide set of wooden stairs that leads right to the waters edge. The spot is right in the heart of the French Quarter just across the street from the iconic St. Louis cathedral. Certainly a good place to make an entrance into New Orleans. When I arrived several people were hanging out on the steps enjoying the sunshine and view of the river. A few men (the unshaved sort that seem to have nothing but time to kill) were very curious about where I started and where I was going. When I told them I left Baton Rouge yesterday they were impressed. When they learned that I left St. Lewis a month ago they had to shake my hand. They ended up adding their signatures to the few blank spots left on the deck while I packed my gear into the duffel bags and waited for my ride.

From today’s take out I could see one of the lift bridges over the Intracoastal waterway the entrance to which lies only one mile further downstream. That means that today was the last full day on the Mississippi river for this phase of the journey. It has been a fun run down from St. Louis and with all the bumps I hit along the way I’ve already had an adventure I will never forget. For as much as I’ve enjoyed the raw beauty and power of the river I am really looking forward to moving on into new waters. The river, especially in winter and at nearly flood levels is a demanding place to paddle.

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Day 36

1/10/2010

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Daily stats
Start: 8:00 AM- Baton Rouge boat ramp
Finish: 5:00 PM - On the river
Time: 9:00
Daily dist: 72 miles
Total dist: xx miles
Companions: None
Weather: Sunny and cold with a slight NW tail wind
Notes: First day back on the water after five day off.

I came to a realization at about 10:00 last night that I wouldn’t be any more ready by the end of today than I was yesterday. So I made the decision to finally get back on the water this morning before I got any more used to sleeping in a bed. Michael was up by 6:30 AM to help be get the Ikkuma and my gear back to the river where he picked me up last Monday.

Michael at the boat ramp to see me off on a cold morning.

I must admit that I had reservations when I set out from the boat landing this morning. For one, I feared that five days off would have put me out of the paddling groove I’d been in for so many weeks, but as soon as I climbed into my boat I felt right at home and was ready to go. Secondly, everything I had heard of the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans made it sound like a continuous loading zone for a one hundred mile long oil refinery. Yes, once you float under the bridge on the upper end of Baton Rouge the river takes on a much more industrial feel. At the same time you suddenly find yourself sharing the water not only with more intense barge traffic but giant ocean going ships as well. It’s one thing to hear about full size ships sailing 200 miles up the river, it’s a whole other thing to see them first hand from the water level. However, even with the intensity of boat traffic increasing the river today really didn’t seem that much different than what I’ve dealt with over the last 1000 miles. Water, barges, and bends in the river followed by more of the same.

Super tankers 170 miles up the Mississippi

I had worried incessantly over the last five days about the availability of camp sites on this section of river. With the water up, and reports of so much industry, I feared that I’d end up sleeping on an undesirable mud bank next to a refinery dock. The truth is that there are almost as many camp spots over the last 70 miles as anywhere else on the river. Not all giant golden sand bars, but nice enough camp sites just the same. John Rusky from Quapaw Canoe Company (who knows more about paddling the river than anybody) had suggested a few camp spots which I highlighted on my maps. As I paddled today I looked for the spots he recommended and picked up on where in the river I could find more of the same. That technique led me here to what is probably one of the best spots I’ve had all the way down the river. A beautiful grassy point away from people with a great view of the river and out of the wind. As my last camp on the Mississippi river on this part of the trip I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

My last evening on the river

Last camp on the river

I pushed hard for nine hours today in order to get within easy striking distance of New Orleans tomorrow. If all goes well I should be arriving in the French Quarter by the end of the day. I have a contact arranged to pick me up there and I’ll be staying with him tomorrow night. After a week in Baton Rouge I plan to keep my New Orleans stay very short and expect to be back on the water again Tuesday where I’ll paddle three more miles of the river before turning East into a lock that will put me into the Intracoastal waterway.

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Day 34 and 35 (Don't count the strokes)

1/9/2010

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I know it’s time to get going when all I have to write about is writing. That’s pretty much all I did yesterday. I wanted to get an equipment list up on the web site so I spent the better part of the day working on that. I did get it roughed out pretty well, so if you are interested in what sort of gear I’ve brought along with me on this trip check it out by clicking here - EQUIPMENT LIST - In addition to working on the web site I spent a few hours organizing e-mails and contact information for folks along the Gulf Coast which was no small chore. I also worked on a video clip that will go in my slide show, you can check it out below.

Toward the end of the day I did get a little cabin fever so I went for a walk over to Baton Rouge Blue Print to get a couple more maps and to thank George and Jamie for steering me toward a Pensacola fishing forum that put me in contact with a bunch of great people willing to make my journey a bit easier in the weeks to come. If I accepted every invite to a warm bed or couch to sleep on I could almost leave my tent here. However, I do have to make miles so there will be a few invites I’ll have to graciously turn down in order to get further down the coast and finish this trip before the snow starts to fly next winter.

After my visit with George I got a call from some friends of my parents Dale and Rosy. They were two hours north of Baton Rouge pulling their fifth wheel camper on their way south to escape the cold. They figured if they could find a campground in the area we could meet up for breakfast. They did find a spot just a few miles from town and one of the highlights of my day today was breakfast with Dale and Rosy. Michael invited them over to his place afterward and we visited a bit more discussing my trip and the status of my worried mother (Dale and Rosy were sent as spies to check up on me you know). Of course I didn’t miss the chance to have them sign the Ikkuma adding two more signatures to the hundreds that crowd the decks already.

Surprise visit from friends from Wisconsin Dale and Rosy

Another highlight of the day was a care package that arrived in the mail from my cousin Jenny and her daughter Lydia. In it was a St. Christopher medallion (the patron saint of travelers) and a note that said “PUT IT ON RIGHT NOW!” I do have it on and between the note and medallion I feel better than ever.

A gift from home to keep me safe.

I did have a bit of good logistical news today when I got permission via a phone call to camp behind a bar near a boat landing at the end of the first day east of New Orleans in the Intracoastal. If the spot I have tagged on my map doesn't pan out it is a relief to know that this backup spot a bit further on is there to use.

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Day 33 (pre-scouting road trip)

1/7/2010

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Today was spent road tripping with my host Michael. He took the day off of work and volunteered the idea of driving down to New Orleans to scout out possible routes and camping locations that I might use to get to the Gulf of Mexico. He said he didn’t mind doing the drive as his favorite place to paddle (the Pearl river) is in the area, in addition he hadn’t seen much of the area since Hurricane Katrina so he was curious to see how it looks.

I must say that Michael is another one of those amazing people without whom I’m not sure how this trip would have gone. He not only picked me up off the river on one of the coldest days yet. He’s given me a place to stay for a week and has kept me fed at the same time. As I write I’m looking at the Ikkuma which we’ve put up on chairs in his dining room so I can take care of some of the wear and tear that the last 1000 miles have put on it. Michael is an avid kayaker and an all round great guy, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to thank him enough for the help he’s given me.

Warming up the Ikkuma in Michael's dining room

We did a big loop south out of Baton Rouge to the Bonnet Carre Spillway to scout a possible back route into Lake Pontchartrain along the back side of New Orleans and on into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The spillway is used to divert flood water from the Mississippi to the lake to ease the pressure on the levies further down stream. The structure leaks so there is always a trickle of water flowing from the river to the lake. It could work as an alternative route but right now would involve a bit of a portage and more than a bit of finding my way through a maze of dead end sloughs and channels.

Tree trunk in Lake Pontchartrain

From the flood control structure we drove along the spillway to the lake just to take a look. Then it was back up to the highway and on to Bayou Sauvage to see if I could use it as a short cut to come out of the Intercoastal to find dry land along the lake to camp, however it didn’t look promising. From there we continued down Highway 90 and came to a town called Venetian Isles and the ruins of Fort Macomb which is some of the first high land along the intercoastal and uncomfortably close to the end of my range for one day of flat water paddling. We did find a couple less than ideal but promising spots to pitch a tent so it was a relief.

From the Venetian Isles we drove further on finally through Michael’s reason for getting into kayaking, the Pearl River Basin, and into Mississippi to check out a piece of property a friend of his owns on a bleak hurricane ravaged manmade dry spot where I could pitch a tent if needed.

On the way back home we passed back over the Pearl river and as I looked down from the highway above I could see why Michael likes it. Even on a dark rainy January day Pearl river is very beautiful with stands of cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss and an endless maze of river channels to explore by boat. I only wish the weather had been warmer because we might have paddled a section of the Pearl together while we were down there. Some other day for sure.

- - - - -

It’s a good thing I don’t make my living as a reporter. After reviewing my pictures from today I realized that I somehow managed to spend an entire day sight seeing through one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina and I didn’t get one shot of anything resembling storm damage. It was there though, and I guess by now we’ve all seen those disturbing images of ghostly storm damaged buildings left abandoned and rotting, or rows and rows of completely empty lots where homes once stood. Michael, my host here in Baton Rouge, did point out something that you probably haven’t seen on the news which is almost more disturbing than the empty houses. It’s the new houses and how they’re being built (as if nothing ever happened) slab on grade right on the ground that during the floods was several feet under water. The lesson has not been learned. They’re just building the same way in the same place and praying they get (taxpayer subsidized) flood insurance to fix it all again the next time.

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Day 32 (A meeting with a tow boat captain)

1/6/2010

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Another day off the river today still putting things together for the next leg of the journey. The pieces are falling together nicely for the transition into the Gulf of Mexico. I learned that the lock just below downtown New Orleans that links the river to the Gulf Intracoastal waterway is operational. I had heard rumors that it was not which would have meant a difficult portage or a different route. I’m still not completely sure that is the route I’ll be taking but it is looking like the most likely spot right now. Tomorrow (Thursday) Michael volunteered to take me on a road trip to explore by truck a bit of the coast line I’ll be seeing in a few days when I enter the Gulf. I’m starting to feel like I’m cheating by pre-scouting but Michael really wants to go down and see it anyway (it’s near the Pearl River, one of his favorite areas to paddle) so he’s totally up for the drive. If we can locate one spot of high ground between the lock on the river and a town called Waveland on the coast I’ll have almost all the pieces put together and won’t have to wing it as I go. I’m probably making more of this section than I need to but this pre-planning can mean the difference between having fun and suffering through a night on a mud bank.

I did take a break today to see a bit more of the town and visited the Baton Rouge art and science museum and planetarium. It was a nice museum and I saw an interesting video (projected in 360 degrees on the dome ceiling of the planetarium) about underwater dinosaurs. As big as those animals were it’s interesting to think that the biggest known animal the earth has ever seen is alive right now. The Blue Whale and it’s a mammal besides.

After the museum I walked up the levy bank to the Ingram Barge Company docks to see if I could get a shot at the main goal of my day…A chance to meet a tow boat captain, and if I was lucky a tour on one of their boats. I had checked in the night before and the security guard said that the shift change was at 4:00 and that’d be my best chance. So at 4:00 I arrived and approached the first two guys I saw coming off the docks. One of them turned out to be partly in charge of that facility. Unfortunately, because of post 911 Homeland Security regulations, there is no way I could get on one of the boats. However Tommy Grantham turned out to be a super guy and was very willing to tolerate all my questions. I chatted with him for over an hour then he introduced me to the mysterious man in the black hat that even the security guard had told me to look for. The man they all call “Cowboy”.

Cowboy - almost needs no introduction

About six foot three, with a full white beard, wearing black denim pants, and always the black cowboy hat, Bill Williams is a man not to be messed with. Cowboy got his start in the barge industry shortly after getting out of Vietnam in the late 60’s. He didn’t answer some mystical call to the river, he simply needed a job and his father knew they were hiring on the barges so he applied and got on as a deck hand. After two seasons of working on the deck he talked to the boss and said he wasn’t interested in working another season like that, he wanted to get up into the wheel house. The boss was apparently impressed with the young Cowboy because he got moved up and started the long process of becoming a tow boat captain. The rest is forty years of history operating barges from the gulf canals all the way up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Tommy said that Cowboy is a tough captain that demands that things are done…just so, on his tows. His experience has earned him the respect of his crews and he is a very good captain.

When Tommy introduced me as a guy that’s kayaking down the river Cowboy instantly asked if I was the crazy guy that came through the other night. I replied cautiously “Yep, that’s me.” and Cowboy just shook his head. Tow operators pretty much all think that kayakers and canoeists are crazy. Like Cowboy said “Crazy, not stupid… there’s a difference.”

After paddling for 1000 miles on the river and seeing hundreds of tows going up and down with me I just wanted to know what how tow operators would like us (in our tiny boats) to do to make their jobs easier when interacting with us. From talking to Cowboy what it pretty much boils down to is that for much of the time they can’t see us. We don’t show up on their radar and there is an enormous “blind spot” in front of a tow (several hundred feet long) where they can’t see what’s on the river in front of them. If you’re crossing in front of a tow, up to a quarter mile away, they may not be able to see you. All they know is that you’re out there somewhere and that they’re moving toward you fast. It makes them nervous, kind of like the mouse under the elephants foot scenario. In a perfect world for a tow operator, we wouldn’t be out there. Cowboy even said it though;

“I know why you all’er doin’ it, for the adventure and everything. But you’re crazy. Crazy, not stupid….”

On bends in the river, small boats are of exceptional concern for tow operators. They have two main techniques for making a bend in the river. Both require a lot of room to maneuver and can put either end of the tow very close to shore. I saw the tows take up a lot of the river but at flood stage like I’ve seen it there has always been room to spare. At lower water the ends of the tow and often the back of the tow boat can end up “up in the willas” along the bank. Of course depending on which technique the tow captain is using to make the turn will determine which bank he is closest to. If they know where you are they can adjust a bit to accommodate you if you can’t get out of the way. What it boils down to is communication. They would love to know where you are and just exactly what it is you’re planning to do, and to be able to tell you what they are going to do. It’s a whole lot easier for a paddler to hang out above a turn and let the tow clear out than it is for them to move for us. I carried a VHF all the way down the river with me and never found occasion to turn it on. Because the river was so wide I never felt threatened by the tows. I know now that I probably should have turned it for some of the tight turns just to let the tows know I was there and was staying out of their way. I’ll definitely be using the radio a lot over the next two days on the river where I’ll be seeing more traffic than I have on the entire river combined.

Cowboy with Tommy Grantham from the Ingram Barge Company

Tommy is a manager of sorts in the engineering side of the operation which his brother bought a long time ago and the two of them grew from a one boat operation to a much larger three boat operation. Judging by the hellos from the crew coming and going and by what Cowboy said, Tommy and his brother are well liked by their crews. They were recently bought out by the Ingram Barge Company and are still adjusting to the way things are done in a big corporate business. What this facility does is essentially act like a sorting hub where they use somewhat smaller tow boats to build tows (rafts of barges) and pull barges off of tows coming up and down the river to get them to the specific locations where they need to go. I learned from Tommy that the smaller tow boats can have from 800 to 1000 horsepower engines driving the screws (props). The big tow boats pushing the big rafts of barges up and down the river can run up to three engines with a combined power of ten times the smaller boats…10,000 horsepower. It’s no wonder you can feel the vibrations of the motors through the water.

I had heard stories about the crews being stuck on the boats for months. I learned that it’s not true, the crew schedules vary from company to company and route to route. But the long haulers can work anywhere from 12 to 28 days on the tow followed by a bunch of time off. The companies generally have a home “port” where the crews must report then are driven or flown to where the tow boat is waiting to do a crew change. The outgoing crew is then driven or flown back to the home port. A tow boat company is certainly not a small time thing.

As I had guessed after detecting the smell of bacon and eggs coming from the kitchen of a passing tow boat (of course after I ate another bowl of oat meal) that the crews are very well fed. Tommy laughed and said that they’re actually trying to change the culture on the boats a bit. As you might expect meals are brought to the captain or pilot steering the tow so he can keep working. Of course he’s not exactly doing jumping jacks up in the wheel house so he pretty much stands around and eats all day. Consequently tow boat captains tend to carry a little more weight around the mid section than they probably should. Crew sizes vary but on a big tow you can expect to see a captain, pilot, engineer, a half dozen deck hands, and of course the cook. Sometimes a couple more deck hands are added to work fill in shifts when things get busy. They generally work six hour watches followed by six hours off. There isn’t much for the crew to do once the tows are assembled so much of their time is spent cleaning the boat. It shows too because almost every tow boat on the river is spotless, they are absolutely gleaming bright.

I was amazed to hear exactly how the “switching” operation that this facility operates actually works. Depending on where the barges are that need to be shuffled out of the raft are located, very often the big tow never stops moving. They just slow down and the smaller tow boats pull what needs to be pulled (while moving) and the big tow continues on…. Time is money in the shipping industry I guess.

Check out this link to the Ingram Barge Company web site it should go to a cargo comparison feature. It’s amazing just how much those barges can haul.

http://www.ingrambarge.com/default.aspx?v=barge/about/industry

　

　

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<<Previous

Day 57 (Happy Birthday to Micah & Heart Day to Dad!)

Day 56 (edge of the wind at last)

Day 55 - (Friday 1/29/10)

Day 54 - (Thursday - 1/28/10)

Day 53

Day 52

Day 51 (a long run and a big ditch)

Day 50 (a weather and real rest day)

Day 49 (Six hours into a head wind is enough)

Day 48 (At Peace With the Banana)

Day 47 (a day spent exploring Naval Aviation)

Day 46 (Welcome to Florida)

Day 45(about as good as it gets)

Day 44 (Dolphins in the morning and friends on Dauphin in the evening)

Day 43 (Good company and challenging conditions)

Day 42 (A weather day and driving tour of the area)

Day 41 (a little wind and some fellow paddlers)

Click here to see the televison report

Day 40 (adjusting to open water)

Day 39 (Saltwater at last!)

Saltwater at last!

Day 38 (a day on the town)

Day 37 (arrival in New Orleans)

Day 36

Day 34 and 35 (Don't count the strokes)

Day 33 (pre-scouting road trip)

- - - - -

Day 32 (A meeting with a tow boat captain)

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Aqua Adventures

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Werner

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Seal Line

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