Boca Chita Light

Friday 06.30.06 

Destination: Boca Chita Light 

Charting Summary: Drove down I-95 boat in tow to Crandon Park Marina. Cruised southward on the ICW to the east side of Feather Bed Bank, Left at Marker 4 into Park Channel.

 We left Ft Lauderdale a bit late, as can be expected trying to leave the office early on a Friday afternoon. With visions of perfect moist and billowy summer clouds in a bright blue sky as a back drop for my imaginary picture of the Boca Chita Light, I was a little glum on the ride down. Four thirty in the afternoon seemed a might late to do the 1 ½ drive to Key Biscayne through building Friday rush hour traffic and the increasingly dull gray appearance of the sky did not bode well for the picture I had in mind. Normally the chance for a beautiful sunset would have made it worth the dash but it did not looking promising for that. Nonetheless Raymond maintained his determined and cheerful demeanor as we rolled down I-95 bound for the boat ramp at Crandon Park Marina. 

The ramp was extremely nice and well maintained and launching the boat was a pleasure. Equipped with the camera, I still looked doubtfully askance at the sky. But, at this point was getting excited just to have the ride. The breeze was cool and pleasant and the water made pleasurable noises against the hull. Charts in hand we noted the markers and as the skyline became smaller and we pulled further away from the shore, in the openness of the bay, I could see that there was plenty of clear sky between the horizon and the dull gray clouds. I wondered if possibly if we might make it to Boca Chita before the sun descended beneath that layer for some nice sunset shots after all. 

We rode the ICW South and before long were East of  Feather Bed, turning left at Marker 4 and into Park Channel. Seeing the Boca Chita Light off in the distance excited me as it was as cute and delightful as I had expected. I started shooting pictures as we neared the beacon and pulled into the little basin lined with places to tie up various sized yachts and motor boats. I set up the tripod used both the 17-40mm lens and the 70-300mm lens wandering all around the circular basin for different angles and lighting. It turned into a fantastically beautiful evening. There was a yacht tied up near the entrance by the lighthouse. Its owner helped me to loosen the knob that allows me to orient my camera vertically as it was hopelessly stuck. He also invited me up the bridge of his vessel to shoot the lighthouse from that vantage point. 

Raymond was anxious to leave while there was still light since the surrounding waters were very shallow and our familiarity with the area was slim. However, I walked all the way around the basin to shoot from the Coral Gates and the sunset just became more and more beautiful. I didn’t head back to the boat until the sun had already disappeared beneath the horizon. But, we still had plenty of light and promptly departed. My parting glance of the light was of a slightly Arabic looking shape with an exotic sliver of a moon up above. 

Our trip back seemed longer than out and the wind had taken on a bit more force. Although we drifted briefly into very shallow water on the way out..I enjoyed hanging over the bow for whatever that shift in weight might offer…not much but it was comfortable to lean over the cushiony air cells that construct the tube of an inflatable boat. The trip was a complete success finding a beautiful spot, friendly fellow boaters, and acquiring some very nice pictures of the quaint Florida light.

~ by Judy on June 30, 2006.