Fishing Reports Fort Lauderdale - Carey the Canoe Guy

Carey canoes to Canada

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:23:19 -0700

Please bare in mind the first 2 blogs will always be on top!

You must scroll down past first 2 to get to current blogs in red tex.

Also to read it from the start you must go down and click to next page and next page till you get to March 7 then read foward. Once you catch up the latest will be on this page under first 2 blogs.;

Ok where do I start with this crazy story??

In this crazy time we all live in today we all need something to laugh about and someone to cheer on!!!

As most of my readers know I am Captain Taco a charter boat Captain out of Fort Lauderdale Florida. I’ve been fishing the waters off the coast of South Florida for more than 30 years. I’ve also raised a couple of kids and been in this crazy rat race we call life for quite some time now. Back in march one of my regular customers/friends Mike came out fishing with us and was telling me about one of his friends Carey who had also been in the rat race for a long time. As it turned out Carey was born in Canada but has spent most of his adult life here in South Florida. He’s had the wife the job and all the other things that come along with the rat race. Mike was telling me that Carey was talking about sailing a boat back to Canada some day. But his remarks kind of went in one ear and out the other.

Carey had been managing a house for some lady down here and had some renters splitting the cost but one thing lead to another and from what I understand the owner needed more money and was telling Carey to get rid of who was paying the least and to get someone else who would pay more. Well Carey had lost his job his girl and was out of money so the fact of the matter was that he was the one paying the least.

So I guess you could say that that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Carey kicked himself out of the house gave his dog to a friend and on March the 7^th on the New River cannel he put his canoe in the water and left his old life behind.

With very little money and some blankets a tent and some Roman noodles he set off for Canada

When I heard about this I thought this guy is nuts!! Well maybe he is but once he got to West Palm Beach where my son Luis lives I had him bring him a phone charger some more water food and money.

Then I got to thinking maybe the rest of us are nuts and just maybe Carey knows something we don’t!

So that’s how I started to get involved. Than about 2 weeks later I got this call from a guy named Paul Prewitt and he had run across Carey under a bridge in Daytona and he also helped Carey out and thought it was pretty cool how he had just said goby to the rat race and was just doing his own thing no matter what anyone had to say.

So I got Paul’s web site and started checking it out and WOW this guys been around and he is kind of thinking the way that I am about this whole taking a canoe to Canada thing. (http://www.Prewitt007@aol.com)

Than on April the 18^th I got a call from Carey and he told me that he was in Jacksonville. As it turns out my best friend Jeff live there right off the intercostal and he was kind of into it too. So a 5:00am I took off to meet this crazy guy.

Once I got to Jacksonville Jeff and I went to try to find Carey but as luck would have it the Coast Guard had picked him up for having no life jacket. Somehow not only did he not get a ticket but Carey charmed the guys on the Coast Guard Boat to get his canoe on board and giving him a ride right up to the cannel where Jeff lives.

Ok I’ve got so much to say but I am being too long winded now so at this point I’m going to had the writing over to Carey with a little help from Jeff out of Jacksonville.

By the way right now he is just north of ST. Simmons Island in Georgia and we will be giving updates as we get them and we are also going to see what kind of chart we can post to give a better visual of exactly where he is.

Also if you see him give him a bit of help with some water cigarettes food or whatever little you can do. Also if anyone sees him if you could down load his pictures and scan his diaries and e mail them to me it would be a great help.

Ok take it away Carey and best of luck we are all rooting for you!!!

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:52:18 -0700

Carey The Canoe Guy

A Feel Good Journey…

Carey Hart may be a little crazy but he is certainly passionate about paddling his Canoe from Ft. Lauderdale to Canada via the ICW. Captain Taco and I had a chance to meet The Canoe Guy in Jacksonville, Fl. April 18th. 43 days and 300+ miles after he began his voyage, sun burnt, sore, and just released by the Coast Guard for no life jacket, Canoe Guy paddled up to my dock.

Carey Hart was born in Canada and raised in Ft. Lauderdale. He is college educated and spent most of his adult life in the Marine Industry. He is well spoken and has a kind manner. As Carey paddled up to my dock we couldn’t help being excited and amused. After all, we had only talked to Carey on the cell phone and we did think he was crazy. Before our visit started and since Carey hadn’t showered in 43 days, Taco showed him where the shower was. We spent the day getting to know Carey as much as we could. We soon found out that Carey had been planning a trip back to Canada for years but that trip did not include a canoe. The canoe came in to play after losing his job, house, and girlfriend. You’ve heard the country song. He shared his stories since he left Lauderdale along with providing up to date copies of his journey. We supplied him with some of the modern technical stuff; hand crank weather radio, a camera card, zip lock baggies, a light for the tent, along with some food and cash. We said our goodbyes the next morning and Canoe Guy stayed a few days to relax a bit.

Day 47 I belive I,ll stay one more night

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:56:00 -0700

Thur April 22 Day 47

Woke up at sunrise packed up the boat. Rolled a cigarette and enjoyed the morning. Ran into a guy named Andy in Jeff’s back yard. Invites me to do some fishing with him. He was scoring red fish left and right. Got a couple of keepers.

I believe I,ll stay another night.

Day 47 bad weather turns out to be good for extra day at jeff,s

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:53:00 -0700

Wed April 21 Day 47

Took my time today packing up waiting for the tide so I can leave. Life is good today.

Got on to the water and the wind blew up and the waves and then it begin to rain.

Turned around and went back to Jeff’s

Day 45 Heaven gets even better

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:49:00 -0700

Tues April 20 Day 45

Good day today worked on Jeff’s boat than walked up to the pizza place up the street.

Met the sweetest girl. Her name is Lisa. Italian girl from New York. She is real passionate about her son Lucas. Smart kid who was misdiagnosed with ADD to find out he only had a vision problem. She had a tear in her eyes. She told me the story.

She bought my lunch. And I bought beer. She gave me chips, and some packs of blue cheese. O got a picture of her as well

Went back and worked on the fishing reels that had gotten stiff from the salt water.

Day 44 Carey gets a bit of heaven

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:03:00 -0700

Mon April 19 Day 44

Slept great last night Laid in the grass under tent for the first time quite conferrable. Pulled out all gear out of the canoe out of the water and cleaned it.

Went to store and got beer and butts.

Spent the afternoon coping 17 days of my logbook down for Jeff. Because his printer ran out of ink when he was scanning the pages.

I think he’s going to write the story for Taco’s Web page.

He asked me to clean his boat if I felt like it.

I think he was kidding but I’m going to do it anyway because it’s right to give back.

When someone takes care of you the way these lads had.

Maybe I can catch fish while I’m here.

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:17:00 -0700

A touch of paradise hard is hard to know. However I am grateful, as words cannot explain. Went and picked up some supplies for the trip. I will be sending pictures and copy of log back to Taco tomorrow. I feel very fortunate for the good people that have helped and kept an eye on my dume ass during this trip so far. I pray that I can repay their kindness somehow someway as this journey progresses.

Peolpe starting to root Carey on

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:31:00 -0700

April 9^th-Forgot to mention how nice the harbor patrol was. They slowed down so not to swamp me. Stopped at a bridge to get water and the kids there asked me if I was scared of sharks. I put my sabiki rig out and caught a mullet. All day people were waving and yelling “Canada” in Edgewater. Must be vacationers getting away from the cold. I think I am anemic now. Got to a bridge and the current was huge. Crisscrossed and made it to big bridge 421. Found a good island to camp at.

Carey makes 20 miles in one day

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:27:00 -0700

April 8^th-Took off early through Oak Hill and a bunch of little fishing villages. Saw another Cayman, about 8’ and a momma and baby porpoise. Made another bridge and filled up with water. Found a good spot to camp tonight. Map says I made 20 miles today

Carey has big dinner with Canadian family

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:23:00 -0700

April 7^th-Saw a 6’Cayman in the channel to the Lagoon. Lagoon is more like an ocean. 5miles across. Water is real shallow and saw some folks clamming with rakes. Stop to rest and cut my thumb pretty bad digging up a shell. Need a 1^st aid kit. Collected some arrowhead material. Took off and see a big fire on an island. Tried to make it but the water got too big. Stop on an island where there was a family from Canada. Got a fire going for them and we had hotdogs, chips and beer. They Canadian Family is head back home in 3 days if the weather is good.

Cary saves sting ray from sharks

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:21:00 -0700

April 6^th-Water calm and wind at my back I paddled for 3 hours and made it to Titusville. Stopped at a nice island and there was firewood pile up as high as mountains. So much you could have cooked 2 elephants! Shoved off and saw my 1^st shark. There were 2 of them and they were chasing a stingray. I scared them off before they caught him. Looking for Mosquito Lagoon. Hit a bay and the wind came up to 20 with 3 ft. waves. Got pushed to my camp site. A nice family is camping on the same island.

Earth Quake wakes Carey

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:20:00 -0700

April 5^th-Woke up to what I thought was an earthquake and the end of the world. Turned out to be the Space Shuttle launching! What an awesome site and the power is just amazing. The fireball just took off in the sky. WOW. The water was glass and no wind. Very peaceful. Only sound now is my paddle. Manatee scared me or I scared it. Got to the first bridge and stopped between 2 power poles. Found some butts and had a couple beers. A homeless man named Howard appeared and we talked and had some beers. Turned out he was a smart men whose luck had gone bad. He even offered to buy me some food with his food stamps. Made it up to the N.A.S.A. Bridge. Staying here in the bush.

Carey gets lots of help from fisherman and kids

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:18:00 -0700

April 4^th-Started flying my flag today. Made a staff from a tree a couple of days ago and it works well. Red ants got me last night. Not very pleasant. Pulled up under the 520 bridge a found a young man with his little brother and sister fishing. I told them about my trip and they gave me some nice lures from their dads tackle shop. They were very nice good kids. Walked up an embankment and found a party going on. Asked if I could charge my phone and it was on. They had seen me paddle by and I told them my story. They loaded me up with BBQ, soda, vodka, gave me some sun block with $20. They were Asian and real-estate was there business. Great people and one young man caught a trout with no bait just a bare hook. They must have been blessed.

Porpoises are new friends but other boats get nick names (AH)

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 18:15:00 -0700

April 3^rd-Can’t believe my eyes. Suns out, light chop, and a light S.W. breeze. Will make Melbourne easy. Sleep under the tarp in blankets. It’s all good. After a long hard paddle today I should make Cocoa next day easy. Porpoises are out along with a few assholes. Hope to see the Space shuttle tomorrow. Have to eat today. Wind is hard on my little stove

Carey makes friends with manatees but other boater get new nick name

nospam@example.com (Captain Taco) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:14:00 -0700

April 2^nd-No wind and suns out. Lots of small fishing boats out. Miles and miles of houses with 500’ of docks to the water. All houses match the boat house and look like doll houses. Very pretty. Dolphins are very active. Circling and attacking bait. Hit paddle on the water and they would come and investigate until they figured out who I was. Scared up a baby manatee and then a big momma surfaced and scared the crap out of me. Real close to Melbourne. I’d like to try some night paddling while all the assholes are a sleep.