Kayak Trip Report: Espiritu Santo Bay from Seadrift, TX Report Type: Weekend Trip Report Trip Dates: Sat-Sun 11/22-23/00 Nearest City: Seadrift, TX Difficulty: Easy Submitted by: Kenneth W. Johnson Paddlers: Johnny G, Greg Rickard, Rhonda Marple from Austin, and Ken Johnson from Corpus Christi Trip Description: Saturday morning launched from Charlie’s Bait Camp (about 13 miles further east on TX-185 from Seadrift, TX., 93 miles or 1.5 hours from Corpus Christi). Great kayak launching area; protected parking right at water’s edge, nice sandy beach to launch from. Group met at 10am, launched at 10:45am. Weather was cloudy and warm (60’s to 70’s) with winds 15-20 SSE, 1’ to 2’ waves, and water temperature 64 degrees. Paddled SE .63 miles out the channel cut (86deg 0.25mi, 136deg 0.38mi) and then 187deg 4.32 miles to South Pass Island (a clam shell mound with light scrub vegetation, about 1 mile long and .1 mile wide). Had previously planned to paddle SW 4 miles along Long Island to Steamboat Island to watch the dolphin cavort in a fast-water channel at the northwest point of the island, but with the stiff head wind and chop and the unpredictable weather, decided instead to paddle S to South Pass Island where we could set up camp. Had two or three dolphin jumping around our kayaks for 15 minutes about 3/4 of the way to the island. Arrived about 1:00pm to eat lunch and set up camp before doing some exploratory paddling. There was just enough space on a narrow shell mount for our four tents overlooking Espiritu Santo Bay to the north, and grassy marshland to the south. Having gotten up at 5am to pack and drive to the launch site, I was famished and downed 3 tortillas stuffed with spinach/lettuce/tuna/ranch dressing with cold beer. Shared the island with a nice variety of birds: White Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Long-billed Curlew, Spotted Sandpiper, King Fisher, Osprey, Great Blue Herron (White and Dark forms), one dead duck, and one rigid well-preserved and very expressive blowfish. After lunch, Greg relaxed on the beach reading great literary classics, Rhonda ventured toward Vanderveer Island and did some birding (only went about 1.5 miles). She saw a kingfisher right around the bend from our camp, and watched a large flock of white pelicans as they preened and did other bird-like things, oblivious to the nearby attempted murder of ducks (opening day of duck hunting season). Johnny and I did a 5 mile paddle around Steamboat Island and back. On the NW route to the island, surfed the waves with speeds up to 6-7 mph. Didn’t bring charts and had trouble finding deep water around Steamboat Island. Great paddling but no dolphin in the channel. We arrived back at camp a little before sunset to fix a great beef fajita dinner with Mexican Rice and Black Beans, hot carmeled apples, all topped off with beer and Captain Morgan’s Silver Rum. Enjoyed a nice beach fire before retiring to a sound night’s sleep. So sound that I didn’t even hear the racoon take my fruit out of my fruit bag I had placed inside my tent vestibule right next to my head that night. He left one apple core, the stalk to three bananas, and a happy group of fire ants who also enjoyed the leftover fruit. Sunday I woke up to take pictures of what I thought would be a dramatic cloudy sunrise...but the sun didn’t break through the clouds. Calm, warm, flat water, beautiful morning for paddling. Rhonda and I (the early risers) shared coffee while I ate my hot pineapple/oatmeal. Greg and Johnny (the late risers) prepared fantastic migas (eggs, mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, onions, tortilla chips, and bacon). Weatherman called for a cold front to cross over from the north at midnight Sunday, with gale force winds and 11 foot seas for Monday. Decided cancel the Monday scheduled paddle, and headed back Sunday afternoon. Great surfing on the way back with speeds up to 6.5 to 7.5 mph (7deg 4.32mi.). Warm, sunny, beautiful return paddle. Credit and thanks for the trip planning goes to Johnny G. Credit and thanks for the gourmet meals goes to Johnny G, Rhonda, and Greg. Rhonda is a great "new kayaker" who got her experience all at once, taking her first kayak trip with a friend (no guide) in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Her detailed journal and beautiful pictures of the trip are at her website: "http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/geyser/1671/" Greg is a more experienced paddler with many trips from Greece to the Great Lakes to the West Coast. He also can recite many long poems complete with dialect, is an accomplished piano player and sea-shanty singer, gourmet cook, and a happy paddler of a Mariner Max. Johnny G has paddled in Greece, and recently sailed his Necky Narpa 130 miles from South Padre Island to Corpus Christi, with a great trip write up and pictures at his website: "http://www.asilomar-ps.com/trips/spi2cc/" I am a full-time paddler with many trips around the US: Florida, Georgia, Carolinas, Canada, West Coast, and Mexico, and my website is: http://home.earthlink.net/~johnsonkw/ Pictures of the trip are at: http://communities.msn.com/KayakTripEspirituSantoBay&naventryid=100 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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