I am partnering with NRDC to paddle my outrigger canoe 1200 miles around Florida and west to New Orleans. My goal is to build support for a Healthy Oceans Act and steps to protect our oceans from global warming and ocean acidification. For those who do not know, I paddle to inform and for those who don't care, I paddle to inspire. I am documenting my journey on this blog during the month-long paddle. You can read more about the paddle, see photos, and take action here.

What a ripping awesome paddle yesterday.  The wind howled at my back, giving me perfect little wind swells to ride.  One boater turned around to see if I needed help and told me he thought it was getting nasty.  "Nasty" is relative to what boat your in. In an outrigger, it can be fun-unless it's really, really nasty.
 
Navigational challenges abound around the south end of Florida.  Paddling into Everglades City, I kept an outside course and almost missed the cut off for the Chokoloskee Bay. Being that far off skewed my perspective relative to where I was on the chart. I was wondering why the islands I was looking at didn't look the way they did on the chart--I had passed them!!
 
Fortunately, paddling on the outside let me shave off miles and gave me time to pick way through the Ten thousand islands back to Everglades City. There is supposedly one marked channel going into Everglades City, but finding it is a real crap shot.  I actually never found it.

Paddling back out from Everglades City I tried to pick up the mysterious marked trail.  At one point I found a marker going to somewhere but instead of the path out it lead to a dead end. To the right of me, and more than a quarter mile off the right of the marker, a speeding boat of eager fishermen whizzed by, then another one. Yay for fishermen and for knowing the way out of the maze.  Winding my way out was a heck of a lot easier than finding my way in, and I kind of think the locals like it that way-- I know I would!
 
I kept a lot more to the inside yesterday, which once again skewed my perspective. That and passing a marker not on the chart can really screw you up.  East Coast navigation is a skip in the park compared to the Ten Thousand Islands of the Everglades. The local fishermen are familiar with the area of course, and very helpful as long as you don't run over their lines (out of common courtesy you ought to ask where they are if you don't see them), but there are so many nooks and crannies you are not guaranteed to see anyone.  The only suggestion--Don't panic and keep paddling.  When out of the islands it was a relief to see the wide open waters of the Gulf.
 
Nearing Marco Island, there is a near invisible cut that takes you through a windy passage that goes up the back of the island.  Once you find the cut (you need to keep a sharp look out for where the boats are going), the waterway is well marked.