Route Planning Questions: 6 day Chatham R loop (reposting)

[david blumberg]

reposting from the "Introductions" forum, hope that's ok...

****************

hi,

we hope to launch Sunday 2/26 for a 5nt/6 day loop (counter clockwise) thru Chatham R.  Hi tide that morning is 5 am...Is block ice available in EG City or Choko?

My next question:  should we take Rabbit Key Pass or Choko Pass to get into the Gulf? By my rough reckoning Choko Pass is about a mile longer to Rabbit Key.

Is it reasonable to try to reach Pavilion Key the first day, or should we stop at Rabbit for the first night?  we will have 3 loaded tandem canoes...

Other contemplated stops include Mormon Key, and the Watson Place.

From Watson's it looks like about 9 miles to the Crooked R. chickee, and no intermediate camping sites.  A question:  after leaving Watson's going upstream, there is a 90 degree turn to the left heading up to Huston Bay.  Is this navigable, and preferable to going straight up Chatham R, then bearing NW?

We might do a layover day somewhere along the route.  any places to avoid or select for that?

thanks again for any advice...

david

[Terry]

Take the Northside Route to get off, preferably east of, the magenta line and visit the jet engine.

[vivian]

That is my favorite route to get to Sweetwater chickee or Darwins from Sunday Bay. I call it the Northwater Route. However I have never noticed the jet engine????? How did it get there?

[david blumberg]

hi vivian,

how much would the tides affect such an "inland" route?  would there be much current there regardless of the tide?  could you also run it from south to north?  is this suitable for tandem canoes?

thx,

david

[Connie Mier]

David, this is a route that is very simple to navigate through with sufficient water levels. Not so much tidal, but very much affected by seasonal changes in water levels. Not much in the way of current that I've noticed. With the recent rains we have had, I think it will be fine. Either direction works, but based on your route planned, this would be taken towards the latter end of your trip from south to north (maybe on the way to Lopez or Crooked Creek), in which case you will have less weight in the boat.

This route, by the way, is a very nice alternative to the larger open bays (where you have more powerboat traffic). We see lots of coots and many other birds, and we've seen otter swimming in there. The last time I went through there, a 30-in (give or take) red fish swam in front of my boat. It offers some wind protection as well, depending on the direction.

[david blumberg]

hi,

that route looks very cool!  Is there an online or other gauge people use for the water levels, and if so, what would be considered minimum to take this passage?  Is it correct that there are no camp sites between Watson's and Crooked Creek?

[vivian]

David, once in that route there are many ways to get out to the bays so don't worry.  There are sections specifically at the mouth of the creeks that are shallow and you can stand up in your canoes to look around for deeper water options.

Keep in mind that wind should direct your paddling plan.  Once you get out there you should have options if winds are in the small craft advisory range.  That Northwater route would not be my choice in very high winds from the northerly directions. I would duck into the House Hammock route instead.  There are many possibilities just download some alternative routes on your GPS and/or jot them down on your chart.  Here is the main route in white with the alternative routes shown in pink.

There are many options you just have to sit down and figure out what routes are best for your skill level. There are no campsites between Watsons and Crooked Creek.

[Kim Gass]

Long ago I learned to look at wave patterns and water color to find shallows. In the Gulf there are bluer and browner areas..the browner areas can ground you out.

Waves may have a different pattern over shallows. Often there will be calm  patterns in shallow areas. Or an area of more breaking waves..whitecaps in shallows where there are none in deeper areas.

Birds standing in the water are a clue that in reality there is no water.

Watching the tide level and correlating with wind direction can also be a clue as to whether or not there will be water.  Northern or NE winds could blow the water out especially on an outgoing tide.

Its beneficial to study up on tides and tidal delays.

[david blumberg]

Hi Kim,

We do a lot of whitewater, and our other multi-day trips have been on rivers, where you also find clues in the surface features as to what lies beneath.  Our last trip was  a 7 day trip on the San Juan in SE Utah, where the lower 15 miles was heavily silted in, requiring careful water reading to keep from grounding out.  The eye gets trained to recognize subtle clues...  I can see that paddling in the 'glades will be very similar in that respect, but with the added factors of the tides and winds, with which we have little experience (but are about to get some!)

I have never heard of a tide delay, guess I better start googling...I assume cell phone coverage is spotty at best, but will NOAA weather radios work?  

[Kim Gass]

You will get good reception on Channel 7,  Weather radios do work. Your cell might too as you aren't going far afield.

Mine did not work even in Flamingo. Apparanetly only AT&T does.

Tidal delays. A time difference between tides at tidal stations.. ie the mouth of the Chatham River and where you are paddling through. Lets say its Last Huston Bay.

The high tide at the mouth of the river may be two hours ahead of the high tide in the Bay and currents may keep going up the Chatham River even though the high has already been reached at the mouth.

Of interest for the Nightmare of course but I don't think that it will be a huge factor on Charley Creek.

This article might help

http://www.livenowfishtothemax.com.au/admin/FactSheets/Understandin...

[Connie Mier]

Tides are a big factor for charley creek, the tide will determine whether or not you will enter or get out of the creek. It's a big mud flat between turkey key and the mouth. Water levels in there are also seasonal.

[Kim Gass]

Connies right. How could I forget?(senior moment). I left New Turkey on a dropping tide..and the mudflats were all around on a trip 3 years ago..that was all on the Gulf.