HOME - sailorgirl adventures - sundowners
Oh boy was it blowing! There we were, sitting in Tarpon
Basin, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Ever since we'd left the boat
yard it had been blowing like stink. I mean 20 - 30 knots daily. We screamed
southbound down the west coast of Florida and then east along the Keys
on our way up to Miami. The plan was to meet up with friend there, check
out our favourite spots, watch some beautiful people, hang out with friends,
have a few cocktails and then the weather would be perfect and we'd zip
over to the Bahamas. HA! Always remember, it is not up to you where you
go. So there we were, in Tarpon Basin, just north of Key Largo. Yes it's
a perfectly protected anchorage but there's not much there. (Although
I am happy to report that the city has now installed wifi and if you anchor
close enough you can pick it up on your boat. Of course with the wind
direction we couldn't anchor close enough.) After a couple of days of
staring at mangroves and going through our library it appeared that the
wind had died down slightly. It's only 40 miles to Elliot Key, on a northeast
course somewhat protected for the first 10 miles then we would shift more
northerly. The wind was E15 - 20. We looked at each other and thought,
it can't be that bad. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. We pounded straight into a
4 - 6' chop at 25 knots. It was like standing under a firehose. When we
got to Elliot Key the anchorage had a lovely swell going through so we
continued on to here, Boca Chita, another 3 miles of pounding north. Once
we got into the basin, ahhhhh, calm. And a seawall to tie up to. 
Boca Chita Key is a lovely little national park, 22 miles south of Miami down Biscayne Bay. We discovered this park through a friend with local knowledge. According to the chart it is 4' depth in the entrance channel. We followed the markers and never saw less than 5 1/2'. There's the seawall to tie up to, picnic tables, barbeques and a path that runs the island. The path is 1/2 mile which after several days aboard a 27' boat is heavenly. The downside is the mosquitoes and the crowds. Fortunately for us since it never blew less than 30 knots while we were there the mosquitoes were gone! If you're there in less than 25 knots bring out the bug spray. And never ever go there on a weekend. You can also anchor on the outside so long as the wind has some east in it. Less bugs outside but no where to walk.
The lighthouse here is a tapered 65 foot beacon built from
native coral rock and boasts interior stairs designed to imitate medieval
stone masonry. The lighthouse was built by Mark C. Honeywell who owned
the island from 1937 to 1945. The Honeywell Corporation tycoon thought
the lighthouse would help his boat captain to have a landmark for use
as a navigational bearing.
When the tower was finished, with the pomp Honeywell was accustomed to,
the lighthouse was lit. But not for long. Honeywell, it seemed had never
thought to tell the Lighthouse Service about his little project. They
soon informed him that the lighthouse was not charted and hence constituted
a hazard to navigation. Within hours after it was first lit it was extinguished.
A couple of times a week the park brings visitors on a tour and they open the lighthouse. Go ahead, tag along they don't mind. Keep in mind, there are no garbage facilities and no power. Also, they ask for a $20 a night mooring fee which you can pay at the information board - it's the honour system. Personally I have no problem with a small fee like this. It's a nice facility, clean, well-maintained and close to a major city. There should be more of them. Enjoy!
