I just returned from my annual family trip to Key West. I brought my Shearwater Baidarka, a boat I dearly love, to paddle in the blue waters of the Keys. I took it out from Key West with the help of a falling tide and the hinderance of a strong headwind. A fast two foot chop made things bouncy and full of spray but exciting. I paddled through several mooring fields and watched the live aboards watch me as I passed just yards from their colorful and very salty sailboats. I was greeted by as many large dogs as friendly human faces. Hardcore sailors seem to warm to the sight of a wooden kayak. I watched in fascination as a man sat in an inflatable raft and worked on the outboard hanging off the end of his sailboat. He did this with complete confidence in the same conditions I just described. Passing near a Key owned by the US Navy I was intrigued to see many wrecks left over from Hurricane Wilma strewn along the rocky beaches and in the shallows. Black cormorants sunned themselves in that odd wings spread out position they seem to prefer. They allowed me to approach within inches before croaking off their perch in distrust. Crossing a small channel I really had to huff to cross without getting pushed too far out. The current was really ripping and I had to do a bit of an eddy out and moon the rip to stay comfortably on balance. This last bit of work was fun as sometimes sea touring can be a bit bland. With the channel behind me I reentered the shallows. My goal was to paddle around a small Key that I hadnt yet explored . The water around this Key is shallow at all times so I hoped it would be full of bird life due to its relative inaccessibility by power boat. I could see the mangroves at the edge of the Key were covered in guano. Enough guano to mildly burn my nostrils as I got closer. As frequently happens the water right against the Key was a bit deeper than the surrounding area. A cinnamon colored nurse shark shot away as I drifted past. Several dozen mangrove snappers swam around my baidarka looking for a handout. I wish I had remembered something for them. They are never shy. Peering under the mangrove canopy I could see into the interior of the Key. Birds! Really big birds! The view was absolutely prehistoric. The timeless swamp of mangroves coupled with the alien smells and sounds of the colonies of various bird species made me feel like I was in another time and place. My wooden paddle and boat felt right in such a place. The return paddle was easy with a following sea and helping tide. I speeded up occasionally to surf a bit but mostly let the water help me home. The clarity of the water was amazing with a nice view of watermelon size sponges available when the surface smoothed out for just a split second. Perhaps i will return again next year in the double baidarka I am building with a friend and I can share this journey with my wife. Jim et al *************************************************************************** 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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