Coconut Grove Sailing Club

One thing we always need for cruising is a safe place to spend the night.  When the Coconut Grove Sailing Club has the capacity, it fits the bill for Biscayne Bay.  CGSC (http://www.cgsc.org/).  


Located in one of the most protected areas of Biscayne Bay (Latitude:25º 43' 32.79N | Longitude: 80º 14’ 19.19W), CGSC is home to nearly 250 sailboats.  They will allow guests to stay overnight and it isn't uncommon to have cruisers staying for weeks at a time before heading off to the Bahamas, the Keys, or other world destinations.  Although normally reserved for club members, the club has facilities for mooring guests including:

Showers with dressing rooms

Block Ice and Cube Ice

Shaded Work Bench Area

Barbecue Grills

Picnic Tables

Professional Security Guards (every night)

Main Dock for Loading/Unloading and Service

Pump-Out Facility

Walking distance to two grocery stores

Walking distance to two ship chandlerys

Walking distance to two hardware stores

Walking distance to Cocowalk, shopping, dining, movies and more entertainment

A live camera feed shows the club from the top of the nearby Sonesta Hotel and, if you know where to look, you can see my boat:
http://www.miamiboutiquehotels.com/coconut-grove-webcam.aspx
Here are the club's directions from the sea or intracoastal:

Coconut Grove Sailing Club is located adjacent and south of Dinner Key Marina south of the Port of Miami at 25 43 34 N 80 14 21 W just over a mile south of where the Intra Coastal passes south under the Rickenbacker Causeway which has a 76 ft vertical clearance. By sea you must approach us from the northern end of Biscayne Bay there are three possible approaches:

Coming south down the intracoastal and under Richenbacher Causeway just south of Richenbacker there is a Fl G 2.5s at 25 44.5 N 80 11.0 W. The entrance to Dinner Key Channel is at 25 42.8 N 80 12.6 W.

Coming from the Ocean and the East you can enter Biscayne Bay through the Biscayne Channel the easterly entrance is at 25 38.3 N 80 07.9 W. The Channel is wide, carries 6ft plus at low tide and passes through famous Stiltsville, a collection of houses on stilts.

Coming from the South you are coming up Biscayne Bay and the IntraCoastal, beware the Middle Ground shallows to the landward side at 25 42.3 N 80 13.7 W

Once in Dinner Key Cannel you enter the channel between the spoil islands and the Marina turning to port (south) and enter our mooring field as shown on the chart below. Call on VHF Ch 78 to arrange a mooring.