The Scalloping Trip that Almost Wasn't
Posted: September 2nd, 2008, 8:18 am
Every year for the last 8 or 9 years, I've taken a Boy Scout troop scalloping. We initially planned this year's trip to coincide with Faye. Thanks to Bman, we had reservations in the County camping ground right on the St. Marks River and we were ready to go. The weekend before, I went to the Cape, hooked up the Ol' Pro and brought it back to Valdosta. Checked everything, counted life jackets, the whole 9 yards. I called Shell Island Fish Camp before I left the Cape thinking, I would just leave the boat there. On the way back that Sunday, although Faye was predicted to come right up I-75, something told me to take the boat on home. Sat and watched Faye until that Thursday evening and finally had to call the trip off. The campground was flooded and St. Marks was evacuated. 
Discussed it with the scoutmaster, checked it at the house and it turns out my girls wanted to come back from the beach on Sunday rather than labor day Monday. Scouts were good to go. Then up pops Gustav.
We watched the weather all weedend and at 5PM Sunday evening, read the reports here, called a few places and finally called the Sea Hag for local weather report and decided it was a go for Steinhatchee.
Started loading the Ol' Pro and couldn't find my electronics bag. I always keep it behind my truck seat. Remembering that I had a friend who wasn't used to my routine with me the last time I used the boat, I called my son to check at the farm on the off chance that it had been put with my tackle boxes. It had. Beginning to wonder if this was another sign.
Got up yesterday morning and the trees were bending. Went to the church to meet and everyone was game to keep moving and looking at weather. Looked at my trailer tires and both of my front tires were showing abuse. They were almost new, but almost gone. Checked the lug wrench in the Church van and it would not fit the trailer lug nuts. About that time, one of the newest scouts remembers that he forgot his required permission slip. A call to his dad to meet us at Wallymart and we are off to get a tire lug wrench. Then we were off with a wing and a prayer. Saw 5 or 6 folks pulling their boats back to town on the Mayo - Steinhatchee road and wondered if we had made the right choice.
Got to the Hatch and wend was blowing out of the east, water was high and I knew I could run fairly close to shore to keep out of the nasty stuff. Went to launch the boat and the batteries were dead. I had evidently not clicked the battery selector into off position well enough. The AM/FM radio will not turn off (2nd replacement for same problem) and it had evidently drained the batteries. Try to pull out and the church van tried to spin down in the shell ramp. Luckily a friendly Hatch resident was there and he hooked a tow rope and pulled us out. Hit the Ace hardware and a hundred dollars later had a new battery. Decided to use the zoo ramp (Jenna). Lined her up, put in the new battery and waited for a couple of Captains to crash their boats into their trailers and then we launched. At both ramps, my young nephew asked me at least a 1000 questions. I needed my ear plugs bad.
I've been going out of the Hatch for nearly 50 years and I had always found scallops and clear water at Pepperfish Keys and that is where I headed. The two adults with me decided to sit on the stern even after I warned them that it could be wet back there. It was and they were. It was a pretty stiff chop the whole way out. We get to Pepperfish and there are 2 other boats there. Water was stained all the way down there and yep, you guessed, for the first time ever, it was stained at Pepperfish keys.
The new kid (the one who forgot his permission slip) pops the question ... are there sharks out here. I could not tell a lie. Yes, there are sharks where ever you find saltwater, but in over 50 years of swimming, diving and scalloping, I've never been biten and never had one come close while scalloping. He was reluctant to get into the water. In fact, the whole crew looks spooked. To heck with this, I thought. I put on my gear and over the side I go. Quickly find several scallops and show the boys what we are looking for. I work around and get about a half of a bag and come back to the boat for my turn on watch duty. How many have you guys got? They stop playing long enough to tell me zero, can't find them, not there, etc., etc., etc. I hold up my bag and they hush. The water was stained and they were tough to find, but they were there. I think they manage 3 or 4 while I am in the boat. We load up and at their request we run up to the most outer key and anchor. Surely they can find them on the sand, they say. Well, all they found was more reason to play and how neat it was to watch all of the birds fly. 
Moved back out and while samwitches are being made, I jump back in and show them that there are a few more scallops out there. They get back in and between the 6 of them, find 3 more scallops. They complain and I jump in again and within 5 minutes show them several more. If the sun is out, you can find them, but if a cloud blocks it, no go. I get back in the boat and start cleaning scallops. One kid (the new kid) keeps finding my discarded shells and getting all excited. Yep, he still ain't move far from the boat. I finish cleaning all we had, wash my cleaning gear and then they find 3 more real quick.
The seas are laying down. I point the Ol' Pro north and we have a nice run to the hill. In the channel a 25' footer with twins decides he must get a head of me and does so.
Sure enough, he is headed back to Jenna ramp. We go lucky and parked the church van very close to the ramp, so although he beat me in the water race, the scoutmaster got our trailer in first. Loaded her up and turned to see his ugly look. Tipped my hat and off we went.
Got all the way back to Valdosta and neither of the trailer tires I was worried about blew. The boys pulled the hose and the Ol' Pro got a good scrubbing. She looks pretty good all spiffed up. Got home, took my shower, eat 4 ibuprofens and hit the hay. I'm dragging today, but all in all it was worth it to introduce a couple of new kids to shark week and a couple of old salts to good times.
I have 11 or 12 more months before I have to do it again.
Discussed it with the scoutmaster, checked it at the house and it turns out my girls wanted to come back from the beach on Sunday rather than labor day Monday. Scouts were good to go. Then up pops Gustav.
We watched the weather all weedend and at 5PM Sunday evening, read the reports here, called a few places and finally called the Sea Hag for local weather report and decided it was a go for Steinhatchee. Started loading the Ol' Pro and couldn't find my electronics bag. I always keep it behind my truck seat. Remembering that I had a friend who wasn't used to my routine with me the last time I used the boat, I called my son to check at the farm on the off chance that it had been put with my tackle boxes. It had. Beginning to wonder if this was another sign.
Got up yesterday morning and the trees were bending. Went to the church to meet and everyone was game to keep moving and looking at weather. Looked at my trailer tires and both of my front tires were showing abuse. They were almost new, but almost gone. Checked the lug wrench in the Church van and it would not fit the trailer lug nuts. About that time, one of the newest scouts remembers that he forgot his required permission slip. A call to his dad to meet us at Wallymart and we are off to get a tire lug wrench. Then we were off with a wing and a prayer. Saw 5 or 6 folks pulling their boats back to town on the Mayo - Steinhatchee road and wondered if we had made the right choice.
Got to the Hatch and wend was blowing out of the east, water was high and I knew I could run fairly close to shore to keep out of the nasty stuff. Went to launch the boat and the batteries were dead. I had evidently not clicked the battery selector into off position well enough. The AM/FM radio will not turn off (2nd replacement for same problem) and it had evidently drained the batteries. Try to pull out and the church van tried to spin down in the shell ramp. Luckily a friendly Hatch resident was there and he hooked a tow rope and pulled us out. Hit the Ace hardware and a hundred dollars later had a new battery. Decided to use the zoo ramp (Jenna). Lined her up, put in the new battery and waited for a couple of Captains to crash their boats into their trailers and then we launched. At both ramps, my young nephew asked me at least a 1000 questions. I needed my ear plugs bad.
I've been going out of the Hatch for nearly 50 years and I had always found scallops and clear water at Pepperfish Keys and that is where I headed. The two adults with me decided to sit on the stern even after I warned them that it could be wet back there. It was and they were.
It was a pretty stiff chop the whole way out. We get to Pepperfish and there are 2 other boats there. Water was stained all the way down there and yep, you guessed, for the first time ever, it was stained at Pepperfish keys.The new kid (the one who forgot his permission slip) pops the question ... are there sharks out here. I could not tell a lie. Yes, there are sharks where ever you find saltwater, but in over 50 years of swimming, diving and scalloping, I've never been biten and never had one come close while scalloping. He was reluctant to get into the water.
In fact, the whole crew looks spooked. To heck with this, I thought. I put on my gear and over the side I go. Quickly find several scallops and show the boys what we are looking for. I work around and get about a half of a bag and come back to the boat for my turn on watch duty. How many have you guys got? They stop playing long enough to tell me zero, can't find them, not there, etc., etc., etc. I hold up my bag and they hush. The water was stained and they were tough to find, but they were there. I think they manage 3 or 4 while I am in the boat. We load up and at their request we run up to the most outer key and anchor. Surely they can find them on the sand, they say. Well, all they found was more reason to play and how neat it was to watch all of the birds fly. Moved back out and while samwitches are being made, I jump back in and show them that there are a few more scallops out there. They get back in and between the 6 of them, find 3 more scallops. They complain and I jump in again and within 5 minutes show them several more. If the sun is out, you can find them, but if a cloud blocks it, no go. I get back in the boat and start cleaning scallops. One kid (the new kid) keeps finding my discarded shells and getting all excited. Yep, he still ain't move far from the boat.
I finish cleaning all we had, wash my cleaning gear and then they find 3 more real quick. The seas are laying down. I point the Ol' Pro north and we have a nice run to the hill. In the channel a 25' footer with twins decides he must get a head of me and does so.
Sure enough, he is headed back to Jenna ramp. We go lucky and parked the church van very close to the ramp, so although he beat me in the water race, the scoutmaster got our trailer in first. Loaded her up and turned to see his ugly look. Tipped my hat and off we went. Got all the way back to Valdosta and neither of the trailer tires I was worried about blew. The boys pulled the hose and the Ol' Pro got a good scrubbing. She looks pretty good all spiffed up. Got home, took my shower, eat 4 ibuprofens and hit the hay. I'm dragging today, but all in all it was worth it to introduce a couple of new kids to shark week and a couple of old salts to good times.
I have 11 or 12 more months before I have to do it again. 
