Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!
(As featured in the February/March 2014 issue of Sea Kayaker magazine.)
http://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/chickees-and-keys-in-florida-bay-kayaking-camping-and-nice-dreams
Enjoy this extended online mix! 
Flex Maslan
www.kayakfari.com
Prepare for the Bay
Maslan’s descriptions are excellent and accurate.
Chickees are often difficult if weather allows bird crap buildup on the roof. With the ocean breeze this is not noticeable. The wind may ease off at night.
Grainger supply sells 3M dust masks with a breathing flap. Grainger ships UPS or visit a store. Buy one or 2, practice before leaving, store in sandwich bags. Carry extra bags in the bag.
Bring a Walmart painters tarp for the tent, 8x12’ for each night. Spread tarp on chickee deck holding down with equipment at windward, paddles on reach. Roll tarp onto shafts.
Paper towels for the job johnny
Bring 2 Wal floating painters for each kayak. With bow and stern lines to the upper deck, the hull can tie up on the lower deck for unloading then pull hull up on lower deck.
I planned and wrote ‘Flamingo to Long Key BOOMERANG’ here in Paddlenet.
You may need physical kayak training or arm endurance as an athlete. I’m 68 training with light arm weights, wrist grips, wrist roller and stretching exercises every morning. I work on the shoulder joint with an infinite variety of rolls, twists and stretches. Visit EXRX.COM for advice.
The place is buggy and hot summers. Head bug nets and spray for clothing, socks over pants, white long sleeve polyester crews for bugs and under wetsuit for sun, a sun hat, strong sunglasses brown and grey. Brown for scenic effects, grey for navigation. Light cotton GLOVES !
A Garmin GPS equipped with East Coast Blue Charts and if possible Topo USA will navigate PAST the banks in quick flowing water. Read the BOOMERANG.
There is a description for using MSR Dromedary water bags here in Kayak Reviews under Current Designs Solstice Titan. Velcro 3-4-5 bags to the keel.
On the Bay, cockpit bags are stable with only Velcro but expecting rougher conditions, Velcro and cam straps. A weighted keel with a large touring kayak gives stability into the wind and for a strong ferry, an essential navigation on the Bay. Rolling up is faster.
Flex photography is what you will see. Sunsets are beyond category.
Unless you have a camera mounted
on a pole you won’t have a Flex View. His pole is 25 feet tall
Never had a bird crap problem… Wasps yes, but not on Florida Bay. Bugs yes but I wasn’t in Florida Bay in June.
I think Mr Koll has not read the messages in the johns… ONLY Toilet Paper! The waste boat hates having to undo clogs in the suction piping caused by baby wipes and paper towels… DONT!
roll
roll PT into a round wad.
sit on it
kayak Florida Keys
http://goo.gl/drDtis
and Maslan and I have contributed to understanding kayaking opportunities in the Keys area for in state paddlers and tourists. Tourist kayaking is encouraged, to bring the kayak down.
Information we offer is posted as true, genuine, experienced on the water, for your enjoyment and good health.
There is no deviation from these goals.
Posters who land on our information with bogus claims boasted without evidence or past contributions should be dismissed and ignored.
thanks!
– Last Updated: Jun-18-14 10:06 PM EST –
Thanks datakoll, although I do have to disavow any knowledge of your actions~ ;)
Thank you everybody for the great response to my article! To that end, I am honored and very pleased to be one of two featured artists, along with Pedro Garcia at this month’s Art Exhibit at http://www.mokshafamily.org Moksha Family Arts Collective in North Miami.
Presented by 7th Circuit Productions.
Friday, June 20th, 2014 : 8-10pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/236520939890148/
On display will be several large format and aerial panoramic prints from http://www.kayakfari.com along with the surreal “Extreme Birdwatching“ series from http://www.decoratedreality.com .
Nothing like seeing art in person.
Stop on by if you're in town!
P.S. I see that datakoll must have a lot of sailing experience. Yes, he writes in the style of Nostradamus quatrains but I think what he means is that he figured out how to use the many channels in Florida Bay to his advantage and zoom around with the flow. Kudos datakoll!
Keys
– Last Updated: Jun-20-14 9:44 PM EST –
Gallery run out of artists ?
Has Maslan tried the Boomerang route ? The staked channel out of Flamingo going north then around Murray Key then to the west of Man O War Key is a flowing ditch running past fields.
Past Man O War the basin is natural to the Yacht Channel seen on the map as a lighted buoy area.
Arriving at Long Key sound over the sandbar, you see the bridge and go for it on the out going tide. My position went from south just below the 'channel' to the bridge on a fairly good tide flow carrying into a Atlantic wind.
Past Man O War, Boomeranging south east before a north or west wind , yup you are sailing a ferry crossing. Read Burch 'KAYAK NAVIGATION' as on the Barnes and Noble site.
Yes, your work deserves an audience. And you have one online. Now develop standup !
No online sunset photos from Johnson's Key...drag a tripod over ! Sun setting south of Flamingo.
The photo I use for Long Key looking to the 5 Bridge...a beauty thanks.
Did I miss your entourage at Flamingo ?
I'm off to the coast for whales, humpback, blue and fin.
good paddling !