Key Lime Sailing Club??

[Chambee]

Hi guys! need some help here..

I am going out on a vacation this July, planning to go to the Florida Keys. While searching the internet I found this place in Key Largo called Key Lime Sailing Club, they offer the free use of their 22 sailboats (O'days and Catalinas I think) if you rent one of their cottages. I think its a great deal for $175 a night. Does anyone know of this place or has been there?

here is their website tell me what you think

www.floridasailingadventures.com


Or do you know of other places down there where I can go for my sailing vacation?gonna bring my family so I should consider them also. Need some advice before I finalized my flight arrangements.

Thanks!

[Pblais]

Given the pictures attempt to show you only what they want you to see I'm not sure I would go there based on the web site alone. For all we know this is just an attempt to advertise the place by someone pretending to want to go there and avoid being a spammer. It's not a sailing club at all it's just a resort that has a few rooms and maybe a few boats.

[cslascro]

I lived in Marathon a couple years back and still get down to see friends pretty regular. I can tell you that, based on location alone, be a little wary. 175 a night for waterfront with even a little shot at some boating is really not too bad at all for down there. The thing I would caution you on is the fact that this is bayside up on Largo. The problem with that is that there is generally little ocean water exchange on the backside of that island, and the seagrass can really stack up there and get nasty (especially with 270-075 winds prevailing). I would say to check on Big Pine Fishing Lodge, I can usually get in there real cheap (much cheaper than 175) from May-Oct. If you stay there, you get the real "keys" experience (what's left of it these days) and you're within very easy reach of boat rentals and nights in either Key West or Marathon. Largo is really just an extension of Dade County, especially on the weekends!!!!

[Liberty28]

We just moved a year ago from Key Largo having lived there for five years. We were just about two miles north of the resort you're looking at. The name is new to me, but the location is right by Dolphins Cove (Swim with the Dolphins).The cottages in that area are old and a little tired, but it's quiet on that side of the bay. It might be fun but I wouldn't expect a lot. The bay they are located on is relatively shallow and you'd need to motor a ways to Blackwater Sound to the north for deeper water. I wouldn't let the fact that they have a boat on the property sway you one way or the other. Good luck!

[Tellie]

Geesh Paul a tad cynical right off the bat, but I can see your reasoning. But I know this area well living here all my lfe. First off in the middle of July I think of two words, HOT and Skeeters. This is the upper keys area, probably not the type of Keys tourists see pictures of. But if you have a rental car and plan to stay a week or so the whole keys are easy to get at plus even a few day trips north to Miami or Ft.Lauderdale. You're gonna need that small 22' craft with shallow draft for that area. Grass flats, grass flats and more grass flats and if you don't know the area you will get stuck, bring an old pair of sneakers to jump over the side to push yourself back off again. Don't count on any ocean sailing it will probbly be all Bay side. If I owned the place I would'nt even think of allowing guests to take a 22 Catalina to the ocean side. But the price seems fair considering it's the keys. Don' forget the $75 cleaning charge. But the pictures seem to show the typical Mom and Pop operation that used to be the norm and not the exception the Keys have become. If you're the Embassy Suite type it's probably not for you but if you want to experiance what most of the Keys used to be like it's probably a good bet.
PS That area is now known for their leaping killer spotted eagle rays. (great camp fire stories to be had)

[Chambee]

Lol, I see your point Paul, I'm just here hoping for second opinions. I agree it looks more of a resort with boats. We are on a budget and we love a rugged place and have "the real keys" experience as cslascro have said. Big Pine Fishing Lodge sounds interesting, but I hope the boat rentals don't eat up our budget, we like to do some kayaking and fishing too.

Still looking for a place that offers great deals...

[edstaffin]

I haven't heard of the place you are talking about but I live about 10 miles south of there in Tavernier. I used to own a MaineCat 30 and sailed all over the Keys. What I would suggest as being the most enjoyable trip you could plan would be to head to Key West, charter a cat and head to the Dry Tortugas. It's a terrific sail and the Tortugas can't be beat. As for local places up and down the keys there are tons of them ... both ocean side and bay side. I'm certain we could start a whole new thread just on this subject alone.
Enjoy your trip.

[henkmeuzelaar]

A year or two ago Nelleke and I had some time to kill near the Keys and ended up renting one of Key Lime Sailing Club's cottages and sailing two of their 25ft sloops (one was an O'Day if I remember well).

The cottages were clean, the folks running it very friendly and some of the other tenants (mostly old salts well past retirement age) we met shooting the breeze at the cozy little bar near the waterfront were a blast!!

The sailing itself was a lot of fun too, we thought.

Nelleke and I would go back in a heartbeat if we found ourselves in that neigborhood with some extra time again.
Highly recommended for a relaxed time gunkholing and socializing.

Have fun!

Flying Dutchman
"Rivendel II" (currently dry-berthed in Port Vila, Vanuatu)

[elf]

My husband and I stayed at Key Lime for five nights in December '06. It's definitely not fancy (very much Keys casual/funky), but we had a great time. The boats are older and not perfectly maintained, but we had a blast sailing around the Bay. We did run aground twice, but with the Catalina 22's swing keel were able to get off without much difficulty -- the charts are not always completely accurate as to depths, so don't stray too close to the mangroves!

One cool thing -- I saw a manatee up by the Key Lime docks.

I would recommend Key Lime with the caveat that it's a very casual, laid-back place, nothing fancy, but the other guests were friendly, and we managed to have a fun time. If you want a fancy resort, look elsewhere.

Another place to check out for a Keys vacation including a sailboat for your use is Carribbean Soul Charters (not really a charter!): Sailboat with this Florida Keys Vacation Rental. We stayed in the Treetop Cottage for a week this past December. It's more expensive than Key Lime but the cottages are much more nicely appointed, and the sailboats very well maintained. The owners and managers are some of the nicest folks we've ever met. I'd recommend Carribbean Soul without hesitation!

Hope this helps...

[Texto]

I never sailed before but I am really interested to learn, this Key Lime Sailing Club sounds like fun, do they offer good sailing lessons?

[elf]

Originally Posted by Texto

I never sailed before but I am really interested to learn, this Key Lime Sailing Club sounds like fun, do they offer good sailing lessons?

No, you need to already have sailing experience before going to Key Lime if you expect to take the boats out; they do not offer classes. I recommend a US Sailing Basic Keelboat (Learn to Sail) or ASA 101 class -- either one will teach you the basics. Then you can go to Key Lime!

elf

[Chambee]

Originally Posted by elf

No, you need to already have sailing experience before going to Key Lime if you expect to take the boats out; they do not offer classes. I recommend a US Sailing Basic Keelboat (Learn to Sail) or ASA 101 class -- either one will teach you the basics. Then you can go to Key Lime!

elf

I have talked to the owner last week and booked a cottage at Key Lime for the last week of July. I was told they are now offering sailing courses. Anyway thanks for all of your help guys! We look forward to this vacation and we are really excited...

[elf]

Cool! Hope you have a great time. Make sure to post back here when you get back and let us know how it went.

elf

[SailingBabe]

Hey Guys,
Was searching for a forums and blogs about Key Lime sailing Club and it found this forums.. I was about to join forums in tripadvisor to share my husband and I great sailing adventures in the Keys. We had a blast.. We celebrated our 3rd year wedding anniversary and my husband is a very experienced sailor but I am not and he wanted me to learn how to sail which really I wanted to do for such a long time and this is his gift for me for our wedding anniversary.. We are simple couple not into a luxurious hotel or resort. We are more into a laid back and rustic kindda life. And we anjoy it as we do lots of adventures including road trips, snorkeling, kayaking and sailing.. Key Lime sailing club is not what you called a typical resort. Its different. Its simple yet offer you the best adventure in thier own way. A very friendly staff who are there to assist you.. And the Sunset cruise that we will never forget... its for free.. wow.. you got a chance to meet new friends from other state but with the same interest..Beautiful sunset view right from the Tiki hut or the dock they have. The most awesome part that made our vacation very much a talk about is when I was snorkeling around the Dock while my husband is kayaking around was when I was swimming/snorkeling with the manatee without me knowing it untill later because the manatee was following me.. It was great experience... Manatee's are beautiful creatures.. I love them. I can't forget that experience.. We had a lot of sailing adventures, kayaks tru the mangrove jungles and to the restaurants nearby...Anyway.. You gotta see it yourself.. They have 7 or 8 cottages and all comes with one sailboat each.. The owner has lots of Sailboats that he is selling and some for Charters and my husband love the 40' macgregor catamaran with slide that they use for thier scheduled sunset cruise for Free to all their guest.. I can't ask or complain for more. We are satisfied guest and booked our Christmas vacation just right after we left. We are bringing my parents and my in-laws then.. so we are taking two more cottages... You gotta see what I am talking about. A place to remember and a place where you can have fun without hesitation.. Enjoy!!

[mlbaker]

Hello, we are planning a trip to the Key Lime Sailing Club with 3 boys for March 2009. Can you tell me how was your vacation in July? Do you have anything to share. My husband and two older sons are sailors and the 6 year old and I will be some time on the boat, but not all seven days.

Thanks,