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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 7:20 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Posts: 3323
Location: South Florida
Once upon a time…

There was a little girl who wanted to grow up to be a fisherwoman.

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As she grew up, her dream came true:

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She became famous. This poster is no longer available on the open market, but it is rumored that it can be found in private collections and at Sotheby’s.

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As time wore on, she began to realize that there was more to life than fishing. She noticed these unusual boats: “Hobie Adventure Island.”

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She understood the name “Hobie Adventure,” but she was confused by the word “Island,” until she saw a real “Hobie Adventure Island.”

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She sought out people who owned these unusual boats, and they suggested she could sail one—they even referred to her as The Natural. And, she was The Natural:

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Terry Wilson, who became an expert fisherwoman, would now become a proud owner of a Hobie AI:

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The Adventure is just beginning.

Terry Wilson and Nancy Wellman are in a very select group of women in south Florida who own and sail Hobie. They brighten any day on the water. Sharon Hutkowski, a Ranger, Everglades National Park, is another; but Sharon has not done a trip with us yet. Are there any others?

Nancy on Hog Key

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Keith

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"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:01 am 
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Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 7:43 am
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Location: Lakeland and Anna Maria Island, FL
Oh, dear lord...... Let's just hope she becomes a pretty good sailor sooner rather than later.
I did become an expert at getting back into the kayak in deep water when an eagle ray flew into my forehead and knocked me out of the Adventure. The guys in the boats near me were shark fishing. I flew back into the kayak.

Onward. Wish I could join you this week but I will be in Gainesville. Let me know the next trip. Cape Romano, perhaps?


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:19 am 
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Location: South Florida
My apologies for not mentioning that there are 3 women, of whom I am aware, who camp and sail TIs with their spouses: Yvonne Quinlan, Debbie Turner, and Maria Sanders. I have not been able to determine, with any conviction, who is the captain and who the 1st mate on these boats.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 2:50 pm 
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Location: Kailua 96734
Terry wrote:
Oh, dear lord......
I did become an expert at getting back into the kayak in deep water when an eagle ray flew into my forehead and knocked me out of the Adventure.
Wow. I would never see THAT one coming. :shock:

Terry wrote:
The guys in the boats near me were shark fishing. I flew back into the kayak.
Oh- Guys doing really dumb stuff, now THAT'S predictable. :lol:


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 2:39 am 
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Location: Lake Macquarie NSW AUSTRALIA
Nice story Keith. Love that shot of the AI's on the beach at sunset.

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:47 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:09 am
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Location: Sweden
"The manta rays are the largest members of the ray family, ranging up to 6.7 m (22 ft) from wing tip to wing tip and weighing up to 1,350 kg (3,000 lb). They inhabit the tropical seas of the world and are often observed around coral reefs."

A ray that big might crush you if it lands on you. And the AI/TI will sink. Better be hit off the boat.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:11 am 
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Location: South Florida
Manta Rays do not come into the relatively shallow water that we sail in here in S FL. There can be some good sized ones though. Spotted eagle rays can easily run a several hundred pounds. They are beautiful animals in the water, but I would not want to meet one nose-to-nose, 2' above water as Terry did. Do you have any pictures, Terry?

It seems this time of the year, you regularly see rays jumping. Who knows what they are doing--trying to fly?

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:26 am 
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Location: Lakeland and Anna Maria Island, FL
No photos, except those etched in my memory of seeing that that thing heading right for me. I thought he had a "wing span" of 4.5 feet. The nearby boater who saw the whole thing said it was more like 5 feet. He also noted that had I not ducked my head, the ray would have hit me in my windpipe. (I heard the splash right in front of me and looked up in time to duck.)

We often do see leaping eagle rays on the Gulf Coast of FL. I have a new respect for those leaps!
btw - the story was written up in my friend Jon Shein's book Kayak Fishing under "hazards" or something like that.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:08 pm 
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Terry, I see Chief has posted on my WaterTribe post entitled "There was this little girl..." You should look at it... maybe even respond. http://watertribe.org/forums/topic/there-was-this-little-girl

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:37 pm 
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Location: Kailua 96734
We have lots of the Eagles and Manta's out here in Kaneohe Bay. I've seen females with >12 ft spans rolling around with males (right under me), but never a jumper- even at sea. Must be an awesome sight,.. :mrgreen:


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:46 pm 
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Location: Lakeland and Anna Maria Island, FL
NOHUHU wrote:
We have lots of the Eagles and Manta's out here in Kaneohe Bay. I've seen females with >12 ft spans rolling around with males (right under me), but never a jumper- even at sea. Must be an awesome sight,.. :mrgreen:


Really? The eagle rays don't jump out there? I wonder what the difference is? Shallower waters along FL's coast, maybe. They are beautiful to see, as long as they aren't in my face so to speak.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:49 pm 
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Some months ago, I posted about my shock of seeing a ray blast out of the water just in front of me, and "cruise" momentarily at about six feet before diving back into the water, fortunately going the same direction as I was. Being hit head-on would be a whole different ball-game!

I heard a theory that they do it to clean foreign bodies off their skin.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 5:46 pm 
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They cruise in packs offshore and come in to the sheltered reefs to reproduce or rest. 6-12 ft of water is where I sail up on them. They are pretty timid bottom feeders, so I can't imagine why they would leap toward a potential foe, unless they felt trapped against a reef or startled.

When doing the nasty, they don't pay me any mind.

Here, I'm usually more concerned about a being beaned by a school of flying fish or small tuna. But thanks -now I have a new phobia. :wink:


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 6:05 pm 
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Location: South Florida
NOHUHU--The jumping rays I'm talking about often are in the distance, 50-300 yds, so they are not being spooked by us. There is one funny story when we were kayaking at the beginning of a week trip. 2 of the fellows were paddling together when a 5# tarpon was spooked by one kayaker and jumped. It was heading right for the head of the second paddler. That paddler happened to have his paddle blade in perfect position to slap the tarpon away in mid-air. He always referred to his feat as "parrying" the tarpon. No pictures, of course, but he did have this tough slime on his paddle as evidence of the event.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 6:23 pm 
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Location: Lakeland and Anna Maria Island, FL
They really are not leaping toward a foe, just free jumping. There are certain times of the year that it is truly odd for me to be out on the water and not see one leaping.

btw - It took me two plus years not to have some primal flight or flight response to hearing any sort of water splash. Before the ray incident, the only thing I was really afraid of was Manatees. It is easy to startle them and then they raise up and dump you and your kayak over!


NOHUHU wrote:
They cruise in packs offshore and come in to the sheltered reefs to reproduce or rest. 6-12 ft of water is where I sail up on them. They are pretty timid bottom feeders, so I can't imagine why they would leap toward a potential foe, unless they felt trapped against a reef or startled.

When doing the nasty, they don't pay me any mind.

Here, I'm usually more concerned about a being beaned by a school of flying fish or small tuna. But thanks -now I have a new phobia. :wink:


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