About Unlikely Passage
Sailing around Florida by way of Lake Okeechobee means a trip through the state's equivalent of the Panama Canal: The Okeechobee Waterway. A series of locks takes small boats from the Atlantic to the Gulf across the orange groves and cow pastures in the center of the state. Join the crew of Sherpa, a 41-foot Morgan sailboat, as they explore Florida's aqueous back roads, squeeze under too-short bridges, and look for the state's inland passage.
The trip takes us through St. Lucie River, Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee River (four locks, one bridge that is 2' lower than our mast, naviational depth only 8 inches better than our draft) to Fort Myers. In the Gulf of Mexico we will be going by Sanibel Island, Marco Island, Ten Thousand Islands, Everglades National Park, Chokoloskee Island Park, down to Marathon in the Florida Keys. From Marathon we come up to Key Largo, Key Biscayne (Miami), and back to Fort Lauderdale.
The Crew
Charles Trainor, Jr. -- co-captain and co-owner of Sherpa, a 1981 Morgan Out Island 41' sailboat
Charles Trainor, Jr. is a second-generation photojournalist and sailing newcomer in search of an adventure. Charles has worked for The Miami Herald for 25 years, covering most of the major stories that have impacted South Florida. Traveling through the southern states he also produces stories for the South Journal, a beat that reports on the lifestyles and news through the south. They purchased Sherpa in April of 2005 and dock the vessel at Werner's house on the New River near his home in Fort Lauderdale.
Werner H. Stemer -- co-captain, navigator and co-owner of Sherpa
Werner H. Stemer is an attorney from Fort Lauderdale. Having grown up in St. Anton, a small village in the mountains of western Austria, Werner is an avid skier (some say he could ski before he could walk). He studied music and literature in his native Austria before coming to the United States in 1984, where he studied physics and later went to law school. For many years, Werner has wanted to retrace the route taken by the Lion's Paw in Robb White's 1946 novella, and he has meticulously charted the entire journey from beginning to end.
Chuck Fadely
A photojournalist for the Miami Herald, Chuck Fadely was press-ganged aboard for his prior experience: he documented a boat-load of middle school students as they crewed on the tall ship Rose. Fadely filed daily updates during a nine-day passage from Puerto Rico to Miami during OpSail2000. He'll join the crew in blogging this trip as well.
Alexia Fodere
I am a freelance photographer for The Miami Herald born in Argentina. I presume myself a sailor since I got my first 25' sailboat for my 18th birthday. Since then I have been sailing in places like Turkey, Greece, Caribbean and South America. These days I am crossing the Unlikely Passage, next to me the most talented photojournalist.
