Geographic Research in Mayberry

      I have come to the conclusion that nobody really knows much of anything about the area of Florida which we plan to transit on the first leg of our journey. Once you travel North of Crystal River, about 50 miles north of our home, there just is not much there other than large scale out of date charts based on ancient surveys. There are few people living there so there is not enough of a market for maps to justify the cost.

       The next significant settlement north of Crystal River is Cedar Key. I have a history in Cedar Key where I was almost arrested for driving my motorcycle down the municipal runway while drinking without a license. I was unfortunate in that Cedar Key's lone police officer (who remarkably enough has the same build as Don Knotts) was staking out the area at the time on the lookout for trouble. But that is another story.
       Cedar Key, current population 953, was once the second busiest port in the State of Florida (to number one - Key West). A railroad was completed in 1860 linking the west coast of Florida to the east. In addition to the commerce created by the transshipment of goods through the port to the east coast and points beyond, the settlement also benefited from its natural resources. The Eagle pencil company established mills to process the plentiful Red Cedar trees into slats for their number 2 pencils. Fishing, sponging, and the manufacture of brushes from palmetto trees rounded out the local economy.

However, Cedar Key’s success did not last. In 1886 a new railroad was built linking the east coast to the superior port in Tampa. Business dropped off. Then in 1896 the town was virtually destroyed by a hurricane which killed 100 of the inhabitants, destroyed all the mills, and washed away much of the city with a 10 foot storm surge.

       Today Cedar Key survives as a charming little tourist town which still maintains a comercial fishery and a multi-million dollar clam aquaculture industy.

       The short cut to the Suwannee is a channel which leads near Cedar Key before continuing north. I planned to take this route and maybe make a short stop in Cedar Key to eat. Cedar Key has outstanding sea food. I also assumed that I could use the port as a place of refuge should weather or mechanical problems surface. Given the information vacuum I am running into a casual stop in this port is looking increasingly doubtful.

       I called the major marina in Cedar Key, named oddly enough Cedar Key Marina. They have fuel but the channel leading to their place of business is silted-in and the manager is doubtful that I could get my boat up there. I find it odd that a Marina can stay in business when you can't get there by boat. Anyway, she said that I could call “Chuck”, the Harbor Master of the municipal boat docks, to see if I could park my boat there and they could truck fuel to my boat if needed. I called Chuck, he was too busy fishing to answer his cell phone. So I called the competition, Cedar Cove Marina. The women there told me my boat was probably too big to park in their marina. Oh and they don't sell fuel. She referred me to their Dock Master, Steve. Alas, Steve too was fishing.
       I then called City Hall. A excessively polite voice with a thick southern drawl tried to answer my questions. She was sweet and very patient. Unfortunately she had no information whatsoever about anything. At one point she asked a voice in the background if anyone knew how much vertical clearance there was under the bridge at the mouth of the City boat docks, the voice did not know. They thought "Chuck" might know, but he was of course fishing. Since my boat is 13 feet high that is important information. But, so was the charted depths, silted channels, fuel options, and etc.
      
        I have come to the conclusion that Cedar Key is Mayberry R.F.D. with fishing boats.

       Like I said before, we will be on our own, in terra incognito. Adventure awaits.