Cool air blew in from the ocean as Bill and I settled down by the campfire and ate shish kebabs while we reflected on our 11-mile day. To the west, the sun descended into the Gulf of Mexico, painting the sky multiple hues, from yellow to orange to pink, then begrudgingly giving way to a slaty dusk smudged with high clouds. Within an hour, the moon was so bright we could explore the beach without flashlights. Then we heard a rustling by the boats.

Small dark shapes scurrying along the sand contrasted with the lighter beach. Raccoons! We raced after them, and they disappeared into the trees. They couldn't get our food, however, since we had stored all of our food and water inside the hatched compartments of the kayaks. Pavilion Key and most other beaches have food-habituated raccoons that will get your food and tap into your water supply. Store your food and water inside your kayaks, as the masked marauders have been known to cut into each and every jug of agua, effectively ending a trip.

A continuous popping of the tent fly awoke me the next morning: wind-strong wind. A front had blown in on us sometime in the night. After a cup of hot coffee and a quick walk on the beach, the two of us paddled into the early morning sun with a brisk wind at our backs. We skirted Dog Key, then entered wide-open rolling water from Pavilion Key to Mormon Key. This area of the coastline turns from southeast to south. The big turn is known as Chatham Bend. More mishaps have occurred in the four-mile stretch between Mormon Key and Pavilion Key than in any other waters in the Park, according to park rangers. Most Gulf incidents have occurred when canoeists have tried to paddle the open Gulf during smallcraft advisories. They paddle out to Pavilion Key, where they get trapped by high winds. When they make an ill-fated break for the coast, they end up getting swamped.