Meet the Chamber's Best: Sail Honeymoon

Editor's Note: Patch profiles the recent winners of Dunedin Chamber of Commerce's business of the year honors.

Glen Steinke, owner of Sail Honeymoon kayak and sailboat rentals on the Dunedin Causeway, is living the dream life of a modern-day beachcomber that many people had when they relocated to Florida.

For two decades, Steinke has operated Sail Honeymoon, which this year was recognized by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce as its Small Business of the Year.

The Wisconsin native, who moved to The Sunshine State in 1979, said he was “quite surprised at being chosen.” He attributes the award to his longevity and the fact that he has consistently increased and improved his business over the years.

While being on the beach does seem like a dream job at first, it does get pretty hot in summer and cold in the winter, he joked. Many days, success is based on weather and tide conditions. However, he added, “It’s one of the few jobs where your customers come by happy and they leave happy. How many places can say that?”

Kayak rentals have now surpassed sailboat rentals, he said, mainly because it takes less instruction and it’s easier to operate a kayak. People are surprised to find it takes less time to get to Caladesi Island by kayak than it does to take the ferry, he added. Many are now into kayaking to get closer to nature.

Steinke said he has not raised his prices in several years to keep a day at the beach affordable. For example, a two-hour rental of a single-person kayak costs $30, while four hours for a four-person kayak is $40. The business recently outfitted single-person kayaks with rod and net holders, a folding anchor and paddle holder, for fishing at no additional cost.

Steinke said he has watched the Dunedin Causeway grow and its beach face erosion from tidal action and storms over the last 20 years. In recent years, attendance on the causeway picked up, he said, ever since Clearwater put in its round-a-bout and Pinellas County began charging to use the beach at Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs. Almost every day is a beach day, and the sunsets are beautiful on the causeway.

His little spot on the beach is not easy to miss, with its colorful kayaks and sails marking the spot that also features a beach snack bar at 61 Causeway Blvd.

If You Go

Sail Honeymoon

61 Causeway Blvd.

727-734-0392