Miami from the sea
June, 2014
Last time I was in Miami, during springtime, a friend invited me for half a day out on a boat. Around 10 a.m. we met at Miami Beach Marina and went on board a wonderful 15 meter rented yacht (our friend is…wealthy!). Part of the tour was alongshore to have a look at the Miami skyscrapers, then we passed by Fisher Island and Miami harbor (where from the ships to Caribbean sail); next we sailed along Brickell, glanced at the Miami River coast, and went towards Key Biscayne.
The water was calm, and being Sunday, there were many and different kind of boats: motorboats, yachts, huge yachts, and few a sailing boats. We sailed past canals with villas with gardens and private harbors, stared upwards at never-ending skyscrapers, saw a dolphin and the wonderful beaches of Key Biscayne. At the end of our tour, one mile from the coast, we passed by the famous stilt houses of Stiltsville: the first stilt houses were built during 20’s and 30’s to avoid the law against gambling and to have somewhere to drink alcohol during Prohibition; over the years many of them have been devastated by hurricanes, then they became illegal and should have been demolished by 1999. In the end, they were saved by a petition signed by more than 75.000 people; they were entrusted first to Biscayne National Park then, since 2003, to the Stiltsville Trust, a non-profit organization. Nowadays you can sail among the 7 surviving houses.
Not only did we see all these things, we also sun bathed, ate fruit, and chatted with the captain, who told us many curiosities about the sea in Florida and about sailing. We definitively had a great morning (we came back at 2 p.m.).
There are many boat rentals in Miami Beach and you can choose from many options according to how much you want to spend. We suggest Captain Joe and Prime Time where you can rent boats for a few hours or for days, with or without a captain and crew.
Off-season you can rent a 6-person boat for 2 hrs. at 200 USD, or 4 hrs. at 330 USD (fuel and taxes not included). This is only an example. What’s important is to book in advance, especially during peak season and weekends, so as not to remain onshore.
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