This morning the tide tables showed a minus .6, and it looked lower than that. It was a good tide to take the Whaler and verify the depths up the pass. Armed with a calibrated bottom machine, and a marked PVC pole, we proceeded through the marked channel and re-assured myself that a five foot draft vessel could always get through.
Heading inland, you do not have to worry about the sedimentation the way that you do in the bottom of the Shark River, a changing place that I am not very fond of. Entering at the Little Shark River, and going inland a couple of miles before crossing to the Shark River, there is more water than any of my charts show.
We came back up to near where the Shark River forks to go on either side of Tarpon Bay, to anchor there.
We anchored for awhile, and each amused ourselves, reading books, trying to catch up the blog, and taking naps. Then we made a loop up the east fork, thru Tarpon Bay, and down the western fork to the boat. The water was so high that it wasn't a good gator spotting tide.
We returned to the boat, and saw the big residential croc cruise by as we grilled hamburgers.
Everglades is such a wonderful place in the winter. This has been an exceptionally warm year, especially the last ten days, and I believe we've reached the end of the enjoyable night anchoring season. It is still great during the day, as long as you are slowly moving. I would hate to be kayaking the wilderness waterway right now.
I remember the kayakers that I gave hot chocolate to, and consoled during the winds last winter. I haven't seen nearly as many this winter, though I'm here almost a month later. This year they would enjoy an ice cold drink more than a hot one!
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