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1. 

   AkaAka
   Member

   Hello Watertribers,

   I would like to assemble a “list” of favorite camping spots for the EC, and I would appreciate your input. A perfect spot, is one in which there is a beach to drag a boat onto, that is steep enough to not be underwater during high tide. Maybe mangroves to tie up to as well.
   Conversely, what would you not recommend. Places where you thought you were fine, only to find yourself being eatin alive by gnats, alligator breeding grounds, subjected to rotten and decaying smells, packs of frisky raccoons, ect.

   Posted 7 months ago #
2. 

   BeaV
   Member

   One very important part of a perfect spot is- where you can get rest without being disturbed...that includes disturbance by other WaterTribers setting camp when I just managed to fall asleep.  I would recommend everyone stays at Checkpoints, hotels, and their sail boats.

   Posted 7 months ago #
3. 

   Conchistador
   Member

   I don’t think any sites on the EC meet all of those criteria. Just go, long enough to not care about them :-)

   Posted 7 months ago #
4. 

   KayakVagabond
   Member

   The best spot is the one that is around precisely when you MUST stop, no sooner or later. Usually a combination of luck and planning.
   Bugs and minor discomforts are actually a plus, they ensure that you won’t get too comfortable and waste a lot of time. :^)

   That said study GE and find something every 10 miles or so. Expect some of them to be unusable even if they look perfect on GE.Lots of options can be horribly tempting, luring you to stop earlier than you should. Some of my quickest times have been when I felt I was “out of options” so had to just keep going.

   Posted 7 months ago #
5. 

   AkaAka
   Member

   Thanks KayakVagabond,

   I was hoping to hear some examples of just what you said, where an option may look good on paper, but fails on implementation. 
   My goal aligns with your thoughts, find something on an interval basis. Fatigue, mechanical failures, bad weather, ect., all necessitate having a PLAN. We are all obligated to do what we can to not need help, and take care of ourselves, and our crew. 

   Posted 7 months ago #
6. 

   Bermudaboy
   Member

   AKA, legal team strongly recommended classifying as emergency  unreliable, unconfirmed, subject to tides and hurricane disturbances, emergency temporary bailout potential landing locations, and not camps  to avoid the wrath of...  

   below  link to my BAILOUT gpx collection..  If you get to one first   and I show up later waking ya up, don't blame me.. and leave some hot coffee by the stack of dry kindling and firewood you've collected .. Cheers 

   https://1drv.ms/u/s!As-ijvHAbAk0vkTgae4nB-m0QCGr?e=Xsd9Se

    

   Posted 7 months ago #
7. 

   UtahMan
   Member

   Interesting map. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/everglades-wilderness-campsite-map.jpg&imgrefurl=http://npmaps.com/everglades/&tbnid=ztdD6LMWOvMF2M&vet=1&docid=YdNlCLNaka4nLM&w=1400&h=2272&q=everglades+map&hl=en&source=sh/x/im

   Posted 7 months ago #
8. 

   BustedRudder
   Member

   Can't help you with bugs, if you want to avoid them dont go ashore between sunset and after solid dark. Racoons are gone in favor of pythons. Aligators are a non issue, watch for crocs at Flamingo and elsewhere. I dont trust them.

   Study google earth.
   To avoid areas where you are not stranded stick to spots adjacent high current flow. 
   Tribers are not going to pave the way for you on a forum, especially when you are not in the roster. They have paid for the spots they covet by trial and error and word of mouth.
   That said, wise people study tracks of those who went before. Another good reason to abandon SPOT!

   Questions on the forum should always include your class. Sailboats and kayaks have different requirements.

    

   
    

   Posted 7 months ago #
9. 

   AkaAka
   Member

   BustedRudder,

    Thanks for spelling it out to me. Although I understand the reluctance to share, it is not "my" style. I have a different view of family. 
   I appreciate the wisdom of what you said about high current flow. Thats the kind of advice that I'm in need of. 
   I hope to see you on the beach. 
    

   John Schoppaul

   AkaAka

   Posted 7 months ago #
10. 

    BustedRudder
    Member

    Not meaning to be unhelpful. There have been times when people have outright asked for tracks and waypoints meaning they never looked at the course which is setting someone up for disaster.

    There is a treasure chest of routes and campsites buried in the tracking site on watertribe. Spy on individuals in your class. If you find a site of interest ask about that. People will chime in. 

    Being in a Hobie makes beach landings easy compared to a kayak, depth is your problem. Look to aids like GE and navionics webapp https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@10&key=%7BrrzCp%60tnN

    Highlands beach looks great at high tide, that green strip down the beach is a huge soft sand shoal at low tide.
     

    Posted 7 months ago #
11. 

    Bermudaboy
    Member

    Two years ago, I wanted to push on to NW Cape (on BlackPearl 19' Prindle)  late that night, but Havana61 being the sissy older bro that he was,  wanted to bail out on "south" Highland ,  and we got there at  high tide bout 10ish,   he got his protection prepard for pythons and jumped into his little tent before I had even lowered the main...   I spent a restless night waking up every 45 minutes, trudging out in the mud and outgoing tide water, resetting her position farther and farther out as needed, each time  even more  exhausted than the last to  even put on my booties, or think about what might be lurking in the  pitch black shallow watere.   All  so,  we would have water under her for  a smooth morning launch...

    Havana61 never got his feet wet  landing or  the next moring, and  just when I was givin her  the last push from astern to deeper water,  I stepped on midsize stingray, scarying me and it, with it flying clear out of the water just in front of me and almost landing  on the tramp....    Lot of the bailouts have all sorts of  sharp, tumps, rocks, oyster,  shells etc that can puncture hull of catamaran (or foot) bobbing/wandering around  in  the tidal zone... 

    Posted 7 months ago #
12. 

    MrMako
    Member

    Aka squared:

    I leaned a valuable lesson last Ultra Marathon. Approaching Snake Island at Venice, I saw a fellow WaterTriber searching for a stealth camp site opposite of a waterside bar with music. I was thinking, "no way they were going to get any sleep there". I pressed on to Snake Island, landing around 11 pm. Pulled my Hobie Sport up the embankment and laid out my bivy. Very little sleep was had, due to the Flashing Green Navigation light 30' from my site. Turns out several teens were partying very near by and walking back and forth to their boats crosssing close by my camp site. I had no idea young girls could giggle, laugh and scream so loud and for long. Crossing that site off of my list!

    Mr. Mako

    Posted 7 months ago #
13. 

    KayakVagabond
    Member

    I was talking to a Everglades National Park Ranger at the Naples Blueway Kayak Festival two weeks ago, and he was saying that Highland beach is where they prefer put WaterTribe. He had only good things to say about the EC, that was good to hear.

    Not all of the Highland Beach is created equal.  The section at the south end, near the point, just prior to where the coast turns east, tends to be less tidal and is used by some kayak guides for that reason (the actual location is left to you as an exercise :) That said, bug pressure can be severe and there will still be a looong muddy slog should you make the mistake of launching/landing at low tide.

    Posted 7 months ago #

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