Re: [Paddlewise] Fatality at Cabbage Key

<skimmer_at_mail3.enter.net> [Charles Sutherland] wrote:

> Fatality at Cabbage Key

[snip]
> The Venice, Florida NOAA weather station is located about 33 miles north of Cabbage
> Key. Data from that station for Thursday, April 4, indicates that in the early afternoon the
> water temperature was about 76 d. F, the air temperature was about 74 d. F, and the wind
> was West (300 d.) at about 10 knots. You may access this weather station at 
> http://seaboard.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/florida.shtml, which will show you, a map of Florida
> with the NOAA stations on it. Click on station VENF1 (Venice, FL).

Water temp may have been significantly cooler than that.  See below.

> Cayo Costa State Park is located at the north end of La Costa Island, which is a barrier
> island. The next island to the north is Gasparilla Island, which includes the town of Boca
> Grande, FL. Pine Island, mentioned in the newspaper report, is parallel to and east of La
> Costa Island. Cabbage Island lies just on the east side of La Costa Island, and Useppa
> Island immediately east of Cabbage Island. The Intercoastal Waterway (IW) runs north
> south between Cabbage and Useppa Islands. The gap between these two islands is about
> 3/8ths of a mile (660 yards), and the width of the IW trench is about 1/8th mile. This part
> of the waterway between La Costa Island and Pine Island appears to be well protected
> from westerly winds coming off the Gulf of Mexico.

Excellent report, Chuck.  I paddled that area for a week in January, 2001, and have a couple added
observations:

1. The water temperature inside the barrier islands was 20 degrees (yes, 20 F) colder than the
water temp outside. For the incident in question, that translates to something in the 50's. 
(Venice is on the Gulf, yes?)  When we were there, the transom temp off our houseboat was 46 F
several days running.  Despite that, we were the only paddlers wearing immersion protection. 
Everybody else paddled in shorts or maybe fleece.

2. When the wind is up, the area between Cabbage and Useppa gets pretty foul, and especially if
there is any northerly component to it.  We were houseboat-bound for about half of our week of
paddling because of strong wind (in excess of 20 knots).  In clear weather in winter, we observed
plenty of NW wind, and the shallow embayments were worse than the deeper channels.

We will never know for sure what happened to the guy.  I join you and others in bemoaning the
unenlightened reporting of the incident in the local press.

For comparision:  a year ago, two guys headed out on a week-long trip drowned in that same general
area.  They were "experienced," but suffered hypothermia when their double capsized.  Yup, you
guessed it, no immersion clothing.

I think many paddlers there, in winter, are deceived by the relatively balmy air temps and are
unaware of the true water temp and its effect on them.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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