Bob's Everglades Camping Trip - bobsevergladescampingtrip

bobs tent.jpg
bobs tent.jpg 2009-02-01

keiths tent.jpg
keiths tent.jpg 2009-02-01

keith feeding pelicans.jpg
keith feeding pelicans.jpg 2009-02-01

Kieth fish cleaning.jpg
Kieth fish cleaning.jpg 2009-02-01

Kieth fish cleaning 2.jpg
Kieth fish cleaning 2.jpg 2009-02-01

Trout cleaning.jpg
Trout cleaning.jpg 2009-02-01

Pavilion camp 2.jpg
Pavilion camp 2.jpg 2009-02-01

pavilion camp sunset.jpg
pavilion camp sunset.jpg 2009-02-01

Pavilion Keith's tent.jpg
Pavilion Keith's tent.jpg 2009-02-01

pelican fight.jpg
pelican fight.jpg 2009-02-01

pelican fly.jpg
pelican fly.jpg 2009-02-01

pelicans.jpg
pelicans.jpg 2009-02-01

pelicans 2.jpg
pelicans 2.jpg 2009-02-01

pet pelican.jpg
pet pelican.jpg 2009-02-01

pavilion key.jpg
pavilion key.jpg 2009-02-01

pavilion camp sunset 2.jpg
pavilion camp sunset 2.jpg 2009-02-01

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DSCN0597_ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-01

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DSCN0593__Near_sundown,_Feb_1_ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-01

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DSCN0606_ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-02

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DSCN0627_Bob_ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-02

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DSCN0628_Bob2__ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-02

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DSCN0633_Bob3__ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-02

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DSCN0630_Bob's_boat__ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-02

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DSCN0634_Bob4__ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-02

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DSCN0639_Bob6__ADB_sm144_8.jpg 2009-02-02

Day two. woke up bright and early to another beautiful warm day with winds building out of the south west. exactly where I plan to sail today. It's an exciting day as I prepare to embark on the next leg of my trip down to New Turkey Key to ride out a pair of cold fronts. It is also a day to say goodbye to my new friend Keith who will be sailing back to Chokoloski later in the day. I break camp and repack the AI pausing only to watch one of our fellow campers paddle by about 0900. It is nearly 1000 am by the time I get all packed ond underway. Now the wind is blowing a steady 15 kts and the chop is building straight from the direction i am planning on sailing. I tack straight towards the south enjoying the lee from the ring of Islands surrounding me but after the first mile I leave the shelter of Pavilion and start to experience the full force of the wind and the seas. The Adventure Island Sails well upwind even with the heavy load of me 40 pounds of water and all my gear. I sail for the first hour and a half without touching the pedals but as the wind builds I decide to pedal and pinch up into the wind rather than reef the sail. The wind and seas continue to buil as I head south towards New Turkey and soon my destination is in sight. As I search for the Key on the distant horizon I see a tent in the mangroves. Approaching the north side of the island which is guarded by shallow oyster bars I observe a single tent and resident on the island and since it is early and I am enjoying the solitude I consider sailing on to Hog Key. This would be a mistake because I would have missed meeting Paul Sedwick, ( PaulSedwick.com ) my soon to be new friend and all around great guy. Since I am now enjoying the sailiing I decide the best course of action is to continue upwind to Plover Key take a lunchbreak, fish and mke a decision. As I approach Plover The wind fills in with a vengeance, the AI groans as the windward ama lifts into the air and I take off at an incredible speed fighting weather helm and luffing the sail. Time to reef!! Well the decision is made the wind is getting a bit scary so I will forgo the additional 6 mile upwind beat and return to New Turkey.

 

Arrived on the beach at New Turkey to a welcoming party. The previous occupant Paul meets me camera in hand and catches a few photo's of the occasion. Paul will prove to be good and interesting company as he pursues his passion for photography. I get the camp set up just in time for a few raindrops to start falling. It looks like quite a squall line approaching from the north and right on cue after dinner the wind and rain arrive in force. I decide to sit under my Noah's tarp and watch the show and soon I am stranded by 40 kt winds and torrential rain. Lightning starts to hit the island and the winds are really howling but despite the high winds I am staying quite dry. It lasts about two hours and finally it starts to abate and the rain decreases to a steady drizzle, a perfect time to head into the tent for the evening. Just out of my dry cloths I hear Paul calling out to see if I am OK. He lost his tarp in the storm and rain started falling in his tent. He had to jump out and secure his vestibule in the middle of the heavy rain but everything is fine now.

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Bob_AI_sailing_off_of_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg 2009-02-02

Bob_at_camp_on_New_Turkey_Key.jpg
Bob_at_camp_on_New_Turkey_Key.jpg 2009-02-03

Bob_at_camp_on_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg
Bob_at_camp_on_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg 2009-02-03

Bob_landing_at_New_Turkey_Key.jpg
Bob_landing_at_New_Turkey_Key.jpg 2009-02-02

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Bob_walking_beach_on_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg 2009-02-03

Bob_landing_at_New_Turkey_Key_HDR.jpg
Bob_landing_at_New_Turkey_Key_HDR.jpg 2009-02-02

Bobs_AI_on_New_Turkey_Key.jpg
Bobs_AI_on_New_Turkey_Key.jpg 2009-02-03

Hobie dawn.jpg
Hobie dawn.jpg 2009-02-03

New Turkey camp.jpg
New Turkey camp.jpg 2009-02-03

New turkey morning.jpg
New turkey morning.jpg 2009-02-03

New turkey N side.jpg
New turkey N side.jpg 2009-02-03

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New Turkey north side.jpg 2009-02-03

New Turkey sunset 2.jpg
New Turkey sunset 2.jpg 2009-02-03

New Turkey sunset.jpg
New Turkey sunset.jpg 2009-02-03

Robinson Calusa.jpg
Robinson Calusa.jpg 2009-02-03

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Robinson Calusa 3.jpg 2009-02-03

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Robinson Calusa 2.jpg 2009-02-03

rough seas.jpg
rough seas.jpg 2009-02-03

Robinson Calusa 4.jpg
Robinson Calusa 4.jpg 2009-02-03

Sailing Robiinson Calusa 2.jpg
Sailing Robiinson Calusa 2.jpg 2009-02-03

Sailing Robiinson Calusa 1.jpg
Sailing Robiinson Calusa 1.jpg 2009-02-03

Sailing Robiinson Calusa 3.jpg
Sailing Robiinson Calusa 3.jpg 2009-02-03

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Sailing Robiinson Calusa 5.jpg 2009-02-03

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Sailing Robiinson Calusa 4.jpg 2009-02-03

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Sailing Robiinson Calusa 6.jpg 2009-02-03

Sailing Robiinson Calusa 7.jpg
Sailing Robiinson Calusa 7.jpg 2009-02-03

toilet barge.jpg
toilet barge.jpg 2009-02-03

tree 1.jpg
tree 1.jpg 2009-02-03

tree 1a.jpg
tree 1a.jpg 2009-02-03

tree 2.jpg
tree 2.jpg 2009-02-03

tree 2a.jpg
tree 2a.jpg 2009-02-03

tree 3.jpg
tree 3.jpg 2009-02-03

tree 4.jpg
tree 4.jpg 2009-02-03

tree New Turkey.jpg
tree New Turkey.jpg 2009-02-03

Pufferfish.jpg
Pufferfish.jpg 2009-02-03

osprey mother 3.jpg
osprey mother 3.jpg 2009-02-03

osprey mother 2.jpg
osprey mother 2.jpg 2009-02-03

Osprey mother.jpg
Osprey mother.jpg 2009-02-03

Osprey mom & dad 2.jpg
Osprey mom & dad 2.jpg 2009-02-03

Osprey mom & dad.jpg
Osprey mom & dad.jpg 2009-02-03

Osprey landing.jpg
Osprey landing.jpg 2009-02-03

Osprey fly.jpg
Osprey fly.jpg 2009-02-03

Osprey 2.jpg
Osprey 2.jpg 2009-02-03

Osprey.jpg
Osprey.jpg 2009-02-03

engines.jpg
engines.jpg 2009-02-03

engine 3.jpg
engine 3.jpg 2009-02-03

engine 2.jpg
engine 2.jpg 2009-02-03

engine.jpg
engine.jpg 2009-02-03

New turkey sunset 3.jpg
New turkey sunset 3.jpg 2009-02-03

Bob_sails_to_Pavilion_Key.jpg
Bob_sails_to_Pavilion_Key.jpg 2009-02-04

Bob_walking_beach_on_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg
Bob_walking_beach_on_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg 2009-02-03

Bob_AI_sailing_off_of_New_Turkey_Key.jpg
Bob_AI_sailing_off_of_New_Turkey_Key.jpg 2009-02-02

Turkey key sunrise 3a.jpg
Turkey key sunrise 3a.jpg 2009-02-03

Bob_AI_sailing_off_of_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg
Bob_AI_sailing_off_of_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg 2009-02-02

Bob_at_camp_on_New_Turkey_Key.jpg
Bob_at_camp_on_New_Turkey_Key.jpg 2009-02-03

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Bob_at_camp_on_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg 2009-02-03

Bob_landing_at_New_Turkey_Key.jpg
Bob_landing_at_New_Turkey_Key.jpg 2009-02-02

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Bob_walking_beach_on_New_Turkey_Key_2.jpg 2009-02-03

Bob_landing_at_New_Turkey_Key_HDR.jpg
Bob_landing_at_New_Turkey_Key_HDR.jpg 2009-02-02

Bobs_AI_on_New_Turkey_Key.jpg
Bobs_AI_on_New_Turkey_Key.jpg 2009-02-03

Woke up to a cool windy day. My tarp survived the night and soon I have a nice hot pot of coffee cooking.The left over clouds from last nights storm make for a dramatic sunrise and morning sky. Paul is already up and about and busy with his cameras. We share some coffee and he shows me his new Cannon 5D. What a great camera but I'm a bit afraid to take my DSLR on the AI so I'm off to get some photo's with my old panasonic lumix. We spend an enchanted day wandering the island, watching the osprey take care of their young and their nest taking pictures and in my case fishing. Alas there are no fish in the shallows around the island and since I am drying out today in preparation for cold weather I decide not to go out in the Kayak. Paul takes a spin in his sailing canoe "Robinson Calusa" and wouldn't you know it a large crab boat shows up and runs at full speed right in front of him. Speaking of power boaters, the evidence of their presence on this island is everywhere in the form of trash and cut trees. If you can look at the God given scenery in this place and see, a trashcan, and ashtray or a source of firewood then your soul is dead within you and there is no level of hell terrible enough to purge your guilt.  Well I will do what I can which is carry a bit of trash out in my little kayak.

 

Man the wind and seas are scary today the north side of the Island is pounded by gale force winds and breaking waves and the wind is blowing from exactly where I need to go. I need to pray tonight that the wind and seas abate a bit so I can start to sail home tomorrow. all of my wet gear has dried out quickly in the windy dry air and sun, I am in good shape if I am forced to stay here another evening.

 

Paul let's me borrow his cell phone to report in to Cheryl and after dinner we enjoy a small fire on the beach below the high tide line. This is paradise a beautiful place, no bugs an inviting fire and a like minded individual to appreciate it with. The evening is spent in alternating periods of silence and story telling. I am a bit of a loner but Pauls presence has definately improved this wilderness experience. I look forward to seeing his pictures and his web site.