– By Captain John Queen, Past Commodore, Cape Coral Cruise Club
The Cape Coral Cruise Club has monthly cruises to a variety of destinations in SW Florida. For the month of February 2017, that destination was the popular Pink Shell Resort and Marina on Fort Myers Beach. There was a good turnout with 17 club boats that made the trip ranging in size from 30 to 50 feet. Most of the boats arrived Tuesday, February 21st with fairly decent weather on their bow. Many boats waited until slack tide before arriving, as past experience knows, it is tricky trying to dock at Pink Shell in strong tidal currents. Since my wife Pati and I were the cruise leaders for this event, we were one of the first boats to arrive. We slid “Semper Paratus” into slip 20 around 10:30 AM just as inbound current was subsiding. Dockmaster Dave and his sidekick Craig did an excellent job in getting us and all other boats safely into assigned slips.
It was bluebird weather for the Cape Coral Cruise Club members taking part in the 2017 Legacy Harbour Cruise. All nine boats made it in, one boat being late while waiting for refurbished props to be reinstalled. First time Club cruisers, Bobby and Joyce Miller arrived is style with their prospective member pennant proudly displayed. Welcome to the Club!
Our cruising program was full steam ahead in February and March with a combined six cruises! In February we had our Valentine’s Day Fleet-In at our home base, Pincher’s / The Marina at Edison Ford in Fort Myers and a cruise to Tween Waters. The Fleet-In coincided with our annual Valentine’s Dinner Dance where everyone enjoyed a great meal and dancing to live music. The Tween Waters cruise, always a favorite, featured a sand sculpting contest amongst teams of cruisers. There were four unique creations with the Mermaid (shown below) winning the prize.
March featured four back-to-back-to-back-to-back cruises to Pink Shell, Cape Harbour, South Seas, and Boca Grande. This concept allows our cruisers to attend one cruise, all four cruises, or any combination thereof and lets them optimize their time on the water.
Each cruise had unique activities to offer. At Pink Shell we had dinner at a waterfront restaurant, attended the Shrimp Fest, and had a potluck dinner complete with a large game of Left, Right, Center.
Cape Harbour was all about relaxing and enjoying the shops and restaurants. South Seas featured a Saint Patrick’s Day theme and everyone enjoyed the party, the pools, and great company. Finally, the Boca Grande cruise was timed for the annual Cart Parade, as well as dinner and shopping in town.
If cruising is one of your passions, come check us out at our home base, The Marina at Edison Ford/Pincher’s in Fort Myers. If you are interested in participating in a trial cruise or attending one of our monthly meetings to see what we’re about, please contact our Vice-Commodore, Harvey Steele, at (239) 671-8887 or [email protected].
Southwest Florida Yacht Club (SFYC) has been a very active cruising club since its inception in early 2012. Our cruise program is year-round and last year we had 32 cruises to over 25 destinations! Our fleet travels ranged from Everglades City in the south to Tarpon Springs in the north. In addition to these cruises, we also participated in a Celebrity Caribbean cruise and our monthly Lunch Bunch outings that are accessible by land or boat.
As can be seen on our cruise calendar, we are not slowing down this year. For 2016 we have 37 scheduled cruises to over 25 destinations. Our cruises range from 3 days/2 nights to 2 weeks in length and include a Keys cruise and an East Coast cruise. Several short cruises are frequently scheduled back-to-back so that members can maximum their time on the water. An example itinerary is Pink Shell – Marco Island – Naples in April.
If cruising is one of your passions, come check us out at our home base, The Marina at Edison Ford/Pincher’s in Fort Myers. If you are interested in participating in a trial cruise or attending one of our monthly meetings to see what we’re about, please contact our Vice-Commodore, Harvey Steele, at (239) 671-8887 or [email protected].
The Cape Coral Cruise Club, founded in 1963, is unique among S.W. Florida boat clubs in that it owns a portion of a private island on the Caloosahatchee River east of the Franklin Lock near Alva. Over the years a covered pavilion has been built where members enjoy monthly elaborate picnics, bocce, horseshoes and other relaxing activities.
CCCC is a group of active cruisers. Monthly cruises are planned for September through June each season. If you have a boat with overnight accommodations, reside in the Cape Coral – Ft. Myers area, and would like to get out on your boat with fellow boating enthusiasts, take a look at the destinations of past CCCC organized cruises.
We regularly visit South Seas Resort and ‘Tween Waters Resort on Captiva Island; Pink Shell Resort and Snook Bight Marina on Ft. Myers Beach. Boca Grande Marina, Uncle Henry’s Marina, Burnt Store Marina, and Fisherman’s Village have all been on the Club’s list of favorite destinations.
Going further north on the GICW we’ve visit both Palm Island Marina and Gasparilla Marina, as well as attractive locations in Sarasota and Longboat Key. The spring 2015 trip had twelve boats cruise further north to Tarpon Springs.
Local short cruises include Tarpon Point and Cape Harbour in Cape Coral, as well as Legacy Harbor in downtown Ft. Myers. Naples is an annual fall tradition with a several day visit to the Naples Boat Club, or Pelican Isle Marina being favorite destinations.
Venturing further south the Club visited Marco Island in November 2015, and in the past has cruised to Everglades City. Marathon, in the Keys is a set destination for April, 2016.
Each year an extended cruise is planned. In 2014 that destination was to the South Georgia Isles. For 2016 the extended cruise in May will be to the Abacos in the Bahamas leaving from the Club owned island near Alva on the Caloosahatchee Waterway, with stops in Stuart, West Palm Beach, and/or Lake Worth, before making the crossing.
For those interested in extending their local boating distances, or who may be new to the area and are looking for an active boating group, the Cape Coral Cruise Club has had a booth at the Ft. Myers Boat Show in November at the Harborside Event Center & City Yacht Basin for several years.
The WORD IS OUT, this is an active cruise club, and it will assist folks new to S.W. Florida in how critical it is to start cruising with folks who know local waters. If you like to cruise in your own boat, and wish to do this with like-minded boaters, CCCC is the club for you!
The Club plans no December cruise as this is the when the Club has its only formal meeting, the Change of Watch, where current officers are applauded for their service and new officers are installed for the upcoming year.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. View a short picture video of recent Club activities and read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
Eleven boats were greeted with sunny skies for the November trip to Marco Island Marina, a destination that had been off the Club schedule for a few years. All boats were neatly snuggled into their slips with the aid of dock master, Elmer Mimas, who located the entire group on one dock for our convenience. Cruise leaders for this cruise were Terry and Laurie Carlson. The boats no sooner got tied up and the fun began as all boaters were introduced to the cruise leader’s Marco Island Poker Run, receiving their score cards and their first playing card. Subsequent cards were issued at different scheduled events throughout the three day cruise.
Tuesday evening was kicked off with Heavy hors d’oeuvres by the pool, followed by a Cape Coral Cruise Club Member Trivia game prepared by cruise leaders,Terry and Laurie Carlson. Participants enjoyed learning little known facts about Cruise Club members that had been gleaned from Bio’s that are soon to be published on the Club website. Gary Taake was the winner of the competition. Valuable prizes were awarded!
Breakfast was served Wednesday morning by the cruise leaders. Main dishes included Apple Monkey Bread, Sausage Hash Brown Casserole, a Stuffed Pancake casserole and more. Pretty sure nobody left hungry. Wednesdays daytime activity was a fun trip to the Marco Island Farmers Market that ended with a nice lunch/drinks at the Esplanade marina. The Wednesday evening meal, provided by the cruise leaders,along with contributions from other cruisers, was centered around the Carlson’s “almost famous backyard smoked” pulled pork with all the trimmings. After dinner entertainment was provided by John and Patti Queen and their “When the Hell was that?” competition. Winner was Pat Kryger with runner up Donna Overstreet. Once again, valuable prizes were awarded. CCCC has neat contests…
Thursday morning brought yet another breakfast by the pool with Scrambled eggs with cheese, rolls and fruit. Later that morning a trip to the Marco Island Museum was on tap. Approximately 10 people enjoyed learning the history of Marco Island from ancient times to present modern development.
Thursday evening was our dinner out at CJ’s on the Bay at Esplanade. Cruisers were treated to a beautiful facility and marina on the bay at the Esplanade with a wonderful menu that provided something tasty for everyone. The after dinner highlight was the culmination of the Marco Island Poker Run. Final cards were drawn and the winners were Bill and Donna Peterson… and yes, valuable prizes were awarded.
Friday morning all boats cast off, bid a fond farewell to Marco Island Marina and headed back north for a smooth Gulf ride back to the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. View a short picture video of recent Club activities and read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
Despite a rocky, rolling, breeze driven, Charlotte Harbor, eleven hardy Cape Coral Cruise Club vessels and their crews maneuvered their way to Fisherman’s Village Marina in Punta Gorda for the October 21-23 cruise. Counting the boat crews and folks who traveled by land yacht, over 30 club members enjoyed all or some of planned activities over the 3 day event.
While some went fishing, others played card games, went biking on Marina provided bicycles, or visited the local art galleries. All enjoyed shopping at the local craft and tourist shops on Fisherman’s Village concourse. Warm weather and light breezes added to the pleasure of afternoon pool time where many members floated and shared stories of the day.
Steve and Nell Winner coordinated the cruise and attending members enjoyed daily hot breakfast casseroles prepared by Nell. As is customary with this group each afternoon ended with happy hour snacks and docktails in the Captain’s lounge. The staff at Fisherman’s Village Marina are quite accommodating in that the Marina makes the Captain’s lounge available at no added cost.
Wednesday was a pre-arranged pizza party in the Captain’s lounge with several pizzas delivered by a local restaurant. All enjoyed pizza along with their favorite beverages.
Thursday evening was the group dinner party at the “Captains Table” restaurant on the second floor at the north end of the concourse. All participants enjoyed a wonderful salad bar and meal overlooking Charlotte Harbor while watching the sun set on a beautiful clear evening.
The Friday morning departure saw all boaters safely exiting the harbor and traversing much calmer conditions on Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The Cape Coral Cruise Club has been making Fisherman’s Village Marina a fall cruise destination for years and it is a cruise that regularly takes all the slips that the marina makes available.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. View a short picture video of recent Club activities and read additional Club information on its website www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
Seventeen boats braved the “unknown” by taking a trip down the Gulf of Mexico for our annual trip to the beautiful Naples Boat Club. Why that adjective? September on the Gulf of Mexico… are you going to deal with a potential hurricane or be delighted by a gorgeous sunny day. Some southbound boaters experienced bumpy seas, but all arrived safely. Those cruising were Y Knot, Phil and Pat Kryger;, Infinite Sea, Paul and Stephanie Carrico; The Geezers, Stu and Jane Harelik; MarKate, Mark and Kate Lewis; Princess, Jim and Edie Limbright; Surface Interval, Bruce and Sue Longman; B Mine, Joe and Kelli Mille;, Hardee II, Hal and Dee Moss; Sharon Ann, Len and Sharon Palmisano; Luna Sea, Doug and Michelle Rhees; Spoiled Yacht’n , Armond and Pam Sykes; Still Crazy, Jeff and Joanne Ziemer ; C R Side, Bob and Carol Peterson; Wine Down, George and Carol Smith; Happy Ours, Gary and Kathy Taake; Knot Again, Larry and Maryanne Habich; and Sunkissed, Phil and Lyn Quick.
Club members experienced three days of clouds and lots of rain. However, it did not lessen our appetites for food, drink, and fun & games. So that everyone could relax on arrival day, cruise leaders Phil and Lyn Quick, saw to it that no one would go hungry. One hundred and fifty pieces of fried chicken were provided along with hot buttered biscuits, potato salad, and sliced tomatoes. Way too much chicken. Pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream was a wonderful finishing touch. Needless to say anyone requiring chicken for the rest of the cruise did not have to look past the refrigerator to find plenty of leftovers.
Cruise leaders Phil & Lyn Quick announced at this first night dinner that the cruise FUN activity was a three day “triathlon”. Goal? Win in each one of the three night cocktail party sporting events.
1. An adult version of Pin the Tail. We super imposed a picture of POTUS on a pictured donkey. Members were paired up for each of the three day triathlon with others’ spouses to keep things interesting for all the games. For pin the tail one of each couple was blindfolded, spun around and attempted to pin the tail on the jackass. Lots of laughs were had by all. Various table games finished off the evening and then everyone retired to their floating homes for a good nights’ sleep.
Day two provided us with even more rain. Therefore several card and other table games became the activity for many in the beautiful Naples Boat Club Clubhouse. After a nice continental breakfast of pastries and fresh fruit several members pulled out their rain gear and walked to Tin City and Fifth Avenue to help stimulate the local economy. 2. 2nd night of the triathlon – Couples must break the balloon. Female members had a balloon secured to their back. And partner had to squeeze the balloon between the couple from behind and break it. Tight squeezes and booms of breaking balloons brought lots of laughs. After this activity, with the help of some members who drove down, members were shuttled to Fifth Avenue for a splendid Italian dinner at Cafe Luna. Forty-four members had a satisfying dining experience.
Thursday morning had more bakery delights provided as another gloomy wet day was upon us. No one was brave enough to put on bathing suits and sit by the pool the entire trip. A bus trip to the Naples Zoo was cancelled due to rain. Most people figured a way to offset the weather and make the best of the day. Happy hour was moved up a half hour to allow for the final leg 3 of the triathlon.
3. Pantyhose bowling brought more belly laughs. To understand this game, a ball is placed in the foot of one leg of panty hose stocking. The waist opening is then placed over your head. Water bottles placed on the floor, like bowling pins must be knocked over by swinging the ball, no hands please. This was a timed event meaning downing the three bottles quickly wins. Prizes were then awarded to the top five couples who bested their counter parts in each of the three daily events.
We then walked to the front of the Naples Boat Club building to the Wharf Tavern to have a wonderful lobster dinner with all the trimmings. Luckily it was a short, sheltered walk, because…you guessed it…yep…still raining!
Most folks retired early knowing the forecast for a northbound departure day was again uncertain. Some left at daybreak and some left at their leisure to take on a smooth Gulf and relish the great times we all had. We look forward to the next cruise trip to again enjoy the camaraderie and boating that the Cape Coral Cruise Club provides.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. View a short picture video of recent Club activities and read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
Each month, the Cape Coral Cruise Club takes a scheduled cruise to a different marina in SW Florida and stays for several days enjoying the area’s amenities and hospitality. We do that nine times a year along with an extended cruise each Spring. We take a break during the summer months of July and August as many members leave the area. However, sometimes a marina offers the Club a special off-season discounted rate to visit their marina.
That happened when the Pink Shell Marina and Resort in Fort Myers Beach offered the Club an attractive discounted rate for staying at its marina during the month of August. I won’t say how low the offer was, but it was certainly an offer we couldn’t refuse. So, it was decided to organize an unofficial cruise to the marina for any interested Club members.
Unofficially, nine boats made the trip, and this article is the unofficial account of that trip. Over the days of August 20th to 23rd we scheduled this cruise to arrive Thursday and depart on Sunday so that some members who may work during the week could join the fun.
Eight boats arrived Thursday, and one boat arrived Friday. The marina either coincidentally or intentionally assigned us slips that resulted in all boats being lined up from the smallest to the largest as you walked down the dock. Yellow Club burgees flew on the bow of each boat sporting our club mascot – a dolphin holding a drink of some sort (an adult beverage, I would surmise). After safely docking Thursday, sixteen club members convened in the late afternoon for cocktails, snacks and conversation.
For dinner, we had CIFO’s. (Circular Italian Food Objects). 5 large pizzas were picked up and we dined in the Pink Shell conference room provided by the resort. After dinner, I hosted a game of Jeopardy created on my laptop and projected onto the wall. Special categories such as “Local Waters” and “Cape Coral History” were developed. (For example, are you aware that the first traffic signal in Cape Coral was placed at the intersection of Cape Coral Pkwy and Coronado in 1969?)
On Friday, we again provided members breakfast, and then everyone went off to enjoy the pool, Ft. Myers beach, or other amenities around the resort. I decided to join several friends at the pool which was not heated, nor needed to be. After being in the pool for several minutes, I recalled my new iPhone was with me in its water proof case. It was checked for calls and, to my utter dismay, found that the “water proof” case was not so water proof. Yikes! So much for making phone calls the rest of the week.
For Friday night, a group dinner was arranged at Matanzas Inn Restaurant in Fort Myers Beach and eighteen boaters along with fifteen other Club members who arrived by land yacht, converged on the restaurant at 6:00 PM. Since we had a small crowd of 33, the manager had reserved the back area of the restaurant so that we could all dine together. It was great to see so many club members show up. Everyone was anxious to catch up on life’s happenings since we had not been together for a month or so. We also celebrated one member’s birthday. Well, not on that day specifically, but the same date of many, many years prior. You know what I mean.
On Saturday, we again fed the boaters breakfast and then sent everyone off to enjoy the day. Saturday was pretty much an ‘on your own’ day, so we didn’t have much planned as far as club activities. Fortunately, Mother Nature was quite cooperative during the time we stayed at the marina and our need for umbrellas was minimal. However, her hot days reminded us that we were indeed in southwest Florida in the middle of August.
On Sunday morning we cast off lines and headed for home ports. Much appreciation goes to Dave O’Conner, the Dockmaster at Pink Shell Resort and Marina. His hospitality and special accommodation to the Cape Coral Cruise Club made this unofficial cruise officially happen!
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. View a short picture video of recent Club activities and read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
By John Queen, Vice-Commodore, Cape Coral Cruise Club
Southwest Florida Yacht Club (SFYC) continues to cruise through the summer with trips to the Naples Boat Club (Burger/Marta) and Palm Island (Zych/McKinley) in June, Snook Bight (Burger/Scheinert) in July, and South Seas (Hummer) and Legacy Harbour (Barnhart/Mann) in August. The over-riding theme for the summer cruises was Relaxation.
A lot of time on these cruises was spent relaxing by the pool and/or beach, enjoying casual pot luck and restaurant dinners, excursions to shop, and hanging out with friends. Many of the boaters made other stops on the way to/from the destination to extend their trip a few days.
The South Seas cruise was enjoyed by all as it had a large number of youngsters and teenagers. Some came from as far away as England to cruise with their grandparents. They all spent a lot of time at the beach and in the pools, and kept all of the adults entertained.
SFYC is a very active yacht club with over 35 scheduled cruises per year ranging from 3 days/2 nights to 3-4 weeks in length. Upcoming cruises include Snook Bight, Cape Harbour, Tampa Bay (2 weeks), Palm Island, Pink Shell. SFYC also has on average two social functions per month, many at our home base, The Marina at Edison Ford/Pincher’s in Fort Myers.
If you are interested in participating in a trial cruise to meet us and see what we’re about, or to arrange to attend one of our monthly meetings, please contact our Fleet Captain, Harvey Steele, at (239) 671-8887 or [email protected]. Much more information, including our cruise schedule, is also available on our website www.southwestfloridayachtclub.com. You can also visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SouthwestFloridaYachtClub.
Southwest Florida Yacht Club (SFYC) has been a very active cruising club since its inception in early 2012. Our cruise program is year-round and last year we had 32 cruises to over 25 destinations! Our fleet travels ranged from Everglades City in the south to Tarpon Springs in the north. In addition to these cruises, we also participated in a Celebrity Caribbean cruise and our monthly Lunch Bunch outings that are accessible by land or boat.
