I’ve had a few weeks
to reflect on the 2018 Fishhugger tour and want to post some wrap-up thoughts.
It was a great tour this year. Last year was my first year in a kayak that
could be pedaled or paddled so I was not sure how many miles per day was feasible. This year I had a better idea what the boat
and I were capable of and planned a pretty ambitious route (ambitious for me,
anyway) of over 150 miles.
 |
| This map from my GPS tracker shows progress from Alexandria, VA in 2016 to Elizabeth City, NC in 2018. |
I completed the entire route and even added in a side trip
to camp at Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp. When I look at the map of what I covered, I am
still a little amazed I actually did it!
After a ton of planning and poring over nautical charts and Google map
satellite images, I finally got to see places with my own eyes. The places are no longer abstract concepts,
now I know what’s there. I like that
feeling.
 |
| Sunset at my campsite on the beach at Antepoison Point on the headland where the Rappahannock River opens into the Chesapeake Bay. Now I know what it looks like there. |
I got to see a lot of the Chesapeake Bay and camped on
beautiful isolated beaches. I saw sharks, dolphins, rays, and turtles galore. Even though
fishing was slower than I hoped, I caught striped bass, bluefish and a wild one
called a Houndfish over three feet long.
 |
| The wild and crazy Houndfish. |
After making it down the Bay and through the Elizabeth River, I went
through a lock for the first time ever and was raised 11 feet before entering
the Great Dismal Swamp Canal. I spent a
night camping in the heart of the Great Dismal Swamp at Lake Drummond.
 |
| The Army Corps of Engineers campground at Lake Drummond. No potable water, but a flush toilet(!), a screened pavillion with picnic table, and this rail trolley. Did you say Rail Trolley? Yes, I said rail trolley. The feeder ditch connecting the campsite to the Great Dismal Swamp Canal is 10 feet lower than Lake Drummond. Folks put their boats on the trolley and it rolls up to the level of Lake Drummond, where they offload the boats. The operator was gone when I arrived, so I never got to see it in action. |
At the end of the 22 mile long canal, I was
lowered 8 feet before entering the Pasquotank River. On Day 10, the Pasquotank transitioned from
fresh water back into salt water before I made my final landfall in Elizabeth
City.
That’s exactly where I will start
the next leg of the Journey of the Fishhugger. On tap for 2019? The Outer Banks of North Carolina!
Other thoughts and
themes of the 2018 tour…
Good Humans. I
met a lot more people in 2018 than in prior years. If you followed my posts during the journey,
you know that I was helped in ways small and large by a big cast of humans,
some of whom I am good friends with, some of whom I had not seen in decades,
and some of whom I never met before. The willingness of folks to go out of their
way to help a guy on a crazy adventure was remarkable. A renewed appreciation for decent humans is
not something I was expecting to get out of this trip, but I certainly did. This was a welcome surprise
given everything else going on in the world.
I hereby thank and rethank everyone who helped me in any
way! If I wrote out the names of
everyone who helped me here, you would all stop reading because the list would
be so long!
But there are three who do get a special, end of the tour,
shout-out: My wonderful wife Chris and
my two awesome kids, Hannah and Julian.
Not only do they tolerate this crazy kayak thing I am doing, they
actively support it and celebrate it with me.
Chris posts all the blog entries for me (not because it is impossible
for me to do on the water, but because I am incompetent!) and helps me think
through problems that crop up along the way.
But more importantly, she gives me encouragement both before and during
the trips. Thanks family!!!
The Weather. I
got really lucky with the weather on the tour.
Yes, there were some days that were brutally hot. And yes, there were many days when the wind
was blowing hard in the wrong direction.
And yes, I got pounded by thunderstorms a few nights. There were some truly spectacular lightning
shows. But I could paddle every
day. There was no time during the whole 2018
tour that I was forced off the water or delayed by the weather. That is lucky.
 |
| A nasty thunderstorm went right over me the night I was camped at Deep Creek Lock Park (I'm the blue dot). I was in my tent, all snuggly and dry though. |
The Flip of the
Flops. If you plan to tour, get some really, really sturdy flip flops. The first pair I blew out was from REI, not
some cheapo set. Still not strong
enough. I may take a spare pair next year.
 |
| The original flip flop on Day 1. |
 |
| Pair #2. Um, good value, but smokin' hot. |
 |
| Pair #3. Larger than #2, and I prefer the sparkly pink straps. |
 |
| The 4th and final pair. They're still flopping. Thanks to Richard McMillan for taking me shopping! |
Marinas. I stayed
at two marinas – rented a cottage at one (Davis Creek Marina on Mobjack Bay) and
was allowed to camp in a garage area at another (Dandy Haven Marina in Back
Bay). Marinas are fun and interesting. Each had its own distinct personality and
characters, not to mention a shower! I will try to stay at more as I work my
way down the coast in future years.
 |
| My accommodations at Dandy Haven Marina. The owner was very kind and thoughtfully put me here under cover because a thunderstorm was coming. They loaned me a car to go shopping (where do you think I got the pink flip flops?). He also would not accept a dime. Good people. |
Let’s do some numbers…
10 – number of days paddling in 2018.
22 – total number of paddling days so far (2016-2018)
160 – Approximate distance, in miles, the Fishhugger covered
in 2018.
310 – Distance, in miles, the Fishhugger has covered towards
Key West since 2016.
1,193 – Approximate distance, in miles, from Elizabeth City,
NC (the 2019 launch site) to Key West.
20 – Approximate percentage of the way to Key West from
Alexandria, VA already covered!
0 – number of days the weather prevented me from paddling in
2018. Prior to this year, the average
was weather delays one out of every 7 days or so.
97 – Temperature on June 19, the day I crossed Mobjack Bay,
the York River, and the Poquoson River.
Heat Index was well over 100. No
place to hide from that brutal sun!
9 – Number of pounds I lost during the 2018 tour. I believe I have packed most of them back on
already!
4 – Number of pairs of flip-flops (or “thongs” for the
Aussies out there!) I went through on the 2018 tour. #imeldamarcosonthebay. Touring is hard on
flops!
1,180 – Amount, in dollars, folks contributed to the 5 Gyres
Institute as part of my fundraising campaign.
Thanks folks!
0 – Number of times I was on the water without wearing my
PFD. I always wear mine, even when it is
hot and miserable on a calm day. You
should too.
0 – Number of ticks found on me during or after the
voyage. Seven out of 9 nights on the
2018 tour were spent in a tent and no ticks.
Who believes! I treated my
clothes and tent with Permethrin before the trip (I am now a believer) and used
a lot of deet on the trip. I am not a fan
of all the chemicals, but for a venture like this, I think the trade-offs are
worth it.
2 – Number of times a U.S. Navy patrol boat pulled alongside
me and asked me to move to the other side of the extremely wide Elizabeth River
boat channel, the opposite direction from my destination.
51 – My current age.
The goal is to make it to Key West for my 60th birthday!
 |
| This map shows where I have been so far (little blue line way at the top) all the way down to the tip of Florida. |
That’s all for now.
In coming weeks, I plan to make some time to review some of the gear I
used on the trip. I loved certain items,
and some were not the right tool for the job!
Hopefully others can benefit from what I learned.
Cheers!
