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Welcome to the Sarasota Outboard Club

Fam­i­ly, Fun Afloat
A Tra­di­tion of Boat­ing, Friend­ship & Com­mu­ni­ty Since 1955

Nes­tled on beau­ti­ful City Island since 1962, the Sara­so­ta Out­board Club (SOC) is a pri­vate, members‑only recre­ation­al club of boat­ing enthu­si­asts who share a pas­sion for the water and the cama­raderie that comes with it. True to our mot­to, “Fam­i­ly, Fun Afloat,” we strive to cre­ate an envi­ron­ment where mem­bers and their fam­i­lies can enjoy boat­ing togeth­er, build last­ing friend­ships, and make unfor­get­table mem­o­ries on the water.

Our mis­sion is to sup­port and pro­tect the recre­ation­al boat­ing inter­ests of our mem­bers while encour­ag­ing safe, enjoy­able, and respon­si­ble boat­ing prac­tices. Mem­bers have access to pri­vate facil­i­ties, includ­ing a har­bor, a members‑only launch­ing ramp, des­ig­nat­ed park­ing, and a club­house for gath­er­ings and events.

Through­out the year, the Club holds reg­u­lar meet­ings, social gath­er­ings, boating‑related activ­i­ties, and oth­er events for mem­bers and their invit­ed guests. These include month­ly meet­ings, social din­ners, and our annu­al fundrais­er, which is open to the pub­lic. The Board of Direc­tors may also autho­rize addi­tion­al fundrais­ing or com­mu­ni­ty sup­port activ­i­ties that involve non‑member participation.

Addi­tion­al infor­ma­tion about the Sara­so­ta Out­board Club, includ­ing our his­to­ry, mis­sion, and mem­ber activ­i­ties, can be found through­out our web­site. We remain com­mit­ted to pre­serv­ing the tra­di­tions and val­ues that have guid­ed the Club for generations.

 

About Us

Celebrating Community, Boating, and Tradition Since 1955

Our History

The Sara­so­ta Out­board Club (SOC) is a pri­vate, members‑only boat­ing club with deep roots in Sarasota’s water­front his­to­ry. Found­ed in 1955 and incor­po­rat­ed in 1958, SOC was the first orga­ni­za­tion to call Ken Thomp­son Park home.

 

Dur­ing World War II, the land now occu­pied by the Sara­so­ta Yacht Club served as a U.S. Army train­ing sta­tion. After the war, the land was deed­ed to the City of Sara­so­ta. Around that time, a group of pas­sion­ate powerboaters -

many of them mil­i­tary vet­er­ans — began gath­er­ing reg­u­lar­ly, beach­ing their boats on a small island just south of the old Sies­ta Key Bridge. For years, they fer­ried friends and fam­i­ly to the island, meet­ing and social­iz­ing on its shores.

As their group grew in size and spir­it, they decid­ed to form an offi­cial club. In 1955, the Sara­so­ta Out­board Club was born, and on May 13, 1958, it became incor­po­rat­ed. Ear­ly meet­ings were held in down­town Sara­so­ta, first in the old Sara­so­ta Bank Build­ing on Orange Avenue and lat­er in the Nation­al Bank Build­ing on Sies­ta Drive.

By 1962, the need for a per­ma­nent home became clear. The SOC nego­ti­at­ed a lease with the City of Sara­so­ta for the cur­rent prop­er­ty on City Island. Through team­work and ded­i­ca­tion, mem­bers built the club­house, installed a con­crete sea­wall, laid a boat ramp, and con­struct­ed docks — all by hand. These facil­i­ties have been lov­ing­ly main­tained and expand­ed over the decades and con­tin­ue to be enjoyed by mem­bers and their guests to this day.

Community Involvement

The Sara­so­ta Out­board Club is more than a boat­ing club — its mem­bers are proud com­mu­ni­ty part­ners. Over the years, the Club has sup­port­ed a vari­ety of community‑related and char­i­ta­ble activ­i­ties that reflect the inter­ests and val­ues of its members

SOC’s com­mu­ni­ty involve­ment includes:

  • Fire, Police, and Sher­iff Depart­ment train­ing exercises
  • Fish­ing tour­na­ments sup­port­ing caus­es like Juve­nile Diabetes
  • Events for chil­dren and adults with spe­cial needs, such as the Friend­liest Catch Fish­ing Tournament
  • Out­ings for orga­ni­za­tions like the Sheriff’s Youth Ranch and The Pines of Sara­so­ta, the Boys & Girls Club, and Man­a­so­ta Oper­a­tion Troop Support
  • Sup­port of marine sci­ence and envi­ron­men­tal efforts, includ­ing assis­tance to Mote Marine Lab­o­ra­to­ry with red tide research initiatives

Through these efforts, the SOC and its mem­bers seek to con­tribute pos­i­tive­ly to pub­lic safe­ty, envi­ron­men­tal research, and com­mu­ni­ty ser­vice through­out the Sara­so­ta area.

Facilities & Access

Locat­ed on City Island near Mote Marine Lab­o­ra­to­ry, the Sara­so­ta Out­board Club pro­vides mem­bers with access to boat­ing facil­i­ties in a coop­er­a­tive, member‑supported envi­ron­ment.

Ameni­ties include a pri­vate boat ramp, docks with pow­er and water, and a club­house used for gath­er­ings, meet­ings, and social events,

These resources sup­port a wide range of boat­ing and com­mu­ni­ty activ­i­ties and reflect the Club’s long tra­di­tion of hands‑on involvement.

Membership Overview

The Club is com­posed of a close‑knit group of fam­i­lies who share a pas­sion for boat­ing and com­mu­ni­ty ser­vice. Mem­bers enjoy access to the facil­i­ties, par­tic­i­pa­tion in Club activ­i­ties, and oppor­tu­ni­ties to engage in social and boating‑related events through­out the year.

Mem­ber­ship eli­gi­bil­i­ty and par­tic­i­pa­tion expec­ta­tions are guid­ed by the Club’s long­stand­ing by‑laws and tra­di­tions, which empha­size active involve­ment and shared stew­ard­ship of the prop­er­ty and facilities.

Stewardship & Support

As a prop­er­ty leased from the City of Sara­so­ta, the Club relies on the involve­ment of its mem­bers for main­te­nance, upkeep, and ongo­ing oper­a­tions. SOC is sup­port­ed through mem­ber­ship dues, vol­un­teer efforts, and fundrais­ing events that help pre­serve the facil­i­ties and ensure the Club con­tin­ues to thrive for future generations.

Mem­bers reg­u­lar­ly come togeth­er for work­days, improve­ments, and com­mu­ni­ty projects. These efforts strength­en the Club’s sense of cama­raderie and reflect the hands‑on spir­it that has defined the SOC for generations.

Commitment to Community & Tradition

The Sara­so­ta Out­board Club remains com­mit­ted to hon­or­ing the tra­di­tions, val­ues, and com­mu­ni­ty spir­it that have shaped the orga­ni­za­tion since 1955. Through respon­si­ble oper­a­tion, vol­un­teer par­tic­i­pa­tion, and con­tin­ued part­ner­ship with the City of Sara­so­ta, the Club strives to serve both its mem­bers and the broad­er community.

Facility Use

Clubhouse & Facility Use

 

The Sara­so­ta Out­board Club main­tains pri­vate facil­i­ties for the exclu­sive use of its mem­bers and their invit­ed guests. All facil­i­ties oper­ate under the Club’s bylaws, rules, poli­cies, and any applic­a­ble laws or agree­ments.

Member Use of Facilities

Use of the club­house, docks, ramps, and sur­round­ing areas is lim­it­ed to:

  • SOC mem­bers and their invit­ed guests
  • Member‑sponsored pri­vate events, with the spon­sor­ing mem­ber present
  • Non‑commercial, non‑profit use only
  • Not avail­able as a pub­lic venue

Member Enjoyment

Club facil­i­ties are intend­ed pri­mar­i­ly for the enjoy­ment of mem­bers and their guests. On lim­it­ed occa­sions, mem­bers may request to host pri­vate events that do not inter­fere with reg­u­lar Club activ­i­ties.

Mem­bers wish­ing to host a spe­cial event should sub­mit a request at least 45 days in advance. Requests should include:

  • Date and time of the event
  • Esti­mat­ed num­ber of guests
  • Areas of the facil­i­ty being request­ed (club­house, kitchen, cook shack, etc.)
  • Pur­pose of the event

All requests are reviewed based on facil­i­ty avail­abil­i­ty and com­pli­ance with Club rules. Mem­bers plan­ning an event are encour­aged to sub­mit requests ear­ly to ensure avail­abil­i­ty. For full details, mem­bers may log in to the members‑only por­tal.

Facility Access

The SOC is a pri­vate club, and its facil­i­ties are not open for pub­lic use. Access to the club­house, docks, ramps, and grounds is reserved for SOC mem­bers and their invit­ed guests. Lim­it­ed requests from out­side indi­vid­u­als, orga­ni­za­tions, or char­i­ties may be con­sid­ered, but only when they sup­port a pur­pose con­sis­tent with the Club’s mis­sion and legal oblig­a­tions.

For ques­tions, please con­tact the SOC through the Con­tact Us link.

Membership

Membership Requirements & Process

The Sara­so­ta Out­board Club is a pri­vate, member‑run orga­ni­za­tion with a long tra­di­tion of com­mu­ni­ty involve­ment, boat­ing activ­i­ties, and vol­un­teer par­tic­i­pa­tion. Indi­vid­u­als inter­est­ed in becom­ing part of the Club are wel­come to learn more about our cul­ture, events, and mem­ber­ship expec­ta­tions.

About Membership

Mem­ber­ship oppor­tu­ni­ties are lim­it­ed and fol­low an inter­nal review and spon­sor­ship process. Eli­gi­bil­i­ty and require­ments are guid­ed by the Club’s gov­ern­ing doc­u­ments, which out­line how mem­ber­ship is struc­tured and maintained.

Getting to Know the Club

Prospec­tive mem­bers are encour­aged to attend pub­lic events host­ed through­out the year. These gath­er­ings offer a relaxed way to meet mem­bers, ask gen­er­al ques­tions, and learn more about the Club’s tra­di­tions and community.

The Club also holds month­ly mem­ber­ship meet­ings, which pro­vide updates on activ­i­ties and oppor­tu­ni­ties for involvement.

Sponsorship & Application

Those inter­est­ed in mem­ber­ship typ­i­cal­ly begin by get­ting to know cur­rent mem­bers who may serve as spon­sors. The appli­ca­tion and review process is han­dled inter­nal­ly and fol­lows estab­lished Club pro­ce­dures.

More Information

Addi­tion­al details about mem­ber­ship may be pro­vid­ed upon request or accessed through the members‑only pages.

Please con­tact us for more information.

Contact us

We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

If you have any ques­tions about our club, please feel free to reach out by fill­ing out the form below.

Sara­so­ta Out­board Club

1604 Ken Thomp­son Park­way • Sara­so­ta, FL 34236

Mail­ing Address:   PO Box 5172 • Sara­so­ta, FL 34277

Phone:  941–388-3500

E‑mail:  administrator@sarasotaoc.com