Maritime Heritage

Just as in the early days of The Barnacle, the Boathouse remains a hub of activity in the Park. The Boathouse was the first building constructed on the property that Commodore Munroe purchased for the sum of $400 plus Kingfish, a Sharpie sailboat of his own design, which was valued at an additional $400. Originally constructed in 1887 and completely rebuilt after the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, the Boathouse served as Munroe’s workshop and as the first clubhouse for the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.

Today, the Boathouse is the center for maritime activities at The Barnacle which include the maintenance of several traditional boats, a boatbuilding program, and other projects that support the park. The Boathouse is regularly open on Wednesdays and Saturdays and visitors are welcome to visit and chat with volunteers about what has happened in and around The Barnacle Boathouse over the past hundred or so years!

Boathouse Roof Project

Maintaining an historic property is a big challenge—and often an expensive one. Often, the materials used in the original construction are no longer available or only available at great expense. The Barnacle Boathouse roof, damaged in Hurricane Irma four years ago, is a case in point. Finding roofing tiles similar to the originals, which meet the current Miami-Dade code, has turned out to be an expensive proposition. Thus the Barnacle Society’s current fundraising effort!

Without a sound roof, we will eventually lose the entire structure! Your help is appreciated!

We have currently raised more than $26,000 toward our goal of $70,000.

Contribute!