Cedar Key - Clam City



 

Trip Day:	256	Latitude:	29°07.56' N	Locks Today:	0
Miles Today:	53	Longitude:	083°02.11'W	Locks Total:	108
Total Miles:	5,616	Location:	Cedar Key – Atsena Otie Key Anchorage



The sun was just peeking over the horizon when we got    underway this morning.  The weather forecast called for 16-20 kts of wind this morning, but decreasing by ten o’clock.  The only saving factor was that the winds were aft of beam with following seas so the 2-3 foot waves were not a problem. Dolphin ran with us again—only a few feet from the boat.  I was at the helm and Ron was on the bow as they surfaced all around us.  At one point a couple of them jumped four feet in the air within five feet of me.  Is it possible these beautiful creatures have the capacity to understand how much job they bring to the human species? 

We yearned for a night on the hook so as we approached Cedar Key we angled off to anchor in the lee of Atsena Otie Key.  As we anchored, a bay tour boat took a group ashore and walked the beach stooping to collect shells.  So off we went in the dinghy on our own exploration tour. 

 

  

There was a path through dense underbrush which lead to ruins of the Faber Cedar Mill Site from the 1800s where cedar slats for pencils were produced.  We were surprised to learn this little island has a rich history dating back to the 1800s.  In 1839 the Army Supply Depot and Hospital was established on Atsena Otie. In 1842, at the end of the Second Seminole War a hurricane severely damaged the Army buildings.  Later the Suwannee Lumber Company built a sawmill for milling pine and in 1858 the Town of Atsena Otie was incorporated.  Census records reported 297 residents in 1860.  The Key was occupied by Union Army during the Civil War to cut off the Confederate supply port. By 1890 industry declined due to the growth of Tampa’s port, the railroad system, the depletion of pine and cedar trees and isolation of the community.  

Today, the clean waters around the keys create the perfect setting for Aquaculture where Cedar Key has farmed clams since the early 1990s.  The clam farmers own underwater land leases to release seed clams which grow quickly in the warm coastal waters.  Clams can be      harvested in 14-20 months and are shipped all over the country from Cedar Key.

Back in the dinghy we headed across the channel to go ashore on the mainland.  If Cedar Key is all about clams it was time to sample some of the local faire.  Indeed, the clams were good and we enjoyed a walk along the pier taking in the sights. 

With  daylight
 waning, we returned to our anchorage to capture the sunset—which did not disappoint us.  

 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28th

Scallops are to Steinhatchee as oysters are to   

Apalachicola and in the summer when it is scallop season this is a happening place.  But in the winter this is just a sleepy fishing village. Ron off-loaded the folding bikes so we could go exploring. 








After breakfast at Linda’s Café we were in search of Steinhatchee history.  At the mouth of the river, Deadman Bay was recorded on Spanish maps in the early 1500s.  Spanish Conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez came through the area in 1529 followed by Hernando de Soto ten years later.  In 1818 General Andrew Jackson passed through on his way to dispatch the Seminoles who were raiding white settlements.  The name Steinhatchee was derived from the Native American “esteem hatchee” meaning river (hatchee) of man (esteem).  Evidence of prehistoric man in the area dates back to 12,000 B.C.  Pirates were here from the 15th to 18th centuries, loggers in the 1800s, sponge  divers in the 1940s and 50s and commercial fishermen, shrimpers, and crabbers remain today.

This village was quaint and eclectic with some interesting choices of bay-side rentals for the summer season. 












  But we have to admit that all the locals we met went out of their way to be helpful and wanted to please.  I think we were the only transient boat in the marina so we were somewhat of a novelty.

Fiddler’s  Restaurant provided transportation  for dinner out—fresh grouper– nice!