I will be visiting my aunt in ft myers beach in dec. and while Iam there we will be looking around and checking the area for future relocation. We want to check out some 55 and over communties in ft myers,cape coral,port charlotte,punta gorda,estero. We also will be looking at marina's in same area and try to see what the sailing is like in these waters. We have a 2001 290 shoal draft and mostly sail in protected bay's on long Island,it seems this part of florida has the same type waters. Any helpful info would be greatly appreciated thank's. nick
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Burnt Store
I'm sure you're planning on checking out Burnt Store. If not, it's a must. Great marina with access to Charlotte Harbor. Did an ASA class there two Thanksgivings ago. Broad wide open Bay, shallow but lots of sailable 10-14ft. water, great accesss to Gulf and Pine Key, Cabbage Key, etc. You could do a day sail if you wanted by going through Southwest Florida Yachts located in the Burnt Store Marina. 1-800-262-7939. They list a Hunter 29 but it's actually an older 28.5. Also have a 32 Beneteau. Stay north of Ft. Myers, it's a zoo down there and on the beach.
I'm sure you're planning on checking out Burnt Store. If not, it's a must. Great marina with access to Charlotte Harbor. Did an ASA class there two Thanksgivings ago. Broad wide open Bay, shallow but lots of sailable 10-14ft. water, great accesss to Gulf and Pine Key, Cabbage Key, etc. You could do a day sail if you wanted by going through Southwest Florida Yachts located in the Burnt Store Marina. 1-800-262-7939. They list a Hunter 29 but it's actually an older 28.5. Also have a 32 Beneteau. Stay north of Ft. Myers, it's a zoo down there and on the beach.
Try Bonita Bills
On Ft.Myers Beach they have dock hook ups and are the cheapest on the island. The water is usually always dead calm and perfect for sailing. I used to have my sail-boat there.
On Ft.Myers Beach they have dock hook ups and are the cheapest on the island. The water is usually always dead calm and perfect for sailing. I used to have my sail-boat there.
Charlotte Harbor
As a former Oyster Bay boater, I love Charlotte Harbor. It is large enough to sail in all day and never be out of semi-protected water. Most of it is 9 to 15 feet deep except for sandbars and a sand shelf around the whole area. Makes for easy sailing with good gulf access when you want to get out and away. Only problem is lousy beaches except on the gulf islands. Largest Marina is Burnt Store, The city of Punta Gorda has a small marina and there is a larger one at Fisherman's village in Punta Gorda. There are a number of communities for us folks down here but most are manufactured home types. Nothing wrong with them until a hurricane comes and the house goes. Many nice neighborhoods though. Come to Punta Gorda and look outwards from here. You can still get a house on a sailboat canal here for less than 1/2 million but not much less anymore.
As a former Oyster Bay boater, I love Charlotte Harbor. It is large enough to sail in all day and never be out of semi-protected water. Most of it is 9 to 15 feet deep except for sandbars and a sand shelf around the whole area. Makes for easy sailing with good gulf access when you want to get out and away. Only problem is lousy beaches except on the gulf islands. Largest Marina is Burnt Store, The city of Punta Gorda has a small marina and there is a larger one at Fisherman's village in Punta Gorda. There are a number of communities for us folks down here but most are manufactured home types. Nothing wrong with them until a hurricane comes and the house goes. Many nice neighborhoods though. Come to Punta Gorda and look outwards from here. You can still get a house on a sailboat canal here for less than 1/2 million but not much less anymore.
don't bother
Don't bother even coming down here. You'll probably do just like all the other yankees and complain about how it's done in Florida. We live by a different rule, different politics, different life style and could care less how you do it up north. If you accept these things and realize that us Crackers are proud of our OLD Florida, not the neuvo Naples crap the yankees import down here than you'll love the boating. By the way, Burnt Store is fazing out all the rental slips and turning them over to the residents, Fisherman's Village is closed for who know's how long (at least through this season) and the slips in the back yards of individual homes are now running in the $200/month area with p&w. Ft Myers is a zoo who's waters are run by idiot boaters who have migrated from, where else, up north.
Don't bother even coming down here. You'll probably do just like all the other yankees and complain about how it's done in Florida. We live by a different rule, different politics, different life style and could care less how you do it up north. If you accept these things and realize that us Crackers are proud of our OLD Florida, not the neuvo Naples crap the yankees import down here than you'll love the boating. By the way, Burnt Store is fazing out all the rental slips and turning them over to the residents, Fisherman's Village is closed for who know's how long (at least through this season) and the slips in the back yards of individual homes are now running in the $200/month area with p&w. Ft Myers is a zoo who's waters are run by idiot boaters who have migrated from, where else, up north.
Punta Gorda Isles
We bought a home in Punta Gorda Isles last year on a deep water canal. We can't use it yet except for a week here and there (we're doing seasonal rentals now), but we can't wait to get there full time. We sailed on Charlotte Harbor and absolutely love it. As someone else said, the prices are going up for canal front but it's definitely worth checking out. We bought the house because it was pretty obvious that slip rentals were going to skyrocket (if you could find one at all). Burnt Store is great too. Happy hunting!
We bought a home in Punta Gorda Isles last year on a deep water canal. We can't use it yet except for a week here and there (we're doing seasonal rentals now), but we can't wait to get there full time. We sailed on Charlotte Harbor and absolutely love it. As someone else said, the prices are going up for canal front but it's definitely worth checking out. We bought the house because it was pretty obvious that slip rentals were going to skyrocket (if you could find one at all). Burnt Store is great too. Happy hunting!
ex Punta Gorda Isles
I lived in PGI for 2 years. It almost made me quit sailing. Every time I went out Ponce Inlet I touched bottom. The Society for the Preservation of Mutant Mud Slugs or some such litagant group won't allow the canals to be dredged to a proper depth. It is pretty meaningless to have a 23 foot deep canal behind your house when the inlet you have to go thru to get to the harbor is 4 feet deep. In the winter there are periods of days or more when you cannot get out of the deep canal system because so much water is being pushed out of Charlotte Harbor by the north wind. I bought a battery operated fish finder and used my dinghy to make my own chart of Ponce Inlet. See the attached picture of what I found. You will notice that near marker 16 you could be in the middle of the channel and still be aground with my 5 foot draft boat. Local businesses and politicians don't care. There is at least a year wait to get a house built in The Isles so essentially any house that goes on the market sells immediately. Business couldn't be better. By the time you discover yourself aground in the "Boater's Paradise" it is too late, because you already live there. Note: I am not now and have never been affiliated with the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce.
I lived in PGI for 2 years. It almost made me quit sailing. Every time I went out Ponce Inlet I touched bottom. The Society for the Preservation of Mutant Mud Slugs or some such litagant group won't allow the canals to be dredged to a proper depth. It is pretty meaningless to have a 23 foot deep canal behind your house when the inlet you have to go thru to get to the harbor is 4 feet deep. In the winter there are periods of days or more when you cannot get out of the deep canal system because so much water is being pushed out of Charlotte Harbor by the north wind. I bought a battery operated fish finder and used my dinghy to make my own chart of Ponce Inlet. See the attached picture of what I found. You will notice that near marker 16 you could be in the middle of the channel and still be aground with my 5 foot draft boat. Local businesses and politicians don't care. There is at least a year wait to get a house built in The Isles so essentially any house that goes on the market sells immediately. Business couldn't be better. By the time you discover yourself aground in the "Boater's Paradise" it is too late, because you already live there. Note: I am not now and have never been affiliated with the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce.
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Larry, good job
Not bad Larry, but we rely on you imports to bring your deep draft boats down here and plow our channels out for us. Hell, why should we pay for dredging when you guys do it for us. Maybe you can send the word back up north that we need more twin engine power boats to really plow open the channels, the light weight production sailboats just don't make them wide enough for two yankee's to pass at the same time.
Not bad Larry, but we rely on you imports to bring your deep draft boats down here and plow our channels out for us. Hell, why should we pay for dredging when you guys do it for us. Maybe you can send the word back up north that we need more twin engine power boats to really plow open the channels, the light weight production sailboats just don't make them wide enough for two yankee's to pass at the same time.
Why so Young?
IMHO if you have a sailboat, do not live in a 55 and older community./ You're pigeonholing us 54 YO!!!!
IMHO if you have a sailboat, do not live in a 55 and older community./ You're pigeonholing us 54 YO!!!!
thank you all
I guess I'll have to see for my self what its really like,sounds just like long island every one is always fighting on how things should be done up here. But I am looking forward to retireing in three years and would love to have one of those deep water canal slips behind the house(or do I ?)any way my wife wants to live in a 55+ communty no kids, and other things for her to do not just sailing. She says she loves sailing but its not her whole life there are other things to do. Thank you all happy sailing. Nick
I guess I'll have to see for my self what its really like,sounds just like long island every one is always fighting on how things should be done up here. But I am looking forward to retireing in three years and would love to have one of those deep water canal slips behind the house(or do I ?)any way my wife wants to live in a 55+ communty no kids, and other things for her to do not just sailing. She says she loves sailing but its not her whole life there are other things to do. Thank you all happy sailing. Nick
not trying to encourage
a great in flow of Yankees or anyone else for that matter butttttt, our Redneck Rivera has everything that S FLA has except an OVER CROWDED HOME MARKET, WATERWAYS, AND PEOPLE! we have the best cruising waters between Orange Beach and Carrebelle than anywhere in the state. no brag, just fact!
and what's up with wanting to live in an "over 55" community? Im 52 and looking to hang with a younger crowd not older! not that age means a big rat's to me.
a great in flow of Yankees or anyone else for that matter butttttt, our Redneck Rivera has everything that S FLA has except an OVER CROWDED HOME MARKET, WATERWAYS, AND PEOPLE! we have the best cruising waters between Orange Beach and Carrebelle than anywhere in the state. no brag, just fact!
and what's up with wanting to live in an "over 55" community? Im 52 and looking to hang with a younger crowd not older! not that age means a big rat's to me.- Status