Paddling an alternate route to Boca Chita Key
from Key Biscayne.
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Bill Baggs to Boca Chita Key round trip loop across the “Safety Valve” on Biscayne Bay is about 22 miles of open water paddling.
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This is a kind of semi urban paddling, where you can get away from the city and yet always see the Miami area skyline on the horizon. Once out there on the undeveloped barrier islands of Biscayne National Park, you are truly on island time! Paddling to Boca Chita Key is straightforward, but is ALL in open water. So one must be comfortable dealing with wind, waves, strong currents and also local power boating traffic! Most paddlers start south of Miami at Black Point or the Dante Fascell Visitor Center of Biscayne National Park to access either Boca Chita or Elliot Key. It’s roughly a ten mile paddle across all of Biscayne Bay, which may include shoals and some tidal flats. This works great for those residing near Miami, but is a long drive if coming down from Broward county or other points.
On this trip I decided to do it a little differently and save myself the extra hour of boring driving by launching from Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne. The paddling distance is about the same as the southern route and I got to paddle over and cross the entirety of a geographic feature called the “Safety Valve”. This is a sandy and very shallow area that runs north and south about ten miles with many dozens of deeper finger channels bisecting it. It’s these channels that funnel water between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean with the tides. The term was coined by famed early Miami resident Ralph Munroe who’s house still stands and is the oldest in Miami! He realized that the Safety Valve was an outlet for excess water particularly to drain areas of northern Biscayne Bay. It’s an important natural feature that helps to prevent flooding of coastal Miami metropolitan areas!
Incidentally, Ralph Munroe was also an avid photographer and left us an excellent record of early life in Miami:
The Forgotten Frontier: Florida Through the Lens of Ralph Middleton Munroe
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The Grey Ghost (Stellar SES) ready to ride at Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne.
Note that it’s at least a 750ft carry from parking area to the water.
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From the kayak launch point inside Bill Baggs, it’s about 11 miles each way to Boca Chita. So for this 22 mile day trip I chose to paddle my Stellar SES surfski, aka the Grey Ghost. The reasoning was simple: she’s a fantastic and comfortable fitness paddling boat, has minimal draft (with a 4″ weedless rudder) and has some interior storage for small items. Other factors were the very light weight for portaging (to launch) and as a modern surfski I can get decent leg drive for much more ergonomic paddling. Finally, the design on the tub allows me to carry 6 liters (1.5 gallons) of water at the lowest point under my legs. This is important to retain stability as that amount of water weighs about 12 lbs. As a safety measure, I brought along a Greenland stick paddle as a spare. It stows nicely on the back deck of the surfski under bungees installed for this purpose.
Just as with many of my trips, I look at the entire outing as a combination of fitness, adventure and art!
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It’s a pretty long carry to launch at Bill Baggs so another reason to go with a lightweight surfski!
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Safety Sombrero v3.01 aka “Ultimate Urban Safety Hat”.
The better to keep power boaters away!
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The area just south of Cape Florida is busy with power boaters and sailboats. At least two deep channels allow large boats and yachts to traverse from points along the Miami coastline out to the ocean. There is little to no commercial boat traffic, so no giant freighters to deal with. However smaller boats are much less predictable than large vessels and often make sudden turns. It can be very unnerving paddling among them, so the best strategy is to minimize time spent crossing the channels. I like to stick close to channel markers whenever possible and time my crossings. It’s also an excellent idea to make oneself as conspicuous as possible. For this reason I wear the Safety Sombrero 3.01 and fly a safety flag on the stern! Another benefit of this route is that if you aim for the Stiltsville area you will already be on top of the northern end of the “Safety Valve” and thus have only the two main deep channels to cross. More on this later!
As always, it’s important to maintain situational awareness so you know what’s going on around you at all times!
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The first couple of miles paddling due south are across some major boating channels. A good strategy is to always cross them in close proximity to their markers.
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The Stiltsville area is the northern boundary of the safety valve. On this trip I bypassed the area about a mile to the east.
Kayak Miami: Stiltsville Village in Biscayne Bay
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Note:
I am describing a 22 mile open water round trip paddle with limited possibility of getting out on land. Plan accordingly and paddle within your limitations and the weather conditions!!
Be absolutely sure you know what you are getting into before considering doing this kind of a trip!
Safety first means planning and research first!!
Always have plenty of fresh water to stay hydrated!
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The “Safety Valve” is about 10 miles of tidal flats with dozens of small channels running across it. A LOT of water moves through here with the tide flow, exchanging waters from Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
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The Safety Valve is mostly shallow, maybe about 1 to 4 feet in most places.
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Underwater view of the Stellar SES Multisport carbon / kevlar hull over the Safety Valve.
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Paddling over the Safety Valve presents many advantages over the “cross the bay” southern route in my opinion. Firstly, once over the shallows, you won’t encounter many power boaters and certainly no speeding super yachts! Most you’ll see smaller flats type boats because this is prime area for fishing! Second, if you have time, there are plenty of places to snorkel or swim. Also, it just feels really neat to be out there surrounded by the flats, shoals and small channels. It’s still open water paddling, but it feels more cozy and personal.
The downside is that because of the shallow depths, it’s harder to maintain the full speed potential of a performance racing surfski like my Stellar SES. So instead of a comfortable and relatively easy cruising 5.5 – 6 mph, it’s more like 4.5 – 5 mph over the Safety Valve. But this is true of paddling in any shallow waters. It consequently follows then that the boat should have minimal to no draft, so either a small 4″ weedless inset rudder or an over stern flip-up setup like the SmartTrack (which my SES can also accomodate but I did not use).
Additionally, if there is significant easterly wind, breakers can form as waves wash up onto the shallows – but there’s not much point in paddling this route under those conditions. More importantly however, because of all the little channels, strong sideways currents can be encountered under certain tidal conditions. It’s best to paddle a boat with a rudder unless you have solid edging skills!
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Lots of fish, sea grasses, sponges, corals and other critters live in the warm shallows of the Safety Valve.
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Sea sponge just under the surface.
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A Sea Star grazing atop a shallow bank of Turtle Grass on the Safety Valve.
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This Safety Valve satellite view shows some of it’s many parallel “finger” channels!
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Turtle Grass in inches of water and a finger channel section of the Safety Valve on Biscayne Bay.
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Approaching Soldier Key in less than a foot of water here.
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With my small weedless rudder setup there is minimal draft and I can plow through all kinds of weeds and never snagging anything.
DIY Surfski rudder mods and weed guard – deflector of the Sargassum!
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Close to Soldier Key I came upon these strange growths that I have not seen before.
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The growths look like some kind of infestation that has displaced the sea grasses I would normally expect to see here. Possibly a result of excess nutrients disturbing the ecological balance of Biscayne Bay.
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Minimal distance touring setup: Seat booster pad, PFD requirement and spare paddle – a Greenland stick in this case.
This surfski has a small access hatch just big enough to store food, drinks and small dry bags.
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Front section of distance surfski touring setup: 6 liters of water in foot well and waterproof camera kit, paddling gloves.
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Solider Key is a small island about 6 miles into the trip, sort of mid way. It’s along this route and the only place to get out of your boat until reaching the Ragged Keys. In the late 19th century it served as a project base for construction of the Fowey Rocks lighthouse. Later it would host the Soldier Key Club and other caretakers before becoming a part of Biscayne National Park in 1980. It’s coastline is unfortunately overrun with all kinds of trash.
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Satellite view of Soldier Key.
Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!
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Aerial view of Soldier Key from a previous trip, looking due east.
Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!
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Remains of derelict jetty dock at Soldier Key.
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Soldier Key is overrun with all kinds of trash debris, as is the case with most islands on Biscayne Bay.
All that trash – the ugly side of kayaking in Miami!
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Monofilament trash wrapped around mangroves of Soldier Key.
All that trash – the ugly side of kayaking in Miami!
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The Grey Ghost flying a safety flag variation with the Miami megalopolis skyline miles in the distance.
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The Miami skyline is about 13 miles away from Soldier Key.
Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!
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Super telephoto view of the Cape Florida lighthouse over 5 miles away from a previous trip.
Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!
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My ultra lightweight safety flag setup for surfski is about 4 feet tall and a variation on the “Alpha” dive flag.
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As an additional safety measure to be as visible to other boaters as possible I fly a ‘not-a-dive’ flag. It’s made it from a piece of carbon fiber fishing pole found along some coastline. I re-purposed it to fit inside the over stern rudder receptacle and is about 4 feet tall. It weighs almost nothing and has no whip, so no effect on the (very) narrow SES paddling performance. Wearing the orange Safety Sombrero 3.01 and flying the flag is about as visible as I can be on a surfski!
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Continuing further south, I can just make out the Ragged Keys and Boca Chita on the horizon about 5 miles away.
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Safety Sombrero v3.1
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Satellite view of a section of the Safety Valve on Biscayne Bay.
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The Safety Valve is a favored fishing spot for flats fisher folk. Not too much boating action here otherwise.
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Approaching the northern most and most ragged – “Ragged Key”.
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This Ragged Key used to have a seawall running around it before becoming part of Biscayne National Park.
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Large sections of the seawall remain, slowly crumbling away. Again note the trash!
Some trash is deposited with the tide, but a lot of it is simply left behind by careless, scumbag boaters! 😦
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Aerial view of the Ragged Key from a previous trip.
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
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One of the Ragged Keys is actually quite nice and hosts a private island home property.
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Note:
I am describing a 22 mile open water round trip paddle with limited possibility of getting out on land. Plan accordingly and paddle within your limitations and the weather conditions!!
Be absolutely sure you know what you are getting into before considering doing this kind of a trip!
Safety first means planning and research first!!
Always have plenty of fresh water to stay hydrated!
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Approach to Boca Chita Key. The lighthouse can be seen from a good distance.
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The top of Boca Chita lighthouse has a large cupola.
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Fortuitously my arrival coincided with the Park tourist boat so I was able to get inside again! 🙂
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Boca Chita Key was a private island retreat built up by Mark C. Honeywell, the founder of the Honeywell Corporation. Although he only owned it for a few years, he created much of what we see today. It remained in private hands and largely unchanged until becoming a part of Biscayne National Park. Today it’s maintained by the NPS for interpretive, educational and recreational use by the public. It’s also one of only two designated back country camping spots inside of Biscyane National Park. As luck would have it, shortly after my arrival a tourist boat pulled up and opened up access to the top of the decorative lighthouse there! 🙂
Read about the fascinating
history of Biscayne National Park in this PDF.
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Boca Chita lighthouse is purely decorative but with a well positioned sun reflection we can imagine it lit up!
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
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Inside the Boca Chita lighthouse, showing some historical photographs and information.
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Stairs leading up the Boca Chita lighthouse from a previous trip.
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
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The all around view from the top of Boca Chita lighthouse is excellent!
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Safety first outfit – when paddling in South Florida! 😉
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The view from Boca Chita lighthouse shows all the points of interest along my linear 11 mile route!
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The megalopolis of Miami is 17 miles away,
due north on the horizon!
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Downtown Miami, 17 miles away due N as seen from the lighthouse at Boca Chita Key.
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
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The wrap around views from the top of the Boca Chita lighthouse are grand! I could clearly see the entire route I’ve just paddled, along with the Fowey Rocks lighthouse and the full extent of Biscayne Bay to the south.
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Fowey Rocks Lighthouse stands 7 miles away due NE from Boca Chita, as seen on another trip.
Fowey Rocks lighthouse – Paddling out to “The eye of Miami”.
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The Fowey Rocks lighthouse is seven miles away on the horizon, due NE from Boca Chita Key.
Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!
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“Will the last person please turn out the light!” 😉
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Boca Chita harbor and flag pole which is at least as tall as the lighthouse and can also be seen from a good distance.
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The beach at Boca Chita Key, aerial view from a previous trip.
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
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Pretty reasonable and self-explanatory Park regulations posted at Boca Chita.
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
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With the Ghost I made a landing off to the side of the main beach.
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Remains of an old wooden dock.
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
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Before heading back the 11 miles to Bill Baggs, I stopped over on the Ragged Keys again for a quick lunch and hydration. Like so many (if not all) of the islands in Biscayne Bay, these keys are also covered in trash. Some of this trash has traveled far and washed up, but much of it appears to have been left by careless asshole power boaters. Of all the users of the Park, these scumbag boaters have the space and the ability to dispose of their trash properly (and then some!). If they had the room to bring it out, they have room to pack it back out!!
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Back on the Ragged Key, beached for a late lunch stop!
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Some Miami dirtbag boaters left most of their meal here, right next to the water. 😦
All that trash – the ugly side of kayaking in Miami!
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Despite all the trash, nature finds a way and is slowly reclaiming the Ragged Keys!
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My simple, nutritious and quick lunch on the Ragged Key before heading back.
Tasty & Quick Cooking for backcountry kayak campers!
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kayakfari safety boca chita biscayne kayak paddle miami
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Safety Sombrero 3.01 and safety flag on the Grey Ghost, ready for a 10 mile paddle back to Bill Baggs!
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Paddling back to Bill Bags from north Ragged Key took about 2 hours. Conditions were very favorable, though extremely hot. I was a little bummed that I couldn’t maintain a better pace in the Ghost, but sometimes the water just feels “heavy”. It’s the shallow depth that has an effect an creates extra drag. Once off the Safety Valve in deeper water I was able to get more glide, but by then some fatigue began to creep in.
It’s important to never underestimate the energy robbing effect that high heat and humidity can have!
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Approaching Soldier Key from the south, but the time is short – gotta keep on paddling.
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Passing the historic Cape Florida lighthouse, nearing sunset and about a mile to go!
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Since Bill Baggs State Park closes at sunset, I had to be sure to return in time! I got a late start, but made it back with about 30 mins to spare. This is cutting it close because the skeeters and noseeums in the parking lot start coming out for dinner before that!
Ideally, you want to be back an hour and a half before sunset.
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A just-in-time finish back at the Bill Baggs kayak launch. The Park closes at sunset, but bugs come out sooner than that! 😉
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Note:
I am describing a 22 mile open water round trip paddle with limited possibility of getting out on land. Plan accordingly and paddle within your limitations and the weather conditions!!
Be absolutely sure you know what you are getting into before considering doing this kind of a trip!
Safety first means planning and research first!!
Always have plenty of fresh water to stay hydrated!
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Safety Sombrero 3.01 is the way! 🙂
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Be safe and enjoy your time on the water!
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You may also like:
This route connects three main points of historical interest to South Florida paddlers.
Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!
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Boca Chita key is a popular boating destination inside Biscayne National Park.
Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
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Fowey Rocks lighthouse – Paddling out to “The eye of Miami”.
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From Miami down to Key West, there are six offshore reef lighthouses along the Florida Keys chain.
Offshore Paddling: The six historic Florida Keys lighthouses.
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“Stiltsville” is an iconic Miami landmark on Biscayne Bay.
Kayak Miami: Stiltsville Village in Biscayne Bay
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! Bless UP
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© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.
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The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!
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With that said..
Blessings friends!
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Kayakfari
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