Hi readers, Mel the Guide here from Gulf Coast Kayak in “sunny” downtown “warm” Matlacha Florida. WOW what a cold spell we had! Can you believe school kids in north Florida had a snow day? Or that we had such a devastating cold snap that so many fish were killed. It was so bad that they had to close the fishing season on some of the species, in hopes that they will bounce back by next year.

Now that is all over and behind us, the weather is good and there are some great paddling days ahead of us.

If you follow this column then you may remember our last one were we were about to do a new paddle for us and the preparation we suggested before heading out on a new distention.

I am always so surprised how things some times all just come together, it’s like a destiny laid out in front of us. A master plan that just works out for the best. Moreover, you could never have planned it that way.

Like last month when we were preparing and gathering info on a new paddle, we have wanted to do for a few years now, but just did not have the time or the help from Mother Nature, it just was not the right time. Therefore, we never went, but still had the dream of the trip in the back of my mind.

On one day at Gulf Coast Kayak base camp, we were just getting back from another of our early morning eco-tours. It was just another one of the great days we get here in Florida. We had seen a lot of mammals and birds, and the water was flat.

As we were getting out of our kayaks at the dock I saw a young lady standing looking at some of our used kayaks we had for sale. She had stopped by and wanted to know if we were selling any of our used fleet kayaks.

Unfortunately we did not have any at that time that would suit her needs.

As she spoke I knew she was not from around here, as she had a New England accent. She had told me that she had paddled the backwaters many times, and missed not being able to get out on the water. She had just come down for a while to visit her folks who live out on the north end of Pine Island, and would be in town for a few more days. I told here I was a writer and was writing about a trip I would like to take out to Cabbage Key some day soon. But that I had never done the trip or that I had no one to go with. She said, “Oh, you will love the trip I have done it many times [18 or 19] and would really like to do it again,” but she had no kayak or gear with her!

After speaking with her some more I could see she was the real deal and knew what she was talking about.

So, I made her a deal she could not refuse.

I told her we have 30 kayaks to choose from and getting her one was no problem. In addition, would she be interested in going out to Cabbage Key, some morning early in the next few days?

Well, she was like a little girl who just met Santa and he gave her every thing on her list.

She was so happy and so was I. I had a paddle partner that knew the way, sure I saw it on a chart, but she had done it so many times she did not need one. I asked if she would mind if I brought along a few of my guides who also would love to do this trip, and she had no problem.

When I called my guide who we had been talking about doing the trip for a few years now I was sad to find out that she was not having a good week and that her husband was in the hospital. She felt she had to be by his side at this time, and would have loved to have done the trip, but could not go. I then called Skip who runs the shop when I am on tours and asked if he would like to go, he said when and where and also could not wait to go.

So I was set, we checked the weather and tides for the week ahead, we had a small window of opportunity one day. However, if we left early and got back by midday it was possible.

We set a cast off time of 8 a.m. From the monument on Pineland.

I got there at 7 a.m. and started to unload the kayaks and gear I had loaded early in the dark at the base camp in Matlacha. As I double-checked the equipment I found I was a life jacket short for Martha. Skip then showed up and he stayed with the stuff and I went back to the shack to get a jacket. Skip then said could you pick up a gallon of water at the quick pick as he forgot some.

I got the jacket and water and back to the take off point by 7.55 a.m. Martha was pumped up and on the water and ready to go.

It was ‘mud’ low tide and an interesting launch to say the least. I saw one kayaker with a heavily loaded kayak, fishing gear and a large cooler. He had his paddle apart and looked like he was cross-country skiing while sitting in a kayak, push, push, push, left, right, left, right. Two paddles going, one on each site. Swish, swish. He finely got out there were he had just enough water to float his boat. Martha knew the way and led us out the channel of deeper water.

We followed the edge of the channel out to the edge of broken Islands. We came across a large 2,000 or so flock of white pelicans. All feeding on the massive school of fish. They were just scooping the fish up in their large orange beaks. There were also a large flock of brown pelican diving all around the white birds and us making a lot of noise as they some times do. We had paddled and stopped for a while to get some photos. Martha, I soon found out, was a master photographer and had some shows in a few galleries up north. This was a good time to get some shots. It was still a little cool out so we then paddled to a small cut at the north end of Part Island. What a beautiful spot. Cool, clear, clean, water, fish all over the place, and a few osprey nest and a great blue heron. We were just south of Mondogo Island and Patricio Island at the north end of the pass by Useppa Island. Martha liked the Sound of Mondogo Island. It sounded like some great Calusa Indian Chief. I think she wanted to be princes Mondogo, In an earlier life, the Exalted Ruler of the tribe. Leader of the Pac canoe and kayak guide. Therefore, it will be. Martha will always be remembered as Princes Mondogo.

On a side note, we later found out from one of our clients from Portugal that Mondogo in Spanish meant tripe. Yes tripe. ? Do you know what tripe is? It’s the stomach of a cow. And it makes a very good soup or stew, so he says. I think I will pass on the soup.

Now on to the north side of Ussapa Island, around the tip of the island. To it’s westerly side. There is a good amount of open water at this point to Cabbage Key, and it is deep. The waves and swells are about 4 to 5 feet seas. Now, did I mention, that Martha is used to this kind of paddling up north, and that I am not? Therefore, I start to paddle and surf the great giant waves. Up and down the swells pushed our kayaks south towards Cabbage Key. Then a large boat, about 35 feet, dashes by making a 10 foot wake. Do I panic? Almost. I point my yak in to the wake, and up I go, then down to the other side. Now this is okay, but I am now side ways in the 4-foot swells, side to side we roll, and then I straighten out, wow what a blast. I then paddle up along side of Martha and say ‘wow some big waves?’ She then turns to me as only Martha could do with a straight face and says ‘what waves?’

We both looked at each other and had our selves one of the best laughs I can remember in a long time. We made it to the east side of Cabbage Key. The water was calm and protected in the cove. Skip, Martha, and myself had made the big ocean crossing.

We beached our kayaks just left of the large boat dock on a small shoreline.

It first looked as if no one was there; it was Monday at 10 a.m. Were they closed?

Then we say the dock master, he said that the Tropic Star was coming in soon and that the restaurant would soon be open. What to do know? Take a hike.

We walked a trail up to the tower; Skip and Martha ran up to the top. I was lucky I was still walking, never mind running up many flights of stairs. We walked the jungle trail and stopped to read the markers they have on the Island with lots of interesting facts about the trees and plants. With Martha being a pro with the camera she got some really great shots of all the landscape and birds on the Island. If you would like to see some of her work you can call her at 1-603-964-9282 and she will have a Web site soon, and I can tell you, you will enjoy the photos she has taken. I know I do.

We made our way back to the dock and sat like anginas’ drying our selves out in the welcomed hot sun.

We then made our way in to the famous Cabbage Key Restaurant. Now if you have never been there before or never heard the stories behind it there where it is Jimmy Buffet was so taken back by this place that he wrote the song Cheeseburger in Paradise there. His picture and a dollar bill hang behind the bar. Now I say his dollar bill, but there are thousand or so of dollar bills hanging all around the room. Yep, thousands. Martha and her sister’s bills still hang in the bar. Some times it’s hard to find. You see, you take a dollar and write the date and name on it and hang it up, if you can find a bare spot to hang it, This makes the wall paper very interesting. This strange behavior all started many years ago when the local fisherman would be paid every other of month, when the catch was sold. So some times they had a lot of money and other time they did not. So when they had a spare dollar or two they would write their names on a bill and hang it on the ceiling or wall for times when the catch had not been sold or times when the catch was not that good. After all, a fisherman has to during good times or bad.

Therefore, I don’t know if it was all the paddling, or all the fresh air, but there is one good cheeseburger at cabbage key, and the cold beer was not bad either. After our wonderful lunch it was time to make our way back to Pine land.

The Tropic Star was loading up and heading out to Cayo Costa as we launched our kayaks.

It had finely warmed up a bit and it looked like a great afternoon.

We headed east, across to the south side of Useppa Island. The wind was now at our backs and we made great time. The seas had calmed down a bit. However, there was now more boat traffic, and we had to be careful as we made our way up across the pass.

This is a trip I made and I am glade I did, would I do it again? Well maybe in warmer weather. However, I will always remember this one. The total trip was 10.51 miles, and the time that the paddle was in the water and moving forward was 3.59 minutes. We had seen some of the largest flocks of white pelican I can remember, many birds and a hamburger that was really good and a day on the water with some really great folks. So now I set in the shack and get ready for another paddle and wonder? Were will my next great adventure take me?

Thanks again Martha and thanks for paddling along with Mel the guide