There is bad news and good news.

First the bad news:
As I posted earlier, Gilbert's Resort is still renting rooms. However, I talked to the owner today, and he says that they are now charging $3 per foot, per night, to just have your boat on land there. If you are renting a room there, it is discounted to $2 per foot per night. Whoopee! And because he loves us so much <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />, for the Steeplechase, he will "only" charge $2 per foot per night even for boats of people who are not staying at Gilbert's. The price is the same whether there is a boat on your trailer or not. In other words, for a 20-foot boat, they are going to charge $40 a night for each night the trailer is there. And they want you to pay up front for the boat/trailer storage for the number of nights you expect it to be on the property. If you leave early, they will give you a refund. (I did not dare ask what happens if you have the boat off the trailer and both sitting on the property. I guess that would be $80 a night. For that price, you might as well forget the room and just sleep on the trampoline. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />)

SO, as of now, I am suggesting that you not rent a room at Gilbert's yet, if you have not already done so. And if you have already reserved a room, you may want to keep your eye on this thread and may want to cancel that reservation.....

BECAUSE.....

Here is the good news:
It is looking possible that all the boats may be able to launch again from the rental operation adjoining the Caribbean Club, just as we always used to. I talked the owner of Key Largo Watersports today, and he sounds like he is in favor of basically hosting the event, and even letting us have an after-race party there, because he has a bunch of barbecue grills.

I am cautiously optimistic about this. Rick and I are going to meet with him either tomorrow or sometime this weekend, so I will get back to you on this thread as soon as we have something solid -- probably by Monday at the latest.

If this comes through, you will have lots more options about where to stay. And, by the way, if we do this, the finish line will also be at Key Largo Watersports, just as it used to be in the old days, instead of at Gilbert's. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />