Filed at July 31, 2010 under by Keys
Few sights evoke such dreadful uncertainty as an unoccupied vessel adrift at sea. Fears for ill-fated passengers quickly arise from the only immediate clue. Fortunately, the case of a kayak spotted drifting off Key Largo recently ended favorably, as the U.S. Coast Guard located the vessel’s owner alive and well at his home in the Cayman Islands. Apparently, the kayak was lost at sea for about six weeks and drifted roughly 600 miles from the Cayman Islands to the Straits of Florida.
According to a Coast Guard report, identifying the owner involved extensive international collaboration. A Key Largo boater initially notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla., that the kayak was found drifting six miles east of Key Largo. Coast Guard responders searched the local area to find the owner and confirm no one was in distress. Once local search efforts were completed, the Coast Guard expanded its search and contacted a Fenn kayak distributor in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Notably, Fenn kayaks are manufactured in South Africa and sold by only two kayak distributors in the U.S. One of the distributors posted an online notice, which was spotted by the owner’s friend in Mauritius, an African country off the east coast of Madagascar, who contacted the owner in the Cayman Islands. The owner is now making plans to retrieve the lost kayak.
“This case was a good exercise for our search and rescue planners,” said Capt. Pat DeQuattro, commander of Coast Guard Sector Key West. “I’m very pleased with their determination and initiative to track down the owner of this unique kayak.”
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Kayak
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Filed at July 28, 2010 under by Keys
By KEVIN WADLOW
kwadlow@keynoter.com
A Tampa man was charged Sunday with trying to get a three-day head start on lobster season in the Lower Keys. Leon A. Shabott, 46, faces misdemeanor conservation counts for taking 39 out-of-season lobster after Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers found him scuba diving in the Gulf of Mexico, north of Cudjoe Key.
According to the FWC, Shabott was diving off a private boat between the Content Keys and Sawyer Keys around 2:30 p.m. As a patrol boat approached, the operator of the private boat reportedly gunned the engines — which FWC operators interpreted as a warning to the diver.
Officer Jimmy Johnson reported that the diver tried to swim away from the area underwater but was easily tracked by his bubbles. Shabott surfaced and was taken into custody. FWC Officer Seth Wingard donned snorkel gear to search the area, and recovered a bag containing 39 wrong lobster tails. Three of the tails were undersized.
Shabott was booked on singular counts of taking 39 out-of-season lobster, possession of wrung tails on the water, possession of three undersized lobster, and exceeding the recreational bag limit.
FWC spokesman Bobby Dube said divers at Indian Key Fill in Islamorada were charged with taking lobster out of season last weekend, after being observed by an officer in plain clothes. The suspects, from the Miami area, had only a few lobster and were cooperative, Dube said.
Tags:
Lobster,
Lobster Mobster
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Filed at July 11, 2010 under by Keys
KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Melted butter is optional, but a taste for crustaceans is essential at the 14th annual Key West Lobsterfest scheduled Friday through Sunday, Aug. 6-8. The festival commemorates the start of the Florida Keys lobster season with events that include an open-air lobster feast on Key West’s famed Duval Street.
Florida lobsters, sometimes called spiny lobsters, are known for their sweet, tender meat. Unlike their northern cousins, the spiny specimens have no claws.
Purists savor them steamed, with each bite dipped in melted butter. They also can be baked and stuffed, served cold in salads or incorporated into dishes ranging from bisques to fritters to omelets.
The festival’s enticing “entrée” is the Key West Lobsterfest Street Fair, set for noon through 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, in the 100 through 500 blocks of Duval.
Lobster lovers can sample dishes ranging from tempting appetizers to traditional lobster dinners with all the trimmings. Chefs from as many as 20 local restaurants are to prepare specialties featuring fresh crustaceans caught by Florida Keys lobster fishermen.
Attendees also can browse and buy art, crafts and merchandise from on-site vendors.
A free outdoor concert is slated to begin at 1 p.m. and continue through 10:30 p.m. from a stage at the intersection of Duval and Greene streets. The talent lineup includes top local and regional acts Alphonse, Bubba System, Cool Breeze and Techno Dread.
Other Lobsterfest events include a kick-off party Friday, Aug. 6, at Rick’s/Durty Harry’s Entertainment Complex, 202 Duval St., a Friday night Duval Crawl and a mouthwatering lobster brunch Sunday, Aug. 8.
The crustacean celebration benefits a scholarship fund for Key West High School students.
For more information, visit www.keywestlobsterfest.com or e-mail info@ricksanddurtyharrys.com. For accommodations information in Key West, call the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-LAST-KEY (800-527-8539) or visit the Keys website at www.fla-keys.com.
Tags:
Lobster,
Lobster 2010
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Few sights evoke such dreadful uncertainty as an unoccupied vessel adrift at sea. Fears for ill-fated passengers quickly arise from the only immediate clue. Fortunately, the case of a kayak spotted drifting off Key Largo recently ended favorably, as the U.S. Coast Guard located the vessel’s owner alive and well at his home in the Cayman Islands. Apparently, the kayak was lost at sea for about six weeks and drifted roughly 600 miles from the Cayman Islands to the Straits of Florida.