( This is looking back at where we camped from the main part of the island. When the tide is in this is under water and it is only 423 paces from the tents to the outhouse and with wet feet if you have to go at high tide.)
Tuesday
Basically the same as the day before with good weather, calm waters, good fishing and just a lot of fun times. This is to good something is wrong with this picture.
John pulls into the camp with his sail boat about 3 in the afternoon. His motor has frozen up on him and now all he can do is to sail it or row it ... no motor for easing around and they are National Weather folks are saying a cold front is going to move thru later with north winds which he cannot sail into.
3:30 and john has broken camp and sailing north for Rabbit Key which is near Rabbit Key Pass and into Chokoloskee , Fl. He needs to get as far north as possible before dark and the cold front.
One of our neighbors ...........
Mac & Joe get back to camp a little after 5 and ask ...."Where is John" so I fill them in on what is going on. We have a camping supper and after some fire time and a few drinks we hit the tents for a good night sleep and then taking out early in the morning to catch up with John at Rabbit Key.
11:30 P.M. ... The wind hits us, the tents are doubled over, sand is blowing everywhere, forget sleeping, just stay in the tent to hold it down and thankfully we had a lot of the heavy stuff in the tents with us.
Made it thru the night and in the morning when we wanted to take out ........ we didn't.
The bay had white caps on it, then tents were still doubled over, the wind with a low tide had both boats land locked about 25 feet from the water. Nothing to do but wait, wish, and look for the tide to change and the wind to let up.
Just before noon we had water and the wind let up as the front passed to the South and over us and the skies cleared to that nice cobalt blue color you expect down there...... Packed, on the water and north bound looking for John.
Up the coast past Mormon Key, past Gun Rock Point, Duck Rock, Pavilion Key, Crate Key stopping at Rabbit Key but no John so the on past lumber Key and Turtle Key into Rabbit Key Pass and Chokoloskee then over to Everglades City and off the water.
We let the Rangers know we were back one day early but one of the party was still not accounted for. We did not know John had already made it is and he actually got his motor to run for a short while.
Mac & I secured an apartment for the night and after saying by to Joe (he lives about 3 hours drive from there) Mac and I cleaned up then went looking for John and located him by the rangers station.
As things always do ....... everything worked out for the good .... The Apartment had three beds, two bathrooms, a washer & dryer, complete kitchen and all of the good stuff so we had a comfortable night. Let the wind blow, let the rain come down, let it get colder, let the coons raid every camp, let the mosquitos and sand flies bite .... None of that will bother us tonight.
During the evenings discussions at the restaurant between several visits at the salad bar and the main course with plenty of ice tea refills we learned that John was only able to make it to Pavilion Key where he sleep on his sail boat but was not hurting for company ..... 4 Collage Girls from Vermont who were camping there and paddling the area in there canoes keep him company.
How John turned a sail boat into a house boat the easy way by using a Hennessey Hammock. http://www.hennessyhammock.com/
In the morning when they (The Ladies) left to paddle south to the Lopez River and the Lopez Campsite. John made it north along the coast line to Indian Key Pass just north of Kingston Key, into Chokoloskee Bay and Everglades City to the dock at the Sportsman's Club where he tied up.
Some of the things I observed and learned on this trip along with the experiences of others.
1. A Coleman Double burner stove will not work when the burners are full of rain water.
2. A canoe makes a good shallow water boat for pleasure and fishing.
3. A normal fishing boat is good in normal water but not off shore or in the really skinny water.
4. A 19 foot, double mast sail boat is a good off shore (deep water) fishing boat and you can even sleep on it.
5. A bathroom floor on a Eureka Tent can become a bath tub or container for bathing after a bad storm.
6. No amount of rain, wind, cold or anything will stop an Everglades Coon from raiding your camp or the skitters and sand gnats from coming after you.
7. No matter what the weather is like it is always better out fishing & camping then being at home or at work.
8. It....... NEVER RAINS....... when I go camping, the water just comes down the same way as it does over Niagara Falls.
9. I think I need to invest in a Gore Tech Rain suit.
10. Lets go swimming ..."O"ooop's .................... I mean Camping.
Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.
Chuck.
Tuesday
Basically the same as the day before with good weather, calm waters, good fishing and just a lot of fun times. This is to good something is wrong with this picture.
John pulls into the camp with his sail boat about 3 in the afternoon. His motor has frozen up on him and now all he can do is to sail it or row it ... no motor for easing around and they are National Weather folks are saying a cold front is going to move thru later with north winds which he cannot sail into.
3:30 and john has broken camp and sailing north for Rabbit Key which is near Rabbit Key Pass and into Chokoloskee , Fl. He needs to get as far north as possible before dark and the cold front.
One of our neighbors ...........
Mac & Joe get back to camp a little after 5 and ask ...."Where is John" so I fill them in on what is going on. We have a camping supper and after some fire time and a few drinks we hit the tents for a good night sleep and then taking out early in the morning to catch up with John at Rabbit Key.
11:30 P.M. ... The wind hits us, the tents are doubled over, sand is blowing everywhere, forget sleeping, just stay in the tent to hold it down and thankfully we had a lot of the heavy stuff in the tents with us.
Made it thru the night and in the morning when we wanted to take out ........ we didn't.
The bay had white caps on it, then tents were still doubled over, the wind with a low tide had both boats land locked about 25 feet from the water. Nothing to do but wait, wish, and look for the tide to change and the wind to let up.
Just before noon we had water and the wind let up as the front passed to the South and over us and the skies cleared to that nice cobalt blue color you expect down there...... Packed, on the water and north bound looking for John.
Up the coast past Mormon Key, past Gun Rock Point, Duck Rock, Pavilion Key, Crate Key stopping at Rabbit Key but no John so the on past lumber Key and Turtle Key into Rabbit Key Pass and Chokoloskee then over to Everglades City and off the water.
We let the Rangers know we were back one day early but one of the party was still not accounted for. We did not know John had already made it is and he actually got his motor to run for a short while.
Mac & I secured an apartment for the night and after saying by to Joe (he lives about 3 hours drive from there) Mac and I cleaned up then went looking for John and located him by the rangers station.
As things always do ....... everything worked out for the good .... The Apartment had three beds, two bathrooms, a washer & dryer, complete kitchen and all of the good stuff so we had a comfortable night. Let the wind blow, let the rain come down, let it get colder, let the coons raid every camp, let the mosquitos and sand flies bite .... None of that will bother us tonight.
During the evenings discussions at the restaurant between several visits at the salad bar and the main course with plenty of ice tea refills we learned that John was only able to make it to Pavilion Key where he sleep on his sail boat but was not hurting for company ..... 4 Collage Girls from Vermont who were camping there and paddling the area in there canoes keep him company.
How John turned a sail boat into a house boat the easy way by using a Hennessey Hammock. http://www.hennessyhammock.com/
In the morning when they (The Ladies) left to paddle south to the Lopez River and the Lopez Campsite. John made it north along the coast line to Indian Key Pass just north of Kingston Key, into Chokoloskee Bay and Everglades City to the dock at the Sportsman's Club where he tied up.
Some of the things I observed and learned on this trip along with the experiences of others.
1. A Coleman Double burner stove will not work when the burners are full of rain water.
2. A canoe makes a good shallow water boat for pleasure and fishing.
3. A normal fishing boat is good in normal water but not off shore or in the really skinny water.
4. A 19 foot, double mast sail boat is a good off shore (deep water) fishing boat and you can even sleep on it.
5. A bathroom floor on a Eureka Tent can become a bath tub or container for bathing after a bad storm.
6. No amount of rain, wind, cold or anything will stop an Everglades Coon from raiding your camp or the skitters and sand gnats from coming after you.
7. No matter what the weather is like it is always better out fishing & camping then being at home or at work.
8. It....... NEVER RAINS....... when I go camping, the water just comes down the same way as it does over Niagara Falls.
9. I think I need to invest in a Gore Tech Rain suit.
10. Lets go swimming ..."O"ooop's .................... I mean Camping.
Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.
Chuck.
