Miami / Southeast · Fort Lauderdale
Two sailing catamarans in two cities. Spirit of Lauderdale works out of Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale, and the 125-passenger Caribbean Spirit sails Biscayne Bay from Bayside in Miami. Sail-and-splash trips with a swim stop, sunset sails, private charters.
The company’s own account of itself starts on the sand rather than at a dock: in the early 1990s Captain Adam was renting Hobie Cats off the Fort Lauderdale beach, and Tropical Sailing grew out of that one-man operation over the thirty-odd years since. It now runs two departure points. Spirit of Lauderdale, a 50-foot sailing catamaran carrying 49, works out of Bahia Mar Marina on Seabreeze Blvd; Caribbean Spirit, 78 feet with a red hull and certified for 125, sails from Miami Marina at Bayside Marketplace across Biscayne Bay. A third boat, Tranquility, is a 40-foot power catamaran based in Miami, so the sailing is on the other two.
Seats are sold on a Sail and Splash trip that anchors for a swim, a champagne sunset sail from either city, and an island and beach adventure out of Miami that runs on Tranquility, the power cat, rather than under sail; the whole boat goes private for events and groups. The Fort Lauderdale boat runs the Intracoastal and out through Port Everglades to the Atlantic, and the Miami boat works the bay under the downtown skyline. Booking is direct on the operator’s site with live availability, which is also where the current seasonal discount codes sit.
Featured Miami / Southeast · Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale bareboat operator working from its own docks on the Middle River, chartering sailing catamarans since 1979. A Lagoon 45 and a Bali Catspace 40, bareboat or captained, by the week to the Keys and the Abacos. A boating resume stands in for a certificate.
Crewed Miami / Southeast · West Palm Beach
Private sails for up to six on Carpe Vita, a 42-foot Fountaine Pajot Venezia, from the City Docks in downtown West Palm Beach. Sunset and celebration charters, a summer anchorage off Peanut Island for swimming, overnights at anchor for two, and a winter charter in the Keys.
Miami / Southeast · Delray Beach
Beach cats rigged on the sand at Casuarina Road and A1A, Hobie Wave, Getaway and Hobie 16, pushed straight into the Atlantic. Walk up and sail, with a refresher from the staff if you want one, a captain if you would rather be driven, and dry storage for your own boat.