The CT

Matt Keene of Clermont, Fl, began Sept 15, 2008 at Ft. Clinch and ended Jan 5, 2009 at Big Lagoon State Park, Pensacola, Fl. He was the first paddler to complete the entire trail since it was established. He was accompanied part of the way by two other companions, Jodi Eller and Matt Gallagher. Several FPTA volunteers helped along the way. He and Jodi (now married) then backpacked the entire Florida Trail. Matt is currently the FPTA director for Region K (Space Coast).

Mike Ruso and Dan Dick started on November 12, 2008, at Big Lagoon State Park near Pensacola and finished on March 26 2009. They are the first west to east paddlers to finish the trail. They had a SPOT Messenger device that allowed people to track their movements on their website. Mike developed an informative and practical guide for those interested in paddling the circumnavigational trail: http://thrupaddlingflorida.jimdo.com/.

Charles Ingle of Tallahassee became the fourth person to complete the entire 1,515-mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail. When he reached Ft. Clinch State Park on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010, he had paddled a total of 63 days, averaging 24 miles per day.

Ian Brown of Orlando began his journey on the entire trail in November of 2009 at Big Lagoon and, after many stops and starts, finished at Fort Clinch in late summer of 2010. Several FPTA members assisted him along the way. This photo of Ian was taken by Mark Adams.

Jake Stachovak began a 5000 mile "Portage to Portage Paddling Project" around the eastern United States. He began his journey in early December 2009 on the Wisconsin River in Portage, WI, and paddled down the icy Mississippi to the Gulf. He paddled the circumnavigational trail in 2010 and began his successful return up the east coast and through the Great Lakes back to Wisconsin: http://www.portagetoportage.com/.

Warren Johnson of Hoover, Alabama, completed the CT in two parts, beginning in 2011 at Big Lagoon and arriving at the Georgia border in August of 2012 at age 62. He had already gained notoriety by paddling the Alabama Scenic River Trail both directions in one trip.

In March of 2013, Daniel Alvarez of Tallahassee completed a nine-month, 4,000-mile kayaking journey from upper Minnesota to Key West called Paddling the Heart of America. The trip included the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast. He surprised everyone by continuing his journey up the east coast, finishing the CT and completing a loop through the Great Lakes that same year: http://predictablylost.com

Gus Bianchi began paddling the CT by segments in Apalachicola in December 2009. After 13 trips, ranging from 40 to 212 miles accompanied by a number of different paddling partners, Gus completed all the CT segments at age 66 on September 13, 2013 in Cedar Key.

Carl W. Anderson from Fernandina Beach, Florida , completed the CT in sections beginning in early 2011 at the lower Aucilla launch, completed each section as time permitted, and arrived at Fort Clinch State Park on September 16th 2013 at age 67. Carl paddled most of the trail with Gus Bianchi and his wife Barbara.

Jodi Eller of St. Augustine became the first woman to complete the CT. She paddled most of the trail in 2008 with husband Matt Keene, the first CT thru paddler, and she completed the remaining segments in late 2013 with assistance from FPTA members. "The trail is amazing," she said. "It goes through so many different ecosystems. How the beaches change along the trail is just incredible. The trail made me a stronger paddler and it also redefined who I am in a way, bringing me back to the essence of being human. It's a powerful experience to go through."

Marc DeLuca and Jim Windle, two retired police officers from Charlotte, North Carolina, began their journey at Big Lagoon State Park on November 2nd, 2013 and ended on March 1st, 2014. They were greeted at the end by thru paddlers Gus Bianchi, Carl Anderson and Ian Brown: http://KayakAroundFlorida.wordpress.com

Mary Mangiapia is the 14th person to have completed the trail and the first woman to complete the trail in one paddling season. She began her trek September 6, 2014 at Big Lagoon and finished December 10, 2014 at Fort Clinch. "I have been endurance paddling for 19 years in Florida and can say that this trip is an incredible challenge," she said. "Along the way, I have encountered 10' seas and numerous storms. I even cracked a Kevlar bulkhead while crossing Tampa Bay in big waves. I also have teeth marks in my kayak from a bull shark." She paddled an 18 foot Epic kayak.

Jeff Buncie is the 15th person to complete the CT, just one part of a crazy long-distance endeavor he calls the BNC Odysseia. According to his Facebook site: "the BNC Odysseia is in fact a measure of one's endurance both body and mind. I have compelled a journey that will encompass the next 4 1/2 - 5 years of my existence. Over these years, the goal will be to travel over 16,000 miles by foot and 5,000 miles by kayak. Follow his adventures on Facebook

Sean Bowers is CT thru paddler number 16, arriving at Fort Clinch on April 4, 2015. He paddled along the Gulf to Key West in 2014 with Richard Wood, took a break, and continued his journey in 2015. To learn more, log onto http://gokayakflorida.wordpress.com.

Zane Blakey and Scotia Stein are the 17th and 18th persons to complete the trail. They embarked from Big Lagoon State Park on January 1st, 2015 and finished at Fort Clinch on April 18th that same year. They are the first people to paddle the entire trail in a tandem kayak. http://zaneandsco.wix.com/travels.

By paddling five miles to Key West on March 4, 2016 Richard Wood completed the trail in segments, making him the 19th person who has paddled the entire CT. Taking more than six years, he prides himself at being the slowest person to have completed the trail!

Nicho Rivera and Jake Parker started paddling the entire trail in early January of 2016 at Big Lagoon and finished on April 4 at Fort Clinch, making them the 20th and 21st paddlers who have completed the trail. Recognizing the need to be part of something bigger, they supported the Surfrider Florida Chapter and its focus in on the education and preservation of coastal waterways and our complex interaction with the oceans.

Rich Brand, number 22, completed the CT in 2016 as part of a much longer journey paddling the Great Loop that includes the Mississippi River, East Coast and Great Lakes. Follow along with him on his Facebook Page, Captured Heartbeats: https://www.facebook.com/Captured-Heartbeats-1389455564651776/.

Scott Warren, the 23rd paddler to complete the trail, started his journey October 30, 2016 at Big Lagoon and finished February 19, 2017 at Fort Clinch. He was well received and supported by trail angels throughout his journey and was joined by several thru paddlers at the end. Check out a blog of Scott's adventures at: http://www.h2otraveler.com/.

Tim the Baker, number 24, finished the trail at Clearwater Beach on February 17, the first for 2018. "I just bloodied my knuckles on the same seawall I dropped in at 26 months ago," he said. "I ended with a lot of big days in fair weather."

Esteban Blyar began the trail March 10, 2018 at Big Lagoon and finished at Ft. Clinch on May 9 the same year, paddling on average about 25 miles a day!

Diane Arnold and Warren Johnson completed the trail on May 10, 2018 at Ft. Clinch. This was part of a much longer journey that began in Fort Benton, Montana along the Missouri River in 2016. This was Warren's second time around on the CT!

Mississippi resident Camille Richards was the first paddler of the 2018-19 season to complete the CT. Paddling to raise awareness and support for adults with congenital heart defects, she paddled the trail in segments over three years and finished on December 30, 2018 at Fort Clinch State Park near Fernandina Beach. "Doing this was a huge accomplishment for me mentally and physically," she said.

Steve Cournoyer completed the CT on April 14. 2019, an adventure many years in the making. Steve supported the journeys of many other CT paddlers through his mapping work for FPTA and accompanied some of them on various segments. He describes one hair-raising experience, “My worst day was crossing Tampa Bay in 30 mile-per-hour gusts. There were no other boats on the water except for a Coast Guard cutter.”

John Shinner Beginning his quest in late 2017, John became the 30th paddler to complete the CT on February 11, 2020. “When I paddled The Mighty Cetus across Tampa Bay and finished my CT adventure, it was a thrilling moment for me. However, getting to know and having the support of so many incredible people along the way will be my favorite memory from this adventure of a lifetime.”

Bennie Giles started the CT with Scott Hite in January 2018 as a thru-paddle, but finished on February 17, 2020 by tackling it in three different segments. “I've paddled the entire Mississippi River from source to sea, but this water trail was by far the most challenging. Florida is a true adventure and there's no better way to explore it than by a kayak!”