March to the Everglades

This book is taking a little effort to wade through, but it is full of fascinating information about the history of the Glades. Early parts of the book are beautifully poetic. I can remember Marjory describes the Pileated Woodpecker as having a head like a battle ax. If you have ever seen a Pileated up close you know how apt her description is. The later half of the book is a bit drawn out. The poetry disappears as if she tires of writing. Still a very good read and she covers a lot of ground. Well researched history and geology.



 Sally and I are planning a trip to the Everglades in March. Plan is to sail Skorpa from Chokoloskee south  perhaps as far as Ponce de Leon Bay, and then return of course. Maybe five days on the water. We hope to explore around the islands and work our way up Lostmans River, and Rogers River. This is our first trip to this area so we will have to take it one step at a time and stay flexible. We have scheduled our trip to coincide with the Everglades Challenge. This is a 300 mile small boat adventure race that runs from Tampa to Key Largo. http://watertribe.org/ I have followed this race online for many years and have considered entering the race. Our boat Skorpa is an EC22.  A boat Graham designed with this race in mind. Graham sailed his EC 22 Southern Skimmer to first place in Class 4 in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In fact I think he won his division every time he entered.

I have often debated with myself  whether it is better to explore the area at my own pace taking the time to explore the byways and the wildlife or to enter the Challenge. Though many Watertribers cruise the course, you can take up to six days to finish the challenge, if you want to be competitive you have to be willing to sail day and night in all kinds of weather. Sailing some of the same water at the same time as the racers will give lots of opportunities for what ifs.

I have been exploring how to use my Garmin GPS together with Google Earth to view maps of the areas we will visit. I create waypoints and routes on the GPS and then view them in GE. Sometime a route that looks good on the GPS charts has trees growing or sand in GE. I have adjusted the routes in a few places. In about two weeks we should find out which was more  accurate NOAA charts or GE or maybe they will both be off. The dark green is mostly Mangrove I believe. The routes in purple are two versions of Rabbit Key pass. I have read there are strong currents and lots of sharp oyster bars.
We will launch at Chokoloskee and plan to follow Rabbit Key Pass out to the Gulf to begin our trip.

We  arrived around 1pm Thursday March 5, 2015. We stopped at the Ranger Station and filled out a permit technically this was not required since we were staying on our boat, but the permit served as a float plan and would expedite a search and rescue in the event of our not returning per schedule.

The weather was warm with a 15 kt breeze from the south west. We went to work stepping the masts and rigging the boat. High tide was at 2pm and ideally we would leave as close to that as possible.

I remove all the rigging from the boat when trailering more than a few miles so all the halyards, sheets, topping lifts, tiller tamer, down hauls, snotter lines have to be threaded. Plus all our gear and supplies for six days at sea. I am slower than most, it took a couple of hours to have the boat ready for the ramp.

It was after 4pm when Sally reports that Skorpa was ready to set sail on her first adventure to the Everglades.

The tide was visibly lower and the current ebbing as we worked our way around Chokoloskee to the entrance to Rabbit Key Pass.

I decided to reef both sails even though the wind was likely to ease off because I wanted to limit our speed through the Pass to give me time to read the GPS and the land and water features for clues as to the best way through the Pass. There are at least two other ways out of Chokoloskee Bay to the Gulf. Both Indian Key Pass and Chokoloskee Pass are deeper and better marked than Rabbit Key Pass, but they are a little out of the way if you are heading south and not as much of a challenge.

Almost right off the bat I started getting in trouble. I remember remarking to Sally, ' That is some funny looking water' It reminded me of the riffles you see when canoeing down a river. Then we could see rocks all around us and the current dragging us toward them. I could see from the GPS that we were off my long researched route and there was no way back against the current to rejoin it. Horrifying grinding noises were coming from the bottom of the boat as we scraped over rocks and oysters. Finally putting my rusty river reading skills to work I could make out a shoot through the rocks and a path to what looked like deeper water.

 The rest of Rabbit Key Pass was easier and we were getting better at reading the water to find a safe passage. The sun was getting low as we passed Turtle Key and rounded Rabbbit Key and headed into the Gulf. We decided to head for my  nearest planned anchorage at Joe Kemp Key. This was still a few miles away and would mean sailing in the dark. Sally was not crazy about sailing in the dark, but I did not want to anchor in the Pass.

We dropped the hook in about a fathom of water just south of Joe Kemp Key. The mosquitoes were waiting for us so we retreated to the cabin and installed the screens on the hatch and doorway. We were both tired from the long day but we decided to cook Pasta e Fagioli for supper, rigatoni, pasta sauce and beans. It was a little effort at first but felt way better having a hot meal as Skorpa rocked gently in the moonlight our first night on the water.

 When the sun started to go down I had looked to change my sunglasses for regular glasses but I could not find them. Sally sailed us up to our anchorage as I could not see much that was more than twenty feet away. We could not find the glasses in any of our gear so we concluded that they must be in the truck back at Chokoloskee about 7 miles away. We discussed continuing without them as I only need them after dusk. We did not plan on sailing after dark but if the need should arrive I would be really handicapped. So.....

 Rabbit Key Pass take two.

 The tide was low but flooding instead of ebbing, big psychological plus.

These pilings mark the entrance to Rabbit Key Pass decorated with Royal Terns. We docked Skorpa at the Ted Smallwood Store and Museum. Sally enjoyed the coolness of the store while I walked across Chokoloskee to find my glasses and some ice cream. I found my glasses. The trading post dates back to the beginning of the last century.

It was a treat to approach the store by water much as the natives to the area did a century ago. We took our time hanging out at the store because we could not leave due to the still flooding tide and the southwest wind. We made our departure around 3pm. The tide was about 2 hours higher than our last trip out so we had no trouble. As we passed Turtle Key we were thrilled to see both dolphins and sea turtles. It was getting late and we had vowed not to come into anchorage again after sundown but I did not want to stay at the same anchorage twice so we headed for Duck Rock just east of Pavilion Key.

Off to the East the sky was dark with some potentially interesting cloud formations. We pushed on keeping a weather eye on them.

Happy to be at anchor.

My criteria for choosing an anchorage included a place deep enough so we would have a foot or two of water under us at low tide, sheltered from the predicted wind by land, easy to leave on our chosen route with likely wind direction, and clear of any likely fairways. Bonus points for scenery and freedom from the winged demons. Friday night the wind blew steadily and waves gently lapped at the boat we had few mosquitoes. In the morning winds were 10-15 kts from the NE. We left anchor under single reefed mizzen alone waiting to see what the wind would do later we raised the main with two reefs.

 We took the North entrance to Lostmans River. We had timed our arrival so the tide was near to high and flooding which was helpful as the channel is narrow. The wind was out of the east 10-15kts. Below is a view across First Bay looking to the east where the river narrows.

 

 

 

We sailed up the river for a mile or so and anchored for lunch. While we were in the cabin eating lunch and taking a break from the sun we heard some ominous creaking and groaning coming from the anchor line and deck cleats. This was followed by a loud sound of water rushing against the side of the boat and a strange feel to how the boat was laying to anchor. We rushed out on deck to find Skorpa turned sideways to the current of 5 to 6 knots. We could see the anchor line coming out from the center of the boat.  This was putting a tremendous strain on the anchor, anchor line and centerboard. After trying several approaches to freeing the anchor line. I noticed that the rudder was only partially raised and the current was pushing hard against it. Raising the rudder clear of the water disturbed the balance enough for us to be able to swing the boat off the center board. I promptly raised the board and made a note not to anchor in a tidal flow without having the rudder and center board fully raised.

 

 

 

Looking up the Lostmans River. Skorpa is laying at anchor with the current but against the wind.

Below is a view across First Bay to the mouth of Lostmans River.

 

 

I did not fancy anchoring near Lostmans River because of the shoals and currents so we headed north a little ways along the coast to Wood Key Cove. I was not careful about checking the water depth and state of the tide when we anchored and we were only left with about 6 inches of water under our keel at low tide.

 

 

 

Our cooked from scratch in our pressure cooker supper. Brown rice, onions, peppers, carrots, and veggie sausage.

Low tide was about 9am on Sunday morning so I decided to leave early before the water got any skinnier. I sailed off under mizzen only to a 10 kt breeze from the east. Later Sally came out to the cockpit and we hauled up the main with 2 reefs. The wind was now 15 kts with higher gusts. We made good progress along the coast staying just outside the shallow water. The wind continued to build until it was 20 kts or so with higher gusts. considering our remoteness and the possibility that the wind would continue to build we brought the main back down and sailed under single reefed mizzen only. The wind was veering to the south which would make our planned stop at Graveyard Creek a lee shore. So we stopped at Shark Point just north of Ponce De Leon Bay to have lunch and review our plans.



 The tide was high so we took the opportunity to swing the boat in towards land and give the crew a little shore leave.

The weather was looking uncertain with showers and shifting gusty winds. We discussed heading back towards the Harney River to gain some shelter from the south winds. In the end we decided to push on to Ponce De Leon Bay under reefed main and mizzen.

The Bay felt deserted and a little foreboding under the glowering skies, yet I felt a sense of elation venturing into remote unexplored territory. Sally told me this was primarily a guy thing.

We managed the showers and gusty winds with no problem and after awhile the sun peeked out.

We picked out a possible anchorage for the night then sailed up one of the dozen or so rivers that empty into Ponce De Leon Bay.

 Near Rabbit Key and Pavilion Key we saw kayakers, up Lostmans River we saw fisherman in small power boats, but here we saw no one. No sound but the wind, waves and tropical sounding bird calls coming from the mangroves. It felt like exploring up the Amazon. The river twisted and turned you could get lost in the maze of mangrove islands.

The winds were still gusting down the channel when we turned and headed back out to our anchorage in Ponce De Leon Bay.

You can see why some people remark of the Everglades " There is nothing to see." By standing on the cabin roof we were able to send text messages for the first time in a couple of days. When possible I would send a text to our son David so someone would have an idea of where we were and how we were doing. Beautiful sunrise Ponce De Leon Bay.

 Video of our Monday sail heading north back up the coast.

We heard from a couple of kayakers at Turkey Key that  the Waterrtibe Everglades Challenge had been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. The Coast Guard was called on to perform 12 rescues in Tampa Bay.  We passed a Hobie Adventure Island sailing near Pavilion Key. Probably a Watertribe member who had decided to continue on after the race was cancelled.

Passing Pavilion Key and on to Rabbit Key Pass Click for Video


We arrived at Rabbit Key pass around noon on Tuesday. We could have continued on to Chokoloskee we would have had a favorable wind and tide. However that would have put us at the boat ramp mid afternoon with a lot of work yet to do to get the boat ready to travel and a three hour drive up to Gary's house at Lake Wales or a night spent anchored at Chokoloskee. We elected to spend the afternoon at one of our favorite spots Turtle Key and then anchor for the night out of the channel at nearby Lumber Key.

 

 Skorpa anchored off Turtle Key behind a Black Mangrove.

I set up the Bimini I had made especially for this trip. We had not used it because usually when we got to our anchorage we were too tired to do anything but climb into the cabin and put the screens up over the doorway and hatch. While we were at Turtle Key we saw more dolphins, sea turtles and a sailor heading out into the Gulf in his Hobie Adventure Island. A favorite craft of the Watertribe.

Sally wading ashore.

We waded partly around the island. The open beach is small and trekking through the interior would likely awake the swamp angels.

We were very interested in the Mangrove trees. They are specially adapted to exist in a saltwater environment. The Red Mangrove has special prop roots that drop down from horizontal branches that helps to stabilize the shoreline.

Prop roots.

Around 4pm we decided to head across the channel to Lumber Key so we could be at anchor before the Swamp Angels came out. Dolphins swam around our anchored boat. We could hear their breathing above the soft whine of the mosquitoes.



 Two days later when we pulled into Gary's driveway pleased that I had arrived promptly at 6pm as I had promised he casually showed me his wrist watch which read 7pm and wondered if I may have forgotten to adjust my watch for Daylight Savings Time which had started the previous Sunday. This oversight lead us to be an hour later than we thought as we attempted to time our morning passage up Rabbit Key Pass with the tide and current.

Rowing back to Chokoloskee  Click for Video

 

Sally enjoying our " We made It!" celebration at the lovely Havana Café in Chokoloskee.

 

 



 



In Search of Mouse Harbor

Late October often finds us travelling to North Carolina for the annual B and B Fall Messabout. If possible we go a few days early and spend a night or two at anchor exploring the area around the Bay River. Last April we spent a few days exploring the area around Judith Island. We launched our boat at Potters Marina near the mouth of the Pamlico. While we were there we heard from a fellow boater that Mouse Harbor was their favorite place in the whole area.


Below is a view of Mouse Harbor from Google Earth. Much of the area is part of the Goose Island Wildlife Management Area. The dark areas look like ponds perhaps managed for waterfowl habitat. The plan was to poke into the creeks and ditches and see what we could find out.

Below is a chart of the same area.

 

 

We arrived at Chapel Creek Tuesday evening. I wanted to launch the boat and sleep aboard tied up to the dock, but dark was soon upon us. I did not want to risk some sort of mishap in the darkness so we slept on the boat on the trailer and launched in the morning.

 

The forecast called for winds 20-25kt, cloudy and cool. We decided to delay our departure. There was lots to do helping Beth get the grounds and boats ready for the Messabout coming up on Friday.

Thursday the forecast remained 20-25kt but sunnier which always helps. Our three day trip had now been reduced to two days. The gusty Northwest winds meant it would be a long slog up to Mouse Harbor with lots of fetch to build the chop as we crossed several good size bays. Plan B was to explore the canal that connects the mouth of Gale Creek to Jones Bay. A close look at Google Earth revealed what looked like a dead tree partially blocking the canal, but who knows when that photo was taken. Alan said he remembered sailing through the canal a few months back so that gave me confidence that we would be able to navigate the ditch. 

 

 

 

The winds were 10kts or so when we left the dock, but anticipating they would build as we neared the mouth of the Bay River we started out double reefed. That is Graham Byrnes out on the end of the dock. He and Alan came down from the shop to see us off. The photo is courtesy of Alan Stewart.

 

We averaged around 5 to 6 kts with occasional runs up to 7 kts as we made our way down the Bay River. That is pretty good speed considering we had two reefs in. It is the kind of sailing Sally really loves but, I couldn't help thinking about how fast we would be going if we shook out the reefs. Later though I would be glad we had the reefs in place.

 

We sailed past Vandemere Creek on a reach and then a broad reach and sometimes a run as we followed the Bay River past Bear Creek to the mouth of Gale Creek. Up ahead we could see the parade of snow birds heading south. Sailing vessels and motor yachts each spaced about a 1/4 mile apart. The Intracoastal Waterway exits the ditch at the mouth of Gale Creek. From there the ICW follows the Bay River out into the Pamlico Sound. Then the ICW enters the Neuse River for a ways before taking another canal down to Beaufort.

 

Our destination, Ditch Creek was hidden on the east shore a little ways up Gale Creek. The Creek runs Northwest here so we were tacking into the stiff Northwest breeze. Up ahead we could see a large motor yacht barreling down the ditch, she was kicking up a huge wake. The water shoals up outside the channel and the chart indicated some sort of obstruction just east of the channel PA. Position Approximate that is never reassuring. We short tacked as far east of the channel as we dared. As the big boat neared us she slowed down to a reasonable speed and her wake nearly disappeared. How courteous. She looked well over a hundred feet in length. We waved  a thank you to the one person we could see at the helm. 

 

The creeks in this area of the coast twist and turn through shores of spartina grass. When you look up their mouth from a Bay or a larger River all you see is the overlapping shores of spartina grass. it is almost impossible to pick out the entrance to some of the creeks even if you are looking right at it.

 Trusting our GPS and chart we headed away from Gale Creek and the ICW. We rounded up and dropped the hook close to some grass in 2 or 3 feet of water. I furled the main and we enjoyed our lunch sheltered from the waves and somewhat from the wind. During lunch we reviewed the chart and discussed our options. The Northwest wind should allow us to sail Northeast up the canal and the wind should diminish as we moved inland. Not being familiar with the area or certain of the current condition of the canal we wanted to proceed cautiously. We elected to continue under double reefed mizzen alone. This would limit our ability to work upwind if that became necessary but, it would allow us to limit our speed and depower quickly. We can sail in less than a foot of water but controlling the boat with the board and rudder partially down becomes less precise. We spotted a white post as we rounded a bend. The GPS though was indicating we should follow a more northerly course. The GPS is amazingly accurate but maneuvering through the marsh is like entering a maze. Just a few feet often separates following one lead or another. The GPS was pointing us off to windward and after a hundred yards or so we reached a cul de sac, but since we had been making some progress to windward returning to the white post was easy. Just around from the white post we could see a canal 25-30 feet wide straight as an arrow heading Northeast, Ditch Creek Canal.

 

 

 

 

Starting down Ditch Creek Canal. These canals and mosquito ditches were dug way back when in an attempt to drain the marshes.

 

 

 

 In the above photo Gale Creek is on the left. You can see how the channel narrows with shoal water on either side just before it empties into the Bay River. A little way up Gale Creek Ditch Creek heads east. We took the northern branch and from there you can see a canal heading Northeast to the Jones Bay Ditch Creek. Running perpendicular to the major canals are smaller ditches called by locals mosquito ditches.

 

 



 

 

Cruising down the Ditch Creek Canal. The water depth was 2 to 3 feet. The wind behind us. Beautiful. After we exited the canal we explored around and found a little cove tucked up into the marsh on the western shore, but it was only 3 o'clock. Sally would have been happy to settle down early but I wanted to push on a little further and explore Jones Bay. The wind was blowing straight down Jones Bay and we could see white caps, and the wind was beginning to build. Spray was flying off the bow and streaming aft. The crew sits forward of the helmsperson and so takes the brunt of the spray when running close hauled into the waves and wind. After a particularly good dousing Sally turned and looked at me and I could see it was a little past time to come about. Soon we were back in the shelter of the creek but even here the wind was gusty.  We found a sheltered spot and dropped anchor.

 

Sally enjoying the sun's warmth and a sheltered anchorage. It always amazes me that we can enjoy such peace and serenity such a short time and distance from spray flying over the bow.

 

 

Dinner was brown rice, curried vegetables and smoked herring.  It takes about twenty minutes to cook the rice and the vegetables in the pressure cooker. The rice gets cooked first then we open the cooker and throw in the carrots, onions or whatever, bring back up to pressure then stir in the smoked herring and serve. That was delicious. Then while we were eating we cooked a cobbler. We peeled the apples and tossed in a mixture of oats, dry milk, brown sugar, whole wheat flour, and cinnamon that Sally had prepared at home. We enjoyed a royal feast.

 

  







 

 

As the sun went down the mosquitos came out and I retreated into the cabin. We installed a screen on the hatch so we could have the ventilation necessary to keep condensation to a tolerable level.

 

 

 

We read and studied charts and just relaxed for the evening. The night was the quietest I can ever remember on a boat. There were no halyards banging, nothing creaked, no water sloshed, slapped or gurgled, against the hull, there was no rocking, no sense of motion at all. It felt like the boat was set in molasses. It was quieter and more solid then last night when we slept on the trailer. I awoke in the middle of the night to check on things. When I looked out the portlights at first I could see nothing but darkness but then I could make out the silhouette of the marsh and I could see by the slowly moving lumps that the boat was gently swaying back and forth at her anchor. The motion so smooth it could not be perceived like the rotation of our planet as it hurls through space.

 

I was up early and fixed some hot cereal. The sky was just beginning to lighten in the east. The wind was very light from the Northwest. It was too dark to sail so I weighed anchor and rowed and drifted. Our plan was to try and find the entrance to a different ditch that would take us to Dump Creek and then back to the Bay River. The entrance was off to the Southeast. So we just drifted and I rowed a little and watched the stars slowly fade.

 

 

We found what we are calling the Dump Creek Ditch. Not very poetic, but that is it.

 

 

 

There was an eerie silence at our anchorage but as we entered the canal and the sun began to peep above the trees we were serenaded by redwing blackbirds that sang from the small trees and shrubs that lined the canal.

 

 

I am sure when they dug the ditches the muck was deposited right along side. This made for some higher drier ground and the narrow line of trees and shrubs that grow along side the canals.

 

 

 

 

 

This one with the bright red berries is Yaupon, Ilex Vomitoria. Native Americans made a tea from the roasted leaves and twigs. It is the only North American plant that contains caffeine.

 

The canal slowly transitioned into the wider and meandering Dump Creek which brought us to the Bay River and a bit of culture shock. Coming up the Bay River was a tug pushing a huge barge. He looked like a tight fit for some parts of the ICW but that was where he was heading. Then a Coast Guard Helicopter and a 45 foot Response Boat exited Gale Creek followed by the snow birds. We felt like we needed to look both ways before proceeding up the Bay River.

 

 

The chopper was practicing lowering a sling to a swimmer in the water. The swimmer would grab the sling and get lifted a dozen feet into the air then he would drop back into the water and chase after the sling again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When  we reached the mouth of Dump Creek the winds were light and the forecast was for 10-15 kts from the Northwest so we took the reefs out and raised all sail. We had a beautiful and quieter sail tacking up the Bay River and back to the dock at Chapel Creek for the BandB Messabout. Along the way we spotted a Bald Eagle!

 

 

 

 

                                                      Photo thanks to Doug Cameron