Live Aboards Allowed: | no |
Dockside Power Connections: | No Power Available |
Wi-Fi Internet Access: | Not Available |
Fuel Availability: | No Fuel Available |
Phone: | (239) 695-2101 |
Website: | http://everglades-rodandgunclub.com/ |
Lat/Lon: | Near 25°51.507 N / 81°23.260 W |
Location: | on the southeastern banks of the Barron River, north of marker #39 |
Depths: | 6 ft. |
Address: | 200 Riverside Dr Everglades City, FL 34139 |
Transient Dockage: | Available. |
Transient Dockage Rate: | $1.75 per foot per night |
Type of dockage: | fixed concrete facedock |
Live Aboards Allowed: | no |
Total number of slips/berths: | 20 |
Dockside Power Connections: | 30/50 amp power hookups available |
Dock. Fresh Water Connections: | Available. |
Showers: | Available. |
Swimming Pool: | Available. |
Restaurant: | one on-site and several others nearby |
Restaurant Recommendations: | Rod and Gun Club (239) 695-2101 open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner |
Provisioning Possibilities: | Walk one block to Rite Choice supermarket |
LPG (Propane) Availability: | Available. Walk to Circle K Convenience store for LPG tank exchange 4 blocks away |
Wi-Fi Internet Access: | Not Available |
Fuel Availability: | No Fuel Available |
We left Naples on Saturday the 26th, bypassed Marco Island and the Cape Romano Shoals, and then turned in through the Ten Thousand Islands to Everglades City and the famous Rod and Gun Club, where unbeknown to us a wedding was about to begin on the grounds. In fact, the father of the bride very graciously caught a line for us (since they don’t monitor VHF and didn’t answer the phone upon our approach). What a neat little town and a worthwhile stopover. We did hit bottom once (we draw 3.5 – 4 ft. depending on how much fuel and water is weighing us down) on our way back out the channel the next morning at low tide.
Sharon and Ken Vogel
M/V Docker’s Inn
Definitely go up the Barron River to Everglades City. Stay at the Rod and Gun Club (aka, the Sportsman’s Club). No credit cards; cash or personal checks only! Great, if small, local heritage museum. Truly a glimpse of Old Florida. More great dinghy exploring.
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary
Currently at Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL
Monk 36 Hull #132
just spent two days at the Rod & Gun Club with a small group of boats from Pine Island. I would most definitely return here – docks were OK, view was great, the Club a place you have to experience at least once. Food was absolutely great! Showers were clean and had plenty of hot water. There are several other spots for breakfast or dinner within an easy walk. We carried 4′6″ all the way up to the Club with NO problems, even at a very low tide.
Capt. Mike Smith
Check with the Rod and Gun Club in Everglade City (http://www.evergladesrodandgun.com/) about the Seafood festival. I believe it is usually held in early Feb and it is great fun. Also a good place to hop on an Airboat ride thru the Everglades.
Joe Moran
I was there in April and June. As you follow the channel to Everglades City, a good anchorage is just north of FG 7. In this area just off the channel, before Russell Bay, you’ll find 7’ + with good holding. It’s deeper where the current flows through from Russell Pass, but the bottom is hard and holding is poor. Fishing boats come through early morning & evening, but it’s a minor problem, unless you are anchored in the pass. You are out of the way of traffic from Everglades City.
It’s a good idea to plan your trip up to the Rod & Gun Club at slack tide. The current can be quite stiff. Turning around could be tricky, especially for underpowered boats. I don’t remember depths of less than 8’, but depth isn’t as much of an issue as current. There is plenty of seawall by the Club, but it is not well maintained. Good fenders are in order, as well as good dock & spring lines. There are some power stations along the wall, but several are not operational. The Club is interesting to see and is very “Old Florida.” Food was good, but not spectacular. It’s a good place for lunch and having a beer on the porch is very enjoyable. There is no place to buy fuel that I have been able to find, but there are a few small seafood places along the river as you proceed past the Club. If you anchor down by Russell Bay, it’s a fun dinghy trip up the river to the Rod & Gun Club. If you can’t get your dink on plane, it will be a long, slow ride against the current!
Jake Dye
Everglades City was fun for a day or two as we biked about from our position alongside the Rod and Gun Club seawall.
The Rod & Gun Club itself has a long ways to go in the management of their seawall moorings. About ten cruising sized boats can fit comfortably alongside, and clubs from the Sarasota area south like to come down here during to cool no-bug months of March/ April. What with being a bit isolated, the R&G Club is a bit prone to having clubs show up on a “flexible” schedule; although
the two clubs we saw showed up on time. Anyway, the staff there works three shifts and the pass-down is not very good between shifts. They do not monitor a radio, and there was nobody to assist in mooring when we showed up (that doesn’t bother me because I hate dock hands pulling and pushing when I have control of my own boat). We ended up extending our stay by two nights and when the second club showed up (we were not informed of this reservation) we were asked to vacate and told to talk to the other shift about a refund for the last night. Being immediately out of reliable cell contact the moment we left town, I will now rely on the US Mail to carry my request for refund.
Before we vacated our spot, we were offered a temporary spot with no power and told we could remain there if they could not fit us into a powered spot after the boat club got settled. After getting two 42-foot boats moved to this location (it was high tide – the ONLY time to move a 4.5-foot draft boat around), I sounded around and found that we had about 6 inches under us and 2 feet of tide due to lower in the next few hours. We had no time to dicker and promptly left for anchorage six miles away.
I am not pissed off or trying to paint a negative picture of the R&G Club (but don’t eat there). We’ll use them again if we ever pass this way again (you have to – they are the only mooring in town, anchorage is way off downstream), but you need to be prepared to deal with a “marina” way down the list from something like Marina Jack in Sarasota. It’s part of their charm. It appears that if we had been able to predict our travels and made reservations before the boat clubs (over two months ago) we would have had prior claim to our spot, no matter how many boat clubs came in.
As for us, we are just as happy to be able to move on safely despite running through an area with small craft warnings.
Rich Gano
CALYPSO
Phone: | (239) 394-3668 |
VHF: | Monitored: 16 Working: |
EMail: | cbtararan@shmarinas.com |
Website: | calusaislandmarina.com |
Lat/Lon: | Near 25°55.234 N / 81°39.045 W |
Location: | found on the waters west of the Marco to Naples waterway’s marker #6 |
Depths: | 5.5 ft. |
Address: | 385 Angler Dr Goodland, FL 34140 |
Transient Dockage: | Available. |
Transient Dockage Rate: | $2.00 per foot per night(30 ft. minimum) |
Type of dockage: | floating concrete decked slips and face docks |
Live Aboards Allowed: | yes |
Total number of slips/berths: | 84 |
Dockside Power Connections: | 30/50 amp power hookups available |
Dock. Fresh Water Connections: | Available. |
Showers: | Available. Climate Controlled |
Laundromat: | Available. |
Restaurant: | several within easy walking distance |
Restaurant Recommendations: | Little Bar (239-394-5663), Stan’s Idle Hour Restaurant (239-394-3041). Marker 8.5 (239-393-0888), Old Marco Lodge Crab House (239-234-1165) |
Provisioning Possibilities: | Publix supermarket 2 miles away |
LPG (Propane) Availability: | Available. Ace Hardware for LPG tank refill & exchange 2 miles away |
Waste pump-out: | Available. $10.00 for transients |
Wi-Fi Internet Access: | Free WiFi Available |
Fuel Availability: | Gas & Diesel Available |
Fuel Notes: | 89 grade / ethanol free |
Reporting Date: | April 30, 2024 |
Fuel Notes: | 89 grade / ethanol free |
Gasoline Price: | $5.70 (All Taxes Included) |
Diesel Price: | $4.50 (All Taxes Included) |
ValvTect Dealer: | Yes |
This is a friendly marina. Adequate showers, and new commercial warsher/driers are useful. The marina has nice floating docks for cruisers. Check with the staff regarding fuel dock depths, though 4 1/2 feet with rising tide over a soft bottom was reported. The WlFi coverage at transit docks worked well for us. Goodland is the old style Florida village with several good places to eat. We regularly use the inland route from Marco with 4 1/2 foot draft though one needs to note the channel markings carefully inshore side Marco bridge. Coon Key pass has always shown us more water than that charted depths inbound from the SE.
It is a really neat run up the back door to there from Marco. Marina is neat. Shallow water is true, but with our 4′ draft, we made it just fine. It is a nice, short run from there to Everglades City, but take the east side of the last island when you leave and not the channel. Locals will tell you how.
John & Sue Winter
We’ve been by Calusa many times; we love the area! But, it is shallow, and particularly in the mornings with the prevailing diurnal tides of the SW Coast. From the Coon Key Channel, what’s your “local knowledge” advice on
getting onto the marina? And also, did you “partake” at Stan’s?
Thanks
Jim
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary
Just want to put in a good word for the folks at Calusa Island Marina, Goodland, FL. It is sunny and warm among the mangrove islands just at the edge of the 10,000 Islands. Cheryl, Andrew, Larry and dockmaster, Don, are
friendly, welcoming and very helpful. So if you are still on your way south (or coming north) a stop here is well worth it.
Judith and Paul
Tranquilo
Calusa Island Marina update as of Feb. 1st, 2011. From Claiborne Young’s outstanding 2008 Cruising Guide to West Florida (7th ed.), he implied that Calusa would be cruiser friendly in our hour of need. They are. VERY. Our story follows the important facts: Calusa has now made available a dinghy dock fee for we who prefer the hook at night. The fee includes shoreside access, showers and laundry. Transient “dockers” are still very welcome too. Andrew Barksdale whose card says “President” and “Managing Partner”, absolutely ROCKS. I now think of him as “can do – Andrew”. That spirit runs thru what we saw of the operation. “Just ask first and we’ll make it work,” is what he told me referring to out-of-the-box arrangements. The protected anchorage in Blue Hill Creek has good depths for a half mile beyond him, Andrew said. Calusa has Block Ice! Gas prices competitive with Marco. Their water tasted very good on the day we filled up (after ASKING FIRST). Groceries, Ace Hardware with LP refill station (see our story below) and West Marine are about 3 and a half miles. We have our own bike which makes that easy for us in flat S. FLorida. Andrew has plans to have loaner bicycles available to dinghy dock users in March and I strongly encouraged that ASAP. A loaner car is hopefully in the works for next season. Goodland’s restaurants are a big draw as is prominently mentioned in the Guide (as well as above). We too have been told that Marker 8 Restaurant is good. The lunch special at Little Bar is still good at ~$6.95 we hear.
Our story: 8 o’clock on a Sunday morning at Tiger Key about 12 miles South and East of Goodland/Calusa Island Marina. A defective back-up propane 20 lb bottle (seal completely missing!!! on Blue Rhino exchange LP bottle – we’ll check that in future before accepting an exchange) won’t connect at all, which means our fridge and its contents will soon be room temp… Claiborne’s superlative guide steers me toward Calusa as my first call (on the cell). Andrew answers. He tells me that I can get my empty tank REFILLED at the Ace in S. Marco on a Sunday. ” I just filled mine there, so I know they have it.” he tells me. “Can you be here before noon?” he asks. We do. And he drives me in his car to Ace for a very reasonable charge. And the refill was less $ than the (defective) exchange had been at Winn Dixie in N. Marco (see Side note at end). The fridge stays cold. The food is saved. And we find a truly welcoming facility for cruisers like us who genuinely prefer lying on an anchor at night to docking. Showers, laundry, block ice and a friendly welcome. Perfect.
John McLaughlin
We ended up staying at Calusa Island Yacht Club (just a marina) at Goodland, just south of Marco Is. for a month last year. Laid back and beautiful setting and Stan’s Idle Hour Bar (http://www.stansidlehour.net/) is just up the street!! Anchorages are also available around the Goodland area if you decide to stay for a shorter time.
Wish you warm breeze and calm seas.
Joe Moran
You all are welcome to visit us at Calusa Island Marina this season. We have concrete floating docks with full services, including a pump-out at every slip, and courtesey transportation to the Supermarket and Liquor Store. Several good restaurants are within walking distance. Cruise groups up to twenty or more can be accomodated with advance notice. Approaches from either north (Marco River) or south (Coon Key Pass) are 5 feet mean low water.
We carry diesel fuel and gasoline. We also have a 50-ton Travelift and a complete service department, in case you are in need of repairs. We have added two more dry storage buildings and are now certified Yamaha Outboard Service providers. Construction of a swimming pool is emminent and it may be completed by Febraury.
So come on down to Goodland and spend a day, a week, a month or a season. Key West and Marathon are each about eighty nautical miles from here and the cruising is good, with the Keys, Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park to the south and Marco Island, Naples and Pine Island Sound to the north.
Happy Cruising.
Kris Dane
Managing Director
Calusa Island Yacht Club & Marina
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