Kayaking the Ding Darling Trail

We had hoped to hike Caya Costa with the Tom and Paula Vail but the weather was so unsettled that we decided to head for Sanibel instead. The forecast called for scattered thunder storms. We waited out rain just to raise the anchor, leaving Pelican Bay around 11:00. With only 20 miles to go, we headed out with Life's TraVails leading the way.

Only three miles into the trip, the VHF began broadcasting warnings of approaching severe weather. Dave looked on Active Captain and found that we were right next to a perfect spot for waiting out the storm. We radioed Tom and Paula to let them know we were stopping, then turned into the anchorage to get settled. We barely got the anchor down when the first line of squalls came roaring in. Tom and Paula were a half a mile or so in front of us and planned to look for an anchorage further south. They could see the visibility collapsing so they turned back and pulled in next to us during one of the worst squalls. There were now four boats sitting there with us, all seeking shelter from the storm.

Storm Video

We sat there for a couple hours, but we were finally able to lift anchor and continue the trip to Sanibel. The entry to the anchorage is shallow. Tom and Paula had gone ahead of us and mapped a course in the deepest water. Mystic's hull dragged along the bottom for a few tense moments but Dave was able to power through. It was low tide. We will be sure to leave at high tide!

The anchorage turned out to be a lovely spot to stay. There was a lot of rain overnight. In the morning, under overcast skies, we gathered all of our kayaking gear, tied three kayaks to the Vails dinghy then headed over to the Ding Darling Kayak trail. The bay was a bit rough; we were glad that we chose to motor the kayaks to the trail instead of paddling there and back. We enjoyed the quiet, solitude journey through mangroves; often not needing to paddle, instead letting the current carry us. It was raw and beautiful but very buggy. Luckily, Dave remembered the bug spray. We saw a huge raccoon foraging amongst a sea of mangrove trunks, possibly looking for a snack of crabs, which we watched climb up the tree branches from the waterway. It rained a little while we were on the trail but the overhanging flora kept us mostly dry.

Tom preparing the dinghy tow

Three Kayaks Under Tow

The Ding Darling Trail Head

Open area of the trail

Reflection of a "Darling" kayaker

Dave paddling through the mangroves

Tom & Paula with Beth, kayaking the Ding Darling

Mangrove dropping roots into the water to regrow

Leaving the Ding Darling Kayak Trail

We headed back to the anchorage just in time, arriving within minutes of a huge squall! This day was one of the many highlights of our Great Loop cruising journey!