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Day 68

2/11/2010

3 Comments

 
Start: 8:15 AM- St. Petersburg, FL
Finish: 5:15 PM - Sarasota, FL
Time: 9;00
Daily dist: 32 miles
Total dist: x miles
Companions: None
Weather: North wind at 10mph partly cloudy with temps in the low 60’s
Notes: First day back on the water after two weather and rest days with my friend Russell
The weather is supposed to be trouble tomorrow. With rain and winds predicted to blow out of the NE at 15 mph then swinging to the SE at 20 mph I will have to tip toe around the weather to get any miles in at all. With that knowledge I knew I’d need to make the most out of today’s nice weather and log at least a few extra miles down the coast. Somehow, however, the route I chose on the outside open coast (while it was a fun day) only added miles to the route but didn’t move me any further south than if I had stayed in the Intracoastal. I didn’t know if the islands on the map I was heading toward were dry enough to camp on or if they were if camping was allowed. It’s an unsettling feeling to be heading toward a destination that you know you won’t reach until late in the day and even when you do if you’ll be allowed to stop there.
Picture
I looked but couldn’t find a worse picture of Russell
It was with that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I got a call this afternoon from my friend Dave Lindo at OKC Kayak out in Oklahoma City. He’s been watching my progress and knew I was nearing Sarasota. It just so happens his little sister lives in Sarasota very close to Siesta Key which was exactly where I was headed. He had spoken to her and she was happy to take me in if I needed a place to stay. With the option of a place to stay if the islands didn’t work out I was able to relax and enjoy the rolling swell and beautiful emerald green water I was paddling on. I called Ann (Dave’s sister) and made sure she was interested in picking me up. She said it’d be no trouble and had plans to take me out to dinner (per Dave’s orders and pocket book). So the plan was for me to try to paddle down to where she works on Siesta Key then go home with her.

Picture
the sun was getting low and I still had miles to go to the take out
I pulled hard, but like I said, the miles didn’t go by very fast today so by 5:00 when I was still six miles shy of our planned meeting point I found a backup takeout and called it a day. I was just too tired to slog out another hour and a half of paddling. While I emptied by boat Ann drove over to pick me up. From the boat landing we set about finding a place to grab a bight to eat on big brother Dave’s tab. It was once again a very fortuitous turn of events set about from friends and friend’s of friends that has saved my rear so many times on this trip.

Picture
3 Comments
John
2/11/2010 09:19:24 pm

So you paddled all day in 60 degree weather, then some guy calls you up and has his sister pick up up, take you out to eat, then he pays for it! You need to find a way to market that karma!

Reply
Charlotte Key
2/12/2010 10:56:58 am

Weather on our Gulf Coast continues to stink. It is unlike any winter EVER to my knowledge in Florida and I am a native. Snowed in Pensacola today for God's sake!

Looks like high surf advisory for Saturday, with wind laying down a little bit late in the afternoon ...Cayo Costa used to be a beautiful island to camp (a Fla State Park) 'til Hurricane Charley tore it up about 5 yrs ago.
800 326 3251 Reserve America to reserve, if you decide to do that Jake- tomorrow night or Sun night ..Usually Cayo Costa campsites (no elec, cold showers only) are fully rented out at this island campground on weekend nights, but with this weather, I cant imagine that. 'Course there are other islands down that way where you could probably camp free...

Enjoy a warm place tonight at Ann's. And maybe a rest out another bad weather day tomorrow?

Reply
George Miller
2/13/2010 11:09:12 am

Glad to hear you're doing OK, Jake. Weather in your old Channel Islands CA stomping grounds hasn't been that great either. many wind days and more than a few rainy ones.

Hope all goes well.

- George M.

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