Miami Boat Show 2015 Anchorage Advice?

I am planning on anchoring near Belle Isle while attending the boat show in February. I looked at staying at a Marina but $3.80 a foot and up is a little much for me.

Any advice on where to anchor, where to land the dinghy, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Arch

you can anchor at Sunset Lake, look it up on active captain. it is within walking distance of the Miami Beach Convention Center. active captain also lists the dinghy landing locations.

I had the same idea, but after reading AC reviews didn't feel comforable leaing my center consol tender. What was your experiece with achoring there and leaving your dinghy while attending the show?

It has been a long time since I have done this, so maybe someone with more current knowledge will comment, but anchor at Bell Island or any in S Beach and take your dinghy to Watson Island and leave it at the public boat ramp. Walk over to the boat show parking area (it is a long hike to get under the bride over to the west side and take the shuttle bus to the show.

This worked 15 years ago just fine.

David

We left our center console dinghy at the police station and at the Publix on Collins Canal this year for the Miami Boat Show. You can lock it up in both locations. We weren't hassled. We were there for 5-6 days and even managed to get water jugs filled every day to keep our tanks 100% topped before heading out to the Bahamas.

Jeff,

What was your choice of anchorage spot? From what I see Sunset Lake still has some residence issues. Sunset Lake North looks like an nice alternative. I see good revoews on Belle Isl North.

No problems with sunset lake. We stayed there three different times for a total of seven weeks over the last fifteen months.

I love the Belle Isle anchorage. It's rough on the weekends with wakes but our boat handles them pretty well.

The dinghy dock seems to be out int he Sunset Lake anchorage - there's construction going on. There is another dinghy dock further away. We went over the one afternoon to visit some friends who were anchored there. There's still plenty of room there.

While anchored at Sunset Lake I locked our dink to the rail at the park that's in front of the police station. Best to drop the Admiral off at the boat ramp and then lock the dink, you'll have to climb over some rocks.

This is a meaningless thread now. The 2015 Miami International Boat show is over. The 2016 show won't be on Miami Beach.

The show is moving to the Marine Stadium on Virginia Key. The plan is to have at least some anchorage in the Stadium area with shuttle boats to bring you to the show. I think access to the show will actually be better than at the Convention Center.

It's an extremely popular anchorage and one of my favorites, anywhere. I've been there with and without the Miami Boat Show. It's in proximity to everything Miami Beach has to offer.

I've anchored in the Marine Stadium area where the in-the-water part of the 2016 Miami Boat Show will be located. I don't see yet how all of that is going to work over there - it'll be a zoo. Anchoring on the Dinner Key side of things is where the convention parts will be and there's no room today for another boat there. It's all going to be a lot tougher to get to by boat.

I think I'll be going to the Bahamas earlier next year...

The large boats normally displayed in the convention center will be shown in the water at the Marine Stadium. The smaller boats and accessories normally shown at the con center will be in air conditioned tents on the land side of the Marine stadium. They are planning water shuttles from multiple locations. Water shuttles will now connect all of the locations as they are all on the water.

I believe land access will be easier as well. They are talking about a shuttle bus from the Coconut Grove Metrorail Station to the Stadium. That means you can park at any of the Metrorail Stations. You could even stay in Palm Beach or Ft. Lauderdale, ride a nice train to Miami, transfer to the Metrorail and ride the shuttle bus to the Stadium.

Unless they have dedicated bus lanes, the buses will be stuck in traffic like everyone else. There is still only one way in and out of the stadium area. In addition to the boat show there are a lot of other things are located on that causeway. The traffic can be a pain even if nothing special is going on.

At this year's show it took about 45 minutes to get from the convention center to Sea Isle. From Sea Isle to the yacht show on the river was about an hour.

Ssobol, I don't think the causeway traffic will be that bad. If it is, take Metrorail and Metro Mover to the Sailboat Show or Sea Isle. You'll be able to get to any of the other locations by water shuttles.

There is a boat show in Anchorage in 2015?
Won't it be cold?