Dinghy dock @ Miami Boat Show?

[epiic]

I am currently in Miami and purchased tickets to the boat show">Miami Boat Show for Feb 16th.

I am trying to figure out how I am able to get there by dinghy. There are virtually no dinghy docks in Miami. This is not a cruiser friendly city.

Will they have a dinghy dock for us liveaboards to attend the show?

[bvander]

They dont.
Miami Boat show, and city of Miami are not cruiser friendly, don't understand why they even have a boat show.
Best bet is anchor/moor at Dinner Key and use public transit.

[DotDun]

They used to have a dinghy dock at Strictly Sail, I never used it, don't know if they still put it in or not.

[epiic]

Originally Posted by bvander

They dont.
Miami Boat show, and city of Miami are not cruiser friendly, don't understand why they even have a boat show.
Best bet is anchor/moor at Dinner Key and use public transit.

Yeah, I am shocked by the dinghy dock situation here.

Does dinner key offer a dinghy dock in order to access public transit?

Also, I was told the boat show is split up. Power boats at the Marine Stadium and sailboats at Miamarina.

Dinner Key seems pretty far from Miamarina.

[bvander]

Dinner Key has two, one by marina office (new) for mooring ball customers and one on S side of marina by boat ramp for anchor folks. City of Miami and coconut Grove have good public transit, good uber, horrible taxi.

[Mango51]

I normally go to bayside tie up on a dock in the show. chain everything and walk out. Done so far three years in a row. Don't think it's legal. But no one has ever said anything

[bvander]

Originally Posted by Mango51

I normally go to bayside tie up on a dock in the show. chain everything and walk out. Done so far three years in a row. Don't think it's legal. But no one has ever said anything

You were lucky. City of Miami have contracted SeaTow. Dinghies are tagged by police and then SeaTow cuts lock and tows away. A cruiser two years ago paid a fine plus $20/ft storage to get his dink back, plus the cab ride to the impound location and then a long dingy ride home in the dark. His first time in Miami and the boat show, not sure if he will ever go back.

[RichandHelen]

You can anchor for free off of Dinner Key and take your dink to the south-end dinghy dock, pay for a transient mooring ball (the marina will pick you up - no need for a dink at all - call on 16), or get a transient slip. The show Has a water shuttle from Dinner Key for free. What's not cruiser-friendly about this?

[epiic]

Where else does this water shuttle pick people up?

Dinner Key keeps getting mentioned but it's so far from the show and everything else for that matter...

[Jason Flare]

You can get the water taxi to the boat show at the municipal marina at Dinner Key. The taxi comes in and docks on the south side of the south pier. If you were coming in from the mooringfield or the anchorage beyond the mooringfield, to the dinghy dock, the taxis would be on your right.

The water taxi will take you to the boat show at Marine Starium. It takes about 45 minutes. If you want to go to the Stricly Sail show you have to take another water taxi to the Miamarina. Another 45 minutes. When you want to get back to your boat at Dinner Key you have to reverse the process. 45 minutes back to Marine Stadium, and 45 minutes back to Dinner Key.

There is no direct link between Dinner Key and Stricly Sail. You will spend three hours in a water taxi getting to and back from Dinner Key to Stricly Sail.

We were given some misinformation last year and ended up at Stricly Sail at the end of the day with no way back to Dinner Key. We took a taxi.

The Miami Boat Show is a clusterfudge. Vendors are staying away and rightly so in my opinion. The area isn't boater friendly and traveling between the separate venues is a huge time waster.

[epiic]

Thanks Jason, I appreciate the response.

I am trying to figure out why Dinner Key is the only option to keep your boat with plans to attend the show.

[RichandHelen]

Originally Posted by Jason Flare

You can get the water taxi to the boat show at the municipal marina at Dinner Key. The taxi comes in and docks on the south side of the south pier. If you were coming in from the mooringfield or the anchorage beyond the mooringfield, to the dinghy dock, the taxis would be on your right.

The water taxi will take you to the boat show at Marine Starium. It takes about 45 minutes. If you want to go to the Stricly Sail show you have to take another water taxi to the Miamarina. Another 45 minutes. When you want to get back to your boat at Dinner Key you have to reverse the process. 45 minutes back to Marine Stadium, and 45 minutes back to Dinner Key.

There is no direct link between Dinner Key and Stricly Sail. You will spend three hours in a water taxi getting to and back from Dinner Key to Stricly Sail.

We were given some misinformation last year and ended up at Stricly Sail at the end of the day with no way back to Dinner Key. We took a taxi.

The Miami Boat Show is a clusterfudge. Vendors are staying away and rightly so in my opinion. The area isn't boater friendly and traveling between the separate venues is a huge time waster.

Reminds me of the old Yogi Barrera quote "Nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded".

[meridian28]

The dink that got towed was at Miami Beach, not Miami.

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by RichandHelen

Reminds me of the old Yogi Barrera quote "Nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded".

Agree LOL. The show is at the point where some vendors hold out for a better deal and come in at the last minute, but there are a lot of vendors who have given up the show completely.

I'm actually going to the show two days this year. Mrs Flare and I are volunteering to work at the Seven Seas Cruising Association booths at Strictly Sail. This year we're renting a car to get to the show rather than sailing the boat to Miami and staying at Dinner Key.

Stop at the SSCA booth and say, "Hi."

[jzk]

Anyone going to the Miami Boat show this year by dinghy? Is Dinner key the best bet? Or how about anchoring by Collins canal and then the dinghy dock on Collins canal?