Coconut Grove Sailing Club

Coconut Grove is the more laid back part of Miami as well as being the heart of the Biscayne Bay sailing scene. The Coconut Grove Sailing Club has a privileged place here. It occupies 40 or so acres of the most protected anchorage along the western shore of Biscayne Bay. Its mooring field is only for members and only accepts sailboats. There are a very few transient slips that are rented out to friends and relatives of members. Our member/friend was Lorie Messer, one of Jan's earliest and best buddies from Corpus Christi. The club has a modest two story club house overlooking the anchorage. There is a function with live music every Friday evening. However, dining and socializing are not priorities here, unlike the nearby and tonier Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and the Miami Yacht Club. The emphasis is on racing and the youth program.

Lorie and Jan

                              

Coconut Groove Sailing Club mooring field at night

Mooring field at sunset with the club house in the background

Jan, new friend Larry Whipple, Lorie and Susan Mitchell at the Friday function

Biscayne Bay is a benign and lovely venue. It reminded us of a calmer, warmer, and gentler Corpus Christi Bay. There is racing every week end. At this time of the year there are numerous national and international “mid winters”. But what is really remarkable about the Coconut Grove Sailing Club is the youth program. Every Wednesday after school they launch 20 Optis for lessons and a race. The older kids practice on lasers and other class boats. There is even an adult sailing class for those who want to catch up with their children. Every afternoon and all weekend the downstairs is mobbed with kids. The club is a wonderful example for yacht clubs everywhere.

Services and shops are available although it is a good walk to most of them. Lorie ferried us around on the weekend ends to the hardware store, etc. A fellow cruiser, Dan Ritter, Gertie,had a car and took me to get propane. Dawn Ritter let Jan poach laundry services at the Dinner Key Marina next store.

Jan's sister, Susan Mitchell, flew in as a surprise visit and spent a lovely 4 days with us. Lorie was kind enough to drive her to the airport.

There was Fresh Market within walking distance of the club so we took most of our meals on the boat. We did eat at two Cuban restaurants—El Carajo and Havana Harry's (twice). El Carajo is notable in that it was a gas station that evolved into a first class restaurant. The wine list is a rack of hundreds of wine bottles on the wall. You pick one out and they open it at the table for the retail price plus $10. I thought that idea was a stunning concept. The restaurant also still sells gasoline out front. Havana Harry's was a find by the Ritters. The quantity of food, high quality and low cost were so amazing we had to go back a second time.

El Carajo.  Note the "wine list" is also the decor

Karl meets his match at Havana Harry's.  The dish is called seafood Veradero.  I could not finish even half of it.

Susan, Jan, Karl, Dawn and Dan Ritter at Havana Harry's

White Pepper rode out two cold fronts in perfect comfort there. I never could find anyone willing to tackle the difficult job of installing a new linear drive for the autopilot. Finally it was time to push on. With sadness we left Lori and our new friends at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club and headed out into Biscayne Bay for Elliott Key.

Looking back at Coconut Groove and the Dinner Key mooring field