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="" />

Woot! Mary that is awesome, well the Gilberts news is bleh!

I dont get it with Gilberts management. I mean we bring them so much business yet they want to squeeze every penny out of us. I think I will never ever stay there again, and I will go out of my way to let everyone know that Gilberts "resort" sux.

In my short experience dealing with them it has been nothing but a hassle and every time you call that place whoever answers has no clue what I am usually talking about, when it comes to races, launching etc etc.

BOOO for Gilbert's "resort"

ps: I am extremely GLAD! that Tradewinds is NOT at Gilberts. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Gilberts is the devil.

In my limited experience, the Keys isn't cat boat friendly to outsiders.

As DA MOS told me.. "I shudder to think of all the money I've wasted at that tiki bar..."

It doesn't have much to do with catamarans. It's a matter of geology. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Bump

Okay, Steeplechase sailors and fans, it is official! The new launch site and finish area for the Key Largo Steeplechase will be hosted by Key Largo Boating and Watersports Club adjacent to the Caribbean Club.

It is not really “new.” It is actually the old site that we used for many years. It was taken out of commission for sailboats for years because of lawsuits involving a Hobie 16 mast coming into contact with powerlines and causing injuries.

Yesterday Rick and I talked to Joe Donahue, owner of Key Largo Watersports, and he is very excited about hosting the Steeplechase at his place.

Joe has dramatically improved the beach area, so you will be rigging your boats on a very large area of soft, white, sand. When you leave the beach on Saturday morning you will sail north to get to the Jewfish Creek Liftbridge for an 8:30 a.m. opening. It is about 1.5 miles as the crow flies. The race start is on Barnes Sound, at the north end of Jewfish Creek.

There will be a fee of $20 per boat paid to Key Largo Watersports.

There will not be room to store your trailers at the launch site, but we have that covered. If you do not have any other place to leave your trailer and if you plan to keep it up in Key Largo for the duration, you can keep it at what used to be the Italian Fisherman, a couple doors south of the Caribbean Club) for a one-time fee of $10. They have a HUGE parking lot.

For those of you not familiar with the area, the launch site is at mile marker 104 on the bay side. The Caribbean Club is a landmark historic bar, and Key Largo Watersports is immediately adjacent on the north side. I will try post a diagram of the launch area on this thread before the race.

The finish of the race will be off the end of the dock at Key Largo Watersports, and we hope most of the boats will be pulling out there, because we will be having a barbecue party immediately following the race, and, of course, trophy presentations.

This is shaping up to be the best Steeplechase ever, in terms of logistics.

If you still want to stay at Gilbert’s and pay the $40 a night for your boat and/or trailer for the duration, go for it. Personally, I hope I never have to deal with them again. We can’t burn bridges, but it seems obvious that they don’t want us there.

There is a big list of Accommodations in the NOR. The launch site is at mile marker 104, which translates to 104000 in terms of actual addresses on U.S. 1 (Overseas Highway). So you can tell which are closest to the site.

I would humbly suggest that you book your rooms for both Friday and Saturday night in Key Largo, rather than spending Saturday night down by the overnight stop. Reason is that we were able to get TDC (Tourist Development Council) funding this year for advertising for the event, but it came out of the Key Largo TDC fund. So it would be nice to be able to show evidence that the advertising dollars generated more income for businesses in Key Largo specifically. Like stay there, eat there, shop there, if you can.

In the old days it made more sense to book a room down in Lower Matecumbe for Saturday night, because the cats were a lot slower and often came in after dark. But these days, the cats in the race are faster and usually finish in early afternoon. So it’s usually no big deal to drive the 40 minutes back to your room in Key Largo. Plus, it is a heck of a lot more convenient if you plan to stay Sunday night, too, and leave on Monday.

PLUS, it will also be a lot more convenient to be staying up at the Key Largo end if you plan to go to the great party and dinner Saturday night at Steve Lohmayer's house in Tavernier.

P.S.
For people from afar who want to sail the Steeplechase and leave their boats here for the Tradewinds in January, I am thinking that maybe the Italian Fisherman lot might be a place to leave them. I will check that out.

P.P.S. At this point I think the skippers meeting and party and final registration and payment is still going to be at our house. Stay tuned.

WOOOT! Mary, thank you very much for this update. Joe are you reading?

C U @ Carlisle

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Gilberts after they basically put us on the street last year at tradewinds.

is Da Mos me? Is you talking to me?

I do hate I spent so much money there, the rooms were nasty and so were the people. Last year they chained my friends trailer to a pole after they said he could leave from Steeplechase until Tradewinds FOC if he stayed there again for Tradewinds. He made his reservation that day but when he got back for the Tradewinds they wanted $120 storage fee and wouldnt back off. Anyway the Tiki bar was awesome, I will miss it, but otherwise they can kiss my white......

who else would be DA MOS?

You have way too many names <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Rick, I want to bring the boat down this weekend. Would it be possible to leave it at the Key Largo Watersports this week?

Mosley are you racing with Jake at the Steeplechase?

Mosley's working on a fix'r'upper house at the moment and I'm sailing Steeplechase with the illustrious Frank Moore!

I don't know. Call Key Largo Watersports at 305-453-4848 and ask them if you can store it there for a week and how much they would charge. Explain that it is for the Steeplechase, which they are hosting Dec. 9-10.

Jake, thanks for the info. I am having a party in WPB next Thursday. If ya'll want to stop and stay the night, you are more than welcome. I have three beds at first come first served and plenty of floor space. I am leaving first thing the next morning.

Mary, thanks for the info. I will call them.

We're leaving upstate SC Thursday evening but I'm not sure we'll be able to make it that far south and arrive at any reasonable hour. Thanks for the offer though! One of these years, I'll take you up on that.

Im extremely jealous!

Me too!

Why aren't you doing Steeplechase Tad? Don't tell me its because Trey has exams.