Cape Coral Cruise Club Cruises to Pink Shell Marina – (unofficially)

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.

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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.

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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.

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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?)

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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!

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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

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Cruising

“Fishing is as good as it gets right now” Says Captain Terry

(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor)

Fishing and boating should be fantastic over the next week or so. High tides, good weather forecasts excite most anyone looking to enjoy a day of cruising, beaching, shelling, swimming and of course, fishing! Fishing is as good as it gets right now; especially on the ‘new’ moon phase. I suggest fishing early in the mornings and getting in before the heat kicks up accompanied by the threat of afternoon storms.

Last spring, I had the pleasure to do several trips with my fishing companion and friend, Mr. Leland Longstreth, of Ft. Myers, Florida. Lee caught several nice Snook free-lining pilchards under the mangroves on incoming and outgoing tides. He is pictured with one caught on the last outing. On a separate occasion, his grandson Ben Batchelder, of Carmel, Indiana, accompanied his grandfather and me on charter while vacationing here. Ben is a polite, fantastic junior angler who has caught his share of fish over the years. Unfortunately, the big Snook eluded him this year. None the less, Ben is committed to catching his Snook of a ‘lifetime’, just like grandfather did a couple of years back. Ben is pictured holding a Snook caught around the mangroves of Sanibel Island. Ben is on the wrestling team at Carmel Clay Middle School and recently placed 3rd in the 115 pound division in Marion County (Indianapolis, Indiana). Nice going Ben! See you next year.

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Another junior angler that I have the yearly pleasure to fish with is 12 year old Connor Budach, of Owatonna, MN. Connor was accompanied by his mom and dad (Lee Anne and Mike Budach). Connor is pictured with a nice Spanish Mackerel. It is one of many fish he caught that day. Connor continues to improve his angling abilities and has requested a shark/Tarpon trip for next year! I am looking forward to taking him. I must warn the sharks and Tarpon that Connor is ready for them!

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This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters wishing everyone good, safe boating and tighter lines! Charter information and reservations may be obtained by calling me direct at 239-357-6829 or by emailing me at [email protected]. More articles, tips and information is on my website; www.fishfacecharters.com

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Summer Fun at Fort Myers Beach

Well it’s that time again.  Summer is here, the pace is a bit slower for boat sales and the weather and waterside sites are also less busy. That is the perfect excuse to get on the water and do some restaurant hopping. One of our favorite destinations is Fort Myers Beach. It’s an easy cruise and there is plenty to do when you get there.

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We enjoy stopping at Nervous Nellie’s which is the first restaurant before the FT Myers Beach bridge. The dockage is free and the food and drinks are always great and well priced. It is also any easy walk to the main part of the beach called Time Square. Plenty of shops to look through and the newly replenished beach is really nice now.

Hop back in your boat, go under the bridge and to your immediate left is Bonita Bill’s which is one of the locals  favorite  watering  holes. Good food and a laid back attitude. Just around the corner to the left is Doc  Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille. They have also free dockage and an extensive menu. They have entertainment on the weekends and occasionally book signings by the author of the Doc Ford book series, Randy Wayne White.

A little  east you can dock at Salty Sam’s Marina and you have a choice of the Big Game Club which is an open  sports style or Parrot Key restaurant which is more resort style. Both are good, so you can’t make a mistake.

A mile or so farther east and south is Snook Bight Marina which is sporting new floating docks and the very nice Bayside Bistro restaurant which has an upscale menu and one of the best views of the bayside that you can find.

So, even if it is summer, you can find plenty of places close by to have a lot of fun with boat. On the way home, pull out in front of Sanibel Island beach, drop the hook and hop in the water for a cool down and a cold one.

Next time we’ll talk about other boating spots close to home.

See you on the water!

Pat
Paradigm Yacht Sales & Brokerage
http://www.yachtworld.com/paradigm/

 

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Cruising Uncategorized