"cruisenews" :

Important reading material:
http://web.media.mit.edu/%7Etim/pix/cuba.html

Interesting, but this man is a fool.

A) He never filed plans or even a destination with a friend.

B) He started hir trip without even know where he wanted to go.

C) By himself, Cuba, Gulfstream, known coming storm, very small boat? Need I
say more?

One main reason I am thinking of the Bahamas is so I never am out of sight of
land, and have no plans to spend night on the water.

http://www.mit.edu/people/robot/yucatan/index.html

Same idiot, new problems. Come on now, this guy seem to be having fun in a
way, but all his actions seem very dumb to me. No map/charts of the before
he sets out. Dry bags that don't stay dry (what type of junk bags is he
buying?). He did not even have a completed boat when he started out, or have
a pre-arranged boat/wood store to get the needed extras.

At the very least I plan to have all the parts needed before I arrive. My
dry bags stay dry even if you push them under water, I already have some
charts and plan to buy the latest available before I go. There probably be
lots of problems ahead, but the whole reason I am posting here is to find out
what I don't know. This guy just blindly sets sail without the less bit of
preparation.

More fodder:
http://cruisenews.net/search2.php?search_term=canoe

And thnks this looks like lots of interesting reading ahead for me.

Earl Colby Pottinger


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A friend of mine took an 18' Hobi from Key West to Dry Tortugas with no
problem (it is 68 miles). They slept on the tramp under a boom tent.
This guy might consider a few "dry runs" in the Keys cuz I have never
seen any crocs there and there are a lot of islands for him.

:

A friend of mine took an 18' Hobi from Key West to Dry Tortugas with no
problem (it is 68 miles). They slept on the tramp under a boom tent.
This guy might consider a few "dry runs" in the Keys cuz I have never
seen any crocs there and there are a lot of islands for him.

Ok, the Keys do look interesting, and have the advantage thatif I can get
lost there, I will nor consider the Bahamas

What I don't understand is the number of people who suggest it is a bad idea
but don't say why.

Earl Colby Pottinger

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The Keys a bad idea? Dunno. Another option is the Big Bend area of
Florida (up where the Suwanee River goes into the Gulf) There is a
canoe trail that wanders the coastline among true wilderness among
isolated islands and a few tiny towns. Perfect for the sort of vessel
you describe. The town of Cedar Key is the perfect place for such a
launch point as it has access to many of these islands. Going west,
you could reach the islands at the mouth of the Suwanee or even the
uninhabited Pepperfish Keys.
The area around Carabelle is another possibility (SW of Tallahassee) as
it has access to isolated Dog Island, western St. George Is.
(uninhabited) and St. Vincent Is. If you got tired of salt water, you
could go up the New River and get lost for the rest of your life in the
swamps. I had a homeless riend who lived for several years on a
$500Venture 21 sailboat there. He did more cruising than anybody else
I ever knew.

:

The Keys a bad idea? Dunno.

No, people implied that the Bahamas was a bad idea for a canoe-catamaran
tripping.

Another option is the Big Bend area of
Florida (up where the Suwanee River goes into the Gulf)

Googling right now. Found it, looks easy. Googling the Keys finds a number
of parks in the Keys themselves.

There is a
canoe trail that wanders the coastline among true wilderness among
isolated islands and a few tiny towns. Perfect for the sort of vessel
you describe. The town of Cedar Key is the perfect place for such a
launch point as it has access to many of these islands. Going west,
you could reach the islands at the mouth of the Suwanee or even the
uninhabited Pepperfish Keys.

Yes, it does look good.

The area around Carabelle is another possibility (SW of Tallahassee) as
it has access to isolated Dog Island, western St. George Is.
(uninhabited) and St. Vincent Is. If you got tired of salt water, you
could go up the New River and get lost for the rest of your life in the
swamps. I had a homeless riend who lived for several years on a
$500Venture 21 sailboat there. He did more cruising than anybody else
I ever knew.

Ok, it looks like it will be Florida for the winter of 2006, and the Bahamas
in 2007. Those who wonder about the coming summer, I think I will spend my
time around the cabin doing some shake-down trip on lake Huron. If I get the
time maybe go to the Upper Channel.

Earl Colby Pottinger

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On Sun, 20 Nov 2005 21:09:36 -0600, Earl Colby Pottinger
wrote:

What I don't understand is the number of people who suggest it is a bad idea
but don't say why.

===============================================

If you stay away from populated areas (civilization), and are
comfortable with managing on your own, you may do OK. No one
occupying expensive real estate is going to be thrilled with you
camping out on their door step, one small step up from homless. That
includes marinas, town docks and quite a few parks.

Other than "people" problems, the next biggest issue is the inherent
unseaworthiness of your chosen craft. You WILL be capsized and
swamped at various times, it just goes with the territory.

Here in N. FL, he'd fit in pretty well as most natives in the coastal
counties (Dixie, Taylor, Wakulla, Franklin counties) are semi-employed
loggers or oystermen living fairly well on what would be below poverty
level wages anywhere else. Hardly anybody would think twice about him
camping with his boat except the damned transplanted yankees in their
condo trash towers. Fortunately, they rarely venture into the shallow
coastal wilderness so he could easily get away as long as he wanted.
With a little knowledge, it'd be nearly impossible to starve too. This
is not the usual beachy environment and can be very isolated and often
even VHF will pick up nothing
Very isolated salt marsh/mangrove islands, cabbage palms all over,
shallow flats teeming with fish with tiny crystal clear spring runs
emptying into the salt marshes........(paradise for some people).
However, he should consider swarms of mosquitoes, no-see-um bugs, the
occasional gator (not really a problem when its colder) and snakes.
The gators and snakes can be dealt with easily by watching where you
step or swim. He'll need to watch for Sting rays if he walks in the
water.
It does get cold in N. Fl. but does not stay cold for more than a few
days. A canadian will probably find the water temp swimmable year
round (my kids do, I do not).
I would not hesitate to do this.

:

Here in N. FL, he'd fit in pretty well as most natives in the coastal
counties (Dixie, Taylor, Wakulla, Franklin counties) are semi-employed
loggers or oystermen living fairly well on what would be below poverty
level wages anywhere else. Hardly anybody would think twice about him
camping with his boat except the damned transplanted yankees in their
condo trash towers. Fortunately, they rarely venture into the shallow
coastal wilderness so he could easily get away as long as he wanted.
With a little knowledge, it'd be nearly impossible to starve too. This
is not the usual beachy environment and can be very isolated and often
even VHF will pick up nothing
Very isolated salt marsh/mangrove islands, cabbage palms all over,
shallow flats teeming with fish with tiny crystal clear spring runs
emptying into the salt marshes........(paradise for some people).
However, he should consider swarms of mosquitoes, no-see-um bugs, the
occasional gator (not really a problem when its colder) and snakes.
The gators and snakes can be dealt with easily by watching where you
step or swim. He'll need to watch for Sting rays if he walks in the
water.
It does get cold in N. Fl. but does not stay cold for more than a few
days. A canadian will probably find the water temp swimmable year
round (my kids do, I do not).
I would not hesitate to do this.

You know, more and more it looks like my first trips outside of Canada will
be in Florida. What is it with you people there? It seems you have the
Canada SnowBird market all locked up. Is there and good reasons for a
Canadain to bother see the rest of the USA?

Earl Colby Pottinger
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In my childhood here in N. FL, I spent as much time in a canoe as I did
on a bicycle. It was a Grumman 18' that was nearly indestructible
until it got under a log on the Suwanee in flood stage. A little TIG
welding and its as good as new, now 43 yrs old it is in my back yard
ready to use. We would fill it with kids, (I have 8 siblings), take it
out into the water and tip it over on purpose and play in it. As kids,
we could never figure out why this always got the Marine Patrol so
excited.
The point is, around here, even in Winter, tipping over is often
welcome and rarely dangerous.
Another possibility for this sort of cruising is Pine Island Sound down
near Ft. Myers. I have not been there but it comes strongly
reccomended by friends.
From what I have seen, Canada has as much scenic value as most of the
US.
In South FL, you will see many Snow Birds, last year when I sailed into
the area south of Sarasota I thought I was in Wisconsin because all the
people there looked and talked like my in-laws from there. N. FL is
very different. From north of Clearwater along the coast to just east
of Panama City, you will see almost no tourists.

Earl Colby Pottinger wrote:

You know, more and more it looks like my first trips outside of Canada will
be in Florida. What is it with you people there? It seems you have the
Canada SnowBird market all locked up. Is there and good reasons for a
Canadain to bother see the rest of the USA?

Earl Colby Pottinger

Depends on what coast you live on in Canada. Southern California ( San
Diego) can be nice.
The thing is...if you' re flying south during our winter season...
you may as well go where you can pretend it's summer. In January &
February your choices on the mainland USA are limited.

Do the Florida thing...and then try Cuba.
I spent a week at Orlando and a few days at St. Pete's and I have no
great desire to rush back. I'd like to do the entire Florida Keys trip
at least once..but there are a number of islands east of there that are
calling me first.