FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: OK, please start from the beginning. What’s the deal?
A: Well, basically, the idea is to propel myself, without the assistance of wind or motor, up the southern half of the East Coast in a one-man kayak.
Q: Where exactly are you going to be paddling?
A: I’ll be starting in Miami, FL and hopefully be finishing in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, MD. I will NEVER be in the ocean; I will be sticking to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and towards the end, the Chesapeake Bay.
Q: How much gear will you have with you?
A: I don’t plan on ever having more then 60 pounds of gear with me at any time. My core gear: tent, sleeping bag, pad, stove/pots, light, and emergency equipment is well under 20 pounds. Most of the weight will come from carrying food and plenty of fresh water to drink, cook, and clean with. Every gallon of water weighs just over 8 lbs and I intend to have 2-3 gallons with me at all times. Because I’ll have so many opportunities to resupply I’m trying to travel as light at possible.
Q: Where will you be sleeping?
A: I’m going to be spending most nights in marinas along the way. Those that have been gracious enough to let me set up my tent. Other nights I will be camping, albeit illegally, wherever I am. I’m going to try to adhere to the rules/ethics of Ninja Camping as best I can. I’ve also been doing a lot of reading up on the Leave No Trace philosophy and that is really important to me. Because there are some very urban stretches of the waterway if I ever need to there is often the opportunity to shack up in a motel room.
Q: So this is just a pleasure cruise then? You’re going to be staying at the Ritz every night?
A: No way. This is a LAST resort that will only be used in emergencies.
Q: How many miles is it? How far will you go each day?
A: The stretch of ICW that I'm going to be paddling 1095 miles. I’m still planning my exact route from Norfolk to Baltimore but it looks like it will be another 250-300 miles depending. So about 1400 miles total. I hope to average 20-25 miles per day. Some days when I have the tides with me I should be able to do more, other days much less. I also anticipate taking one day off each week.
Q: When are you starting?
A: Right now the departure date is set for April 1. Now, that’s not set in stone - more like damp clay. I’m not starting until I feel confident that I’m ready but I should be ready by then.
Q: What will you eat?
A: Lots of dry, light staples high in calories and protein. Oats, rice, beans, quinoa, nothing fancy. Also the occasional seagull or manatee, and whatever local treats they sell in/around the marinas that I’m in.
Q: That’s the second time you’ve mentioned marinas, are there a lot along the way?
A: Yes, there are tons. I have the contact info for 350 marine facilities along the way, which is an average of one every 4.5 miles or so. Now that’s not realistic of course, but the point is I’ll never be very far from a place I can pull in.
Q: Is this dangerous?
A: Honestly, not really. The boat traffic, sun-burning, and dehydration are much bigger safety issues then sharks, getting lost, or sinking.
Q: Has anyone ever done this before?
A: Probably. In fact I’m sure people have, I just haven’t been able to find a record of it. In the world of kayak expeditions this is rather tame and barely even qualifies. Right now, there are ongoing expeditions around Nova Scotia, the entire continent of Australia, both coastlines of Mexico, and Iceland. Two Australians actually just finished crossing the Tasman Sea, WITHOUT STOPPING, it took them 62 days. Check it out. None of these people would ever waste their time on the ICW - see question above.
Q: Is this possible? Or rather: Can YOU actually do this?
A: Hey, thanks for your support! Yes I know I can. Once I get started I won’t stop. And I’ve done enough prep work and have good enough kayak skills that I should have success. It’s not like I’m trying to cross the Tasman Sea - see question above.
Q: Am I the first person on the site?
A:No. what you see on the bottom of every page is not a counter, it tells you how many people are on the site at that exact time. Click on it and it will give you some cool statistics.
Q: What is the ICW?
A: The ICW is a continuous in-shore waterway made up of bays, estuaries, canals, and tidal inlets which runs along the east coast. It is like the I-95 for boats/barges. There is a bit of contention about where the ICW actually starts and stops. While it is a recognized trail all the way from Maine to Texas, officially it runs only from Norfolk, VA to its southern terminus at Coral Gables, FL which is just south of Miami. This stretch is 1095 miles and never goes offshore. LEARN MORE HERE
Q: Aren’t you going to be going “uphill”?
A: Going north doesn’t necessarily mean going against the current, or “uphill,” on the ICW. Because the waterway snakes behind barrier islands and along saltwater rivers the current along the route will not be consistent. Many parts of the ICW are very tidal and during those stretches the current may change with relation to MY course several times a day. In the areas where the tides are very extreme - like in Hilton Head where we had a 7 foot tidal range every 6 hours - it will be very important to coordinate the hours I paddle with the tides.
Q: What kind of kayak are you using and what’s it like?
A: My kayak is called a Nighthawk, made by a great manufacturer out of Washington called Eddyline. The boat is 17.5 feet long so it’s very fast, tracks extremely well, has a huge capacity and is quite stable. It’s made out of a special kind of Thermo-molded plastic called Carbonlite which has all the advantages of a kevlar or fiberglass boat but is actually more durable. It is a great boat that I’ve used for used for years without any problems and I think its going to be the perfect boat for this trip because even for a guy with long legs it’s quite roomy. The only modifications I have made are to the seat. If you want to see what the kayak looks like then check out THIS LINK.