Southwest Florida has great cruising grounds. There are a myriad of ports of call within a day's sail from Venice. It is a great jumping off point to go either North or South. Because most of our fleet is moored near the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), there is easy access to the Gulf or protected passage via the ICW. What better place is there for cruising!
We have experienced cruisers who ply the waters on the Southwest Coast of Florida, venture up the East Coast to Maine, and cruise the Bahamas and the Caribbean Islands. These folks have become very experienced and provide a wealth of knowledge to our members and other cruisers.
We typically schedule about four cruises annually to ports of call on the Southwest Coast which last 2 - 10+ days. Sometimes our destinations are jumping off points to longer cruises for those that are planning on staying out longer. There are some nice islands and marinas where we enjoy the outdoors and camaraderie of our fellow sailors. Over the last two seasons we have organized cruises to The Bahamas and Bareboat cruises in the Caribbean
Planned Cruising Activities for 2025-2026!
The cruises we have planned so far for this season are of different levels to allow participation of the members without boats, members with boats but looking for shorter local cruises and members with boats looking for longer term cruises and a taste of the cruising life:
Tue Oct 14, 2025 - Sunset Sail and "Cocktails" at Harbor Lights. This event is open to the general membership and a sign-up sheet will be available at the October VSS Meeting. Available spaces will be determined by how many boats participate.
Fri Nov 14, 2025 - Sunset Sail and "Docktails" at Harbor Lights. This event is open to the general membership and a sign-up sheet will be available at the November VSS Meeting. Available spaces will be determined by how many boats participate.
All dates and destinations are dependent on weather conditions so maybe adjusted by the Cruise Master as required!
If you would like more information, please contact our Fleet Captain Cruising, Doug Minton at cruising@venicesailingsquadron.org. We look forward to seeing you in the near future.
List of Preferred Marinas, Yacht Clubs, and Anchorages - North to South
Click here