2014 Atlantic Cup Sailing Race Starts in Charleston

Start Line action photo for the 2014 Atlantic Cup Race

Dragon gives chase at sea

The 2014 Atlantic Cup Sailing Race is Underway from Charleston to New York and Newport!! When I stopped by the Charleston City Marina  on May 8 to visit with Race Logistics Director Hugh Piggin and Media Coordinator Julianna Barbieri, they told me that a fifth competitor did not make it to Charleston in tme to start the race due to headwinds. Therefore the 2014 fleet is a foursome of Class 40 sailboats, and some crews have more experience than others in the Atlantic Cup Race. There was talk of slack winds for the start early in the week, but by noon on May 10 the winds had filled in and sporty conditions allowed the fleet to use double-reefed mainsails at the start line. Heading into the Atlantic Ocean for a sleepless night of racing in favorable winds must be an exhilerating feeling, and the best of the 2014 Atlantic Cup lies ahead of them. First stop is New York City, and the shoreside events continue to offer strong support for this race. The final destination in Rhode Island is offering the most events ever in conjunction with this race that is said to be the most sustainable sailing race in America. They will have be using biodiesel when able, will offer composting and recycling of race office materials in an effort to stay carbon neutral. Here some more info and team details for the 2014 competitors, and we'll keep a close eye on the first sailboat to reach NYC!

To view past blog entries from the Atlantic Cup click on 2013 or 2012.

MegaDock flying Atlantic Cup flags

To view past blog entries about Charleston Race Week click 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 

To view past blog entries about the Charleston To Bermuda race click here.

To view past blog entries about the Velux 5 Oceans Race click here.

Facts about Class 40 Racing

2014 Spring Birding in Town and Country

Love this depiction of male and female scarlet tanager,
set against the North America / South America migration route

The extension of winter in 2014 through the month of April has focused the spring happenings in nature this year. When the flowers blossomed they all bloomed, as those who suffer sinus allergies can attest, and these blooms are usually followed by sightings of ruby-throated hummingbirds. As continued wet weather keeps the conditions in the Lowcountry more tropical, colorful migratory songbirds may choose to linger here a while longer.

            

The up and down weather pattern in April wasn’t more evident that the weekend of the RBC Heritage golf tournament in Hilton Head. The weekdays were sunny and pleasant, but by Friday three inches of rainfall were recorded along the coast. The cloudy and breezy conditions made wearing a golf shirt out of the question for the remainder of the weekend.

Flowering plants at this time include wisteria, dogwoods and late-blooming azaleas but a green up of vegetation is occurring wherein trees begin soaking in water and putting out fresh leaves. This process can dry out the woodlands quickly, but the heavy rains mentioned above served to replenish swamps and ditches overnight, making this the second wet spring in a row.

Black and White warbler spotted in downtown Charleston

These observations serve as intangibles when I say that the 2014 bird migration started a little late, much like those delayed blooms, and then a wide array of neotropical migratory songbirds began to show up in bunches. The careful birder will be able to record many memorable sightings into their logbook in May and beyond, including other species like swallow-tailed kites and wading birds like roseate spoonbills.

Celebrated every May 10

Birding is a great hobby all 365 days a year, but spring birding is by far the main event. There is an added anticipation of anything can happen, like when a scissor-tailed flycatcher was observed at the Santee Birding Festival. Colorful birds against a lush green backdrop are not hard to spot and they bring a flash of panache to our woods, and in some cases to our yards. Attracting songbirds takes dedication and like most endeavors, hard work can pay off over time.

What kind of colorful songbirds am I referencing? How about the neon red Summer tanager, and the equally red Scarlet tanager with his distinctive black wings. Three shades of blue are in season too, including the hue of the Indigo bunting, Blue grosbeak and the Eastern bluebird. And who can forget the Painted bunting and his coat of many colors that so many consider to be THE bird to see.

To view a photo of the painted bunting click for my Birding Journal Observations.

To read the remainder of my feature article in the newspaper click Charleston Mercury

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2014 King Kat Competition in Georgetown

Ralph Willey and Mark Lawson with the KING KAT from April 26

The freshwater fishing has been challenging this spring due to high water levels, but a couple of anglers who chase catfish found success in Georgetown County. The Cabela’s King Kat Tourney sent anglers into rivers like the Waccamaw, Sampit, Black and Santee to catch and release catfish. These Colleton County anglers took home the big catfish prize with a 32.36-pounder and took second place overall including a nice payday and plaque.

Congrats to the First Place Team

Ralph Willey of Walterboro and Mark Lawson of Round O have fished numerous catfish tourneys over the past few years in the Cooper River and the Santee Cooper Lakes. This time they were in the N. Santee River on April 25 and 26 in Lawson’s 24-foot Bentley pontoon boat rigged with a 90-horsepower Mercury and fourteen driftmaster rod holders.

            

The King Kat rules only allow six rods out at any one time, and all catfish must be weighed alive and then returned to the water. Their first day on the water was forgettable since they lost their electronics due to a blown fuse. With the river water levels high and up into the bank, having a working fishfinder to locate the structure where the catfish hang out was a must. They did manage to catch a few small catfish to weigh in but left the water early that day to make repairs.

            

Returning to the river the next morning at 6:30 a.m. they were able to zero in on a likely spot and elected to fish in about 18-feet of water. “We like to soak cut up river herring in a menhaden milk made by VooDoo offshore,” said Willey. “We were about 10-feet away from the bank when I dropped down a chunk of fish on a 6-ought Eagle Claw circle hook. I use an Ugly Stik rod and my Abu Garcia reel is spooled up with green 30-pound test Stren.”

            

Team Matherly finished in Third Place

The team had caught two small fish early but the bite at 8:30 a.m. was the big one. The river current was running hard and Willey grabbed the rod and fought the fish for 15-minutes. Using a landing net they placed the catfish in a 100-gallon tank on the boat that is powered by a small aerator. They wondered if the big catfish would be ok in their tank, and it soon began to float sideways and show signs of stress.

            

They called the King Kat weigh station at 10:30 a.m. and said to get ready for them to come weigh the fish. Their quick action ensured that the catfish was weighed and released in good shape, and they also ended up taking the Big Cat cash prize of $470. “We lost another catfish that was the same size or bigger when he was fighting hard under the boat,” said Lawson. “Yep, if we had landed that fish I think we would have won the tourney, but that’s fishing.”

            

Finishing in first place was Brian Tanner of Hemingway and Bryon Lavoie of Andrews with a two-day total of 108.68-pounds of catfish, good for the $4000 first place payout. Each team is allowed to weigh in five catfish per day and the winning team weighed in a total of ten flathead catfish, with the largest being 17.18-pounds, caught in the Waccamaw River.

            

Willey and Lawson weighed in a two-day total of 82.84-pounds of catfish and took home the $2000 second place prize, plus the Big Cat braggin’ rights. Third place went to James Matherly of Pamlico and Dennis Matherly of Florence for weighing 80.62-pounds of catfish good for $1000, fishing in the Pee Dee River. Besides cash and prizes anglers were qualifying for the King Kat Championships coming October 3 and 4 on Lake Wateree in Camden.

To read this feature story in the newspaper click Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about the King Kat Competition click here.

2014 Gamekeepers / Spring - Making Income from Property

Landowner looks over a lightening strike pine

The same Gamekeepers who enjoy farming for wildlife, might also need help in defraying some of the costs associated with stewardship. Planting trees in order to rake pinestraw is but one of the ways recreational property can yield modest dividends. With hunting leases it’s a numbers game with the bigger the acreage the better the income, but for most small private landowners anything that pays some money into the pot makes the farm chores just a bit easier to accomplish.

            

2014 Spring issue Cover - Full Strut Tom

Timber sales will likely be the most lucrative transaction on any acreage, but timber harvest is only intermittent. Slow-growing pine trees can only be thinned a few times before the final clear cut takes place, and then it’s back to the waiting game. Timber sales are also subject to the demand from the market, with the recent economic recession and downturn in housing creating low prices for a time. And sometimes when it’s time to thin trees, markets are trumped by the health of the stand.

Gamekeepers can look for payment programs form the U.S. government, utilities companies, communications companies, hunting leases and sustainable harvest of their natural resources. In terms of an annual income, hunting leases have to top the list. As the popularity of hunting increases, like in the case of waterfowling due to the Duck Dynasty TV show, it’s a safe bet that the price for leases are trending upward.

Powerline Right-Of-Way Mowing Team set to destroy habitat

Raking pinestraw is an economic endeavor that is also raising awareness about planting more Longleaf pine trees, native to the Southeast. “There are some front ends costs with this type of operation, but there is also a ‘gravy’ period that can last nearly two decades,” said landowner Angus Lawton. Did you know that regular pinestraw from Slash or Loblolly trees is regarded as secondary to Longleaf straw because of its superior length, coloration and durability?

There is no link available to my feature article in the Spring 2014 issue. To join the Mossy Oak Gamekeeper club and receive a hat, Biologic seed samples and magazine subscription click here.

To view past blog entries from Gamekeepers magazine click here.

2014 Cinco De Mayo Mahi on Palmetto Guard

Michael Mattson with a gaffer mahi

Norris Lafitte watches Louis Costa's fish

With the Mexican holiday of Cinco De Mayo once again timed with the peak of the dolphin migration it was time for another fiesta on the ocean. The 5 a.m. start time suffered a minor setback when the Palmetto Guard had an overheat alert sound off just before leaving the harbor, causing Captain Chip Campsen to turn her around and head back to the dock. The 'good news' is that after affecting some minor repairs we left port at 6:30 a.m. and headed to the 170-line to troll for dolphin. Boats that fish offshore frequently encounter such issues, and is just one part of the saltwater lifestyle, where having an experienced crew aboard always matters. A west wind had the weedline scattered and that was exactly how we found the mahi bite - infrequent and spread out. However, we did have a mahi in the baits first thing, and rounded out the day with a wahoo at 3 p.m., so the bite was steady all day - just not a real hot bite. One blue marlin was seen free jumping in the 74-degree water but there was little sign of birds and flying fish. In one instance of feeding birds we managed to catch the nicest mahi of the day, about an 18-pounder that topped off the ten tasty fish on ice in the box. The mahi bite on the weekend on April 26 and 27 seems to have been the best of 2014 thus far, with charter captains having luck the following weekend, but not on a widespread basis. Some of them were able to find the fish again and some had fishing conditions like the this 2014 Cinco De Mayo outing. Still it was a beautiful day on the ocean, with a crew of ten gents who love saltwater fishing and who appreciate the theatre that can only be generated while trolling lines on the deep blue sea.

Lots of lines out means lots of angler action

Somewhere between a slinger and a gaffer dolphin

To view past blog entries on Migratory dolphin off S.C. click 2015 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2007

2014 Criterium Cycling Race - Speed Week

Finish Line fun at the USA Crits Speed Week

Racing on picturesque Hampton Street

The anual Pro Cycling bike race that is a part of CRITS Speed Week returned to downtown Walterboro on April 30. A rainy forecast threatened this event but organizers kept a 'rain or shine' mentality and in the end it was not an issue, though more than two inches of rain fell just thirty minutes away at the coast. Some of the main streets in downtown Walterboro are closed at 3 p.m. for the remainder of the day so that Washington Street can serve as the straightaway with historic Hampton Street as the backstretch. The Masters Race began on time at 4 p.m. and the only crash of the day came when three cyclists felt the burn of the pavement after one of them caught a peddle on a protective hay bale along the course, causing a chain reaction. No one was seriously hurt, and a pro men's racer set to ride in the final event of the day said that there would be less chance of a wreck late, despite the higher speeds, since those riders should have more experience. A special kids race helps to bring the residents of Walterboro downtown to join in and support this special day of racing. Sidewalk cafe's are set up and food and beverages are served until the final race is completed just after dark, and the social scene alone keeps the event an annual favorite for locals. The cloudy weather kept the temperatures comfortable, even though the humid conditions brought out a swarm of sand gnats leaving some asking for bug spray - a sure sign of the summer biking season. For results from the 2014 Criterium click here.

To view past blog entries from the Criterium Cycling Speed Week click 2015 - 2014-  2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010, - 2009 

Crash aftermath during Masters Race

Birding Journal Observations - March / April 2014

Painted bunting on April 16 at the fly-thru feeder - STRIKE A POSE!

Cold and wet weather marked the months of March and April in 2014 - setting the stage for a dynamic spring migration of neotropical migratory songbirds. This was my best spring birding year by far!! Keeping a sharp eye out for any birds that seem slightly out of place, or listening keenly for those who sing a tune of peculiar notes, is a mindset that can take years of training to develop. Anticipating the arrival of the birds is fun, and knowing that they will likely be here today and gone tomorrow makes birders give pause to enjoy - and hopefully photograph - these small and colorful visitors.

Due to the cold weather, we may have experienced a later migration, and it wasn't until March 25 that I spotted the FIRST yellow-throated warbler and the FIRST white-eyed vireo. When the flowers began to bloom in early April I knew it was time to set out my hummingbird feeder and then on April 7 the FIRST two ruby-throated hummingbirds showed up. The hummer numbers increased to four and we should be enjoying their company during the summer too. The FIRST Indigo bunting sighting was April 7 and the FIRST blue grosbeak sighting was April 12.  It was April 16 when a male painted bunting in full plumage visited my birding station for a multiple-day visit, and the FIRST black and white warbler. The absolute best day of birding came on April 22 when I had BOTH the FIRST males summer tanager and the FIRST male scarlet tanager visit, and the FIRST blue-grey gnatcatcher was also in the mix that day. This was a birdwatching home run for me, the Mount Everest of birding, and the cherry on top too, since never before had I had the tanagers visit on the same day. This makes me think that with the migration perhaps being a little late, it may also have been a bit more concentrated too, making the April 22 timeframe perhaps the peak of that migration? For more on this subject in the Charleston Mercury newspaper click here.

Other birding observations for March and April include towhee, cardinal, downy woodpecker, chipping sparrow, yellow-bellied sapsucker, mockingbird, tufted titmouse, Carolina chickadee, blue jay, red-bellied woodpecker, bluebird, wood duck, ruby-crowned kinglet, goldfinch, blue-wing teal, Canada goose, cedar waxwings, dove, brown-headed cowbird, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, hairy woodpecker, grey catbird, brown thrasher and Carolina wren.

To view past Birding Journal Observations from 2014 click here.

To view past Birding Journal Observations from March / April click 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 or 2009.