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Please Note That Postings Below From Fellow Cruisers Are Listed in Chronological Order, Based on Publication Date
Plato Canal - Click for Chartview
Leading into a large condo development, Plato Canal channel lies northwest of Okeechobee Waterway marker #68 at mile 140.5 in Cape Coral.
FLORIDA-INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY-FORT MYERS TO CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND WIGGINS PASS-PLATO CANAL: Hazard to Navigation.
Private Aid Plato Canal DBN 5 (LLNR 53430) is destroyed and broken off above the waterline. Mariners are advised to exercise extreme caution while transiting the area. Chart 11427
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Plato Canal
This posting was prompted by a recent recommendation for a fuel delivery service in the Fort Myers area: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=113209. Manatee County is the Bradenton area south of Tampa. Cruisers’ Net would like to hear the opinions of our readers on the issue of truck-to-boat fuel delivery.
Please use the “Comment” function below, or follow the “Click Here to Submit Cruising News” link found on the upper right of this, and all (except Chart View) SSECN pages.
Cruising News:
Our Homeowners Association in Manatee County has banned the delivery of fuel to vessels in our community. I am trying to find out if this ban is legal. I am aware of three locations where such bans were overturned or rescinded. Dania, North Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. The delivery service we were using is fully insured and has been in business for many years.
Les Martin
Legacy Harbor Marina - Click for Chartview
Well, of course, Legacy Harbour Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!! Legacy Harbour Marina’s entrance is located on the Okeechobee Waterway/Caloosahatchee River, east of marker #49.
Cruising News:
A-1 Fuel Services (239-246-4777) is a tanker service to marinas in the Marco, Naples and Ft. Myers area. Marinas that do not sell fuel will generally allow A-1 to come and fill up vessels. Minimum is 100 gallons and they only deliver on weekdays. They deliver to Legacy Marina in Ft. Myers which does not sell fuel. Among the lowest fuel prices in southwest FL. They need at least 1 day notice and prefer 2 days before delivery.
Mike Negley
Click Here To View the Latest Prices at A-1 Fuel Service
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
Tarpon Point Marina - Click for Chartview
Tarpon Point Marina is found just off the Caloosahatchee River, a short hop from the southerly “Miserable Mile” genesis of the Western Florida ICW, and northwest of marker #92.
Overall, a very nice marina. There are tons of rules which mostly go unenforced. We used the hotel pool because it was closest. The pool for the marina was a goodly walk. We also ate at the hotel (good). One issue is there is no laundry and the bathroom/ showers may be a long walk, but would stay again. They did not say anything about Boat/US disount, but then I did not ask. The small deli is now closed so it is Publix 3.1 miles by bicycle.
John Pholeric
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Tarpon Point Marina
Sanibel Island Marina - Click for Chartview
Sanibel Island Marina is located near the island’s southern tip (Point Ybel), and within walking distance of the lighthouse.
The marina staff is very friendly and helpful. Beware the channel going in which has a sand bar on the southwest side. There is plenty of water inside though the canal are tight for a sailboat. The rest rooms and showers are shared with the resteraunt so they are very crowed most of the day. Gamma Dot’s is pretty good though there are lots of eats on the island. I, personally, liked Trader’s Cafe. Bikes are extremely useful and available. The laundry is $2.00 for wash and dry(great) though the machine is next to Gramma’s. Overall, a pleasant stay.
John Pholeric
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Sanibel Island Marina
Here’s a very brief word from a long-time SSECN contributor about Sanibel Island Marina. This facility is located near the island’s southern tip (Point Ybel), and within walking distance of the lighthouse. I would also add to Captain Alan’s notes, don’t miss a meal at Gramma Dot’s Restaurant, on the marina grounds!
Sanibel Island Marina is next. Walk to the lighthouse beach and collect shells. Try a cuban sandwich at East End deli.
Alan Lloyd
Author, Great Loop Navigation Notes
http://www.NavigationNotes.com
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Sanibel Island Marina
Well, of course, Legacy Harbour Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!! Legacy Harbour Marina entrance is located on the Okeechobee Waterway East of Marker #49 on the Caloosahatchee River.
We are at Legacy Harbour in Fort Myers, been here for six weeks now. Folks here are very friendly. Note that some marinas do not allow livaboards. We are one block from Publix, walking distance to Edison Winter Home, many downtown restaurants and the new waterfront that opened last month.
Alan Lloyd
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin - Click for Chartview
Capt. Barry’s remarks are in response to needed recommendations for good live aboard marinas.
Go to the Ft Myers City Yacht Basin. Great staff, great downtown, great facilities. NO PROBLEM with live aboard but there was a $75 per month live aboard fee. we lived aboard and cruised SW FL for 4 years. Fantastic.
Bob Barry
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Downtown Fort Myers
We have always found our visits to the downtown Fort Myers area to be absolutely delightful. With two quality marinas (BOTH Legacy Harbour Marina and City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin are SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSORS!), a host of nearby dining attractions and a beautifully landscaped waterfront, what’s not to like!
We were pleasantly surprised to see Fort Myers downtown waterfront area redeveloped into a first class entertainment destination. We ate
dinner at Ford’s Garage, a restaurant with a 1920,s service station atmosphere from the Model ‘A’ up on a rack ready for an oil change to a rag rolled into a hose clamp as a napkin ring. Fort Myers is about 15 miles into the Okeechobee Waterway (a short side trip for loopers heading south to the keys.) There are two first class marinas. I prefer the Municipal Yacht Basin for short term and Legacy Harbor for longer stays.
Alan Lloyd
Author, Great Loop Navigation Notes
http://www.NavigationNotes.com
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Downtown Fort Myers
Well, of course, Legacy Harbour Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!!
Five Stars for Legacy Harbour and Cap’t Eric (Harbormaster) and his team. Always there to help you dock and to ensure your stay is what you expect. Cap’t Eric is a good source for referrals for yacht services that you may require during your stay and yacht maintenance if you need to leave your boat for an extended period of time. Historic Downtown Fort Myers with a variety of restaurants/entertainment venues and grocery store within walking distance add to the enjoyment of this location. You can enjoy a walk or bike ride down the palm lined streets and a tour of the Edison/Ford Estates.
Bob Long
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
Glover Bight Anchorage - Click for Chartview
The entrance channel to the Glover Bight Anchorage also eventually leads to Tarpon Point Marina. If you have not been here for a few years, you’ll be amazed at the huge condos that now surround the dockage basin.
This is a local spot for us..some words of caution about this anchorage. Stay on the west/northwest side of the bight..close as possible to the fuel docks/bar if you are drawing anything 4ft and over. Do NOT cut Red marker “8″ to go in or you will be on the ground. The SE corner of the bight is SHALLOW…talking knee deep.. The line between the deep water and the shallows is a narrow one and shifts.
Best to enter this as if going to the fuel dock then turning out into the bay.
Keeping in mind all of the above it is an excellent spot with quick easy access to the Gulf, the river, or ICW/Pine Island sound. Holding is good and the warning above [in an earlier posting] about strong SW winds is true and should be heeded. Tarpon Point marina has fair fuel prices but forget the “Chandlery” as you may get sticker shock should you choose to eat at the bar/restaurant.
S/V Almost Somewhere
Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Tarpon Point Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Glover Bight
We simply can’t praise our good friends, Barbara and Vic Hansen at Southwest Florida Yachts enough. Not only are these good people a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, but they also offer one of the best power and sail charter fleets in Florida, and all within easy cruising distance of the cruising rich waters of Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor. What’s not to like?
We chartered numerous times with SW Florida Yacht Charters in Ft. Myers and they were superb. Boats were well maintained and the place is run very well. They are also having some great deals as they celebrate 25 years in
the business.
Marty and Jerry Richardson
For more information about Southwest Florida Yachts and Florida Sailing & Cruising School visit http://www.swfyachts.com, http://www.flsailandcruiseschool.com, http://www.swfyachtsales.com Mailing Address: 3444 Marinatown Lane, N.W., N. Fort Myers, FL 33903. Telephone: 800-262-7939 or 239-656-1339, or email info@swfyachts.com
Well, of course, Legacy Harbour Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!!
Legacy Harbour Marina in Ft. Meyers has also been designed for hurricane storm surges .. floating concrete docks on tall concrete posts.
John
m/v At Last
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
Well, of course, Legacy Harbour Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!!
We’ve had our 32 ft. sailboat at Legacy Harbour for 5 years and absolutely love the place. It’s in a great location, kept in wonderful condition and the staff are the best people in the world to work with. Lots of good restaurants within walking distance along with fun things going on in Ft. Myers. Just a good place to be.
Mary Alice Kearly
I could not agree more. Great staff, floating docks and close to downtown Ft Myers.
Lee Harkness
Not to mention the swimming pool and marina lounge and the chici hut. Especially nice in season with pot lucks and movie nights. Super friendly and very knowledgeable staff. If they refer you to any service personnel rest assured they have been vetted and are the best at their art in the area.
John Wilson
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
Well, of course, Legacy Harbour Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!! The following comments are copied from the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association Forum
After checking out 7 marinas in the area, we selected Legacy Harbour in Fort Myers for our spring “base”. What a great choice! It is about 15 miles up the Caloosahatchee -safe from all the TS Debby surge, yet just a half day cruise to fabulous anchorages at Captiva, Sanibel, etc. An easy drive to Naples, Marco, the Everglades and various nature reserves. The marina is clean, with floating docks, slip-side pump-outs, nice showers and laundry, work-out room, lounge and salt-water pool. AND the staff, led by Eric and Lana, are absolutely the best. We’ll be back!
Breandon and Kathleen Isom
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
This west coast dredging operation is in Hurricane Bay, east of the Gulf Waterway in Fort Myers. Navigation of the Waterway should not be affected.
FLORIDA-WEST COAST-FORT MYERS TO CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND WIGGINS PASS-HURRICANE BAY: Dredging Operations.
Energy Resources, Inc. will commence dredging operations on or about the week of July 9, 2012. The project is dredging a 40’ wide channel from Port Carlos Mobile Home Park approximately ½ mile to the main channel in Hurricane Bay in south Fort Myers, Florida. This channel is approximately 0.9 mile northeast of the highway 865 bridge at Fort Myers Beach. The operations will be during daylight hours only. The Dredge “NATE” will monitor VHF FM channel 16 and will be supported by a small 24ft tender boat “Lucille”. The only floating pipeline that is in the channel will be directly adjacent to the dredge. The project is expected to be completed in 90 days. For further information contact Energy resources, Inc., Mr. Paul Reinhardt 636-532-9558. Chart 11427
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Hurricane Bay
Well, of course, Legacy Harbour Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!!
If you want to experience a top notch marina while visiting a wonderful Florida city, consider a night or two or an entire season at the Legacy Harbour Marina in downtown Fort Myers. It will fulfill your every dream, ie floating docks, protected harbor, dockside pumpout, cable TV, Internet, attentive dock hands when coming or going, security fences, boaters lounge, swimming pool, cabana for hanging out, free parking, walking distance to bakery, Publix grocery story, liquor store and restaurants, weekend entertainment at adjacent city park, marina movie nights, and competive rates. If you need work done on your boat, they have a full service of
contractors. Try it the next time you are in the area and you will find it hard to beat.
Stay safe,
Tom (the weather guy)
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
We simply can’t praise our good friends, Barbara and Vic Hansen at Southwest Florida Yachts enough. Not only are these good people a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, but they also offer one of the best power and sail charter fleets in Florida, and all within easy cruising distance of the cruising rich waters of Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor. What’s not to like?
PDQ 34-Foot Catamaran Joins Charter Fleet at Southwest Florida Yachts
Named ChriSea, the roomy power cat has two queen bed cabins and offers economical cruising in the Pine Island-Sanibel-Captiva corridor
NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla., April 5, 2012 –Southwest Florida Yachts has added a new PDQ 34 Power Cat – ChriSea — to its charter fleet for cruising the scenic Pine Island-Sanibel-Captiva corridor.
The spacious catamaran features two cabins with queen-sized beds, a fully-equipped galley and a roomy head with a separate shower. It has a large dinette with a settee that converts to an extra large bed for additional sleeping room. Amenities include a generator, color TV, washer and dryer, and a CD player with stereo speakers. The skipper’s array of navigation and operation electronics includes GPS and autopilot.
Barb Hansen of Southwest Florida yachts said the power vessel is economical to charter and to operate. It charters for only $3273 per week in the summer and $4090 in the winter. The vessel is known for being stingy with gasoline. It is powered by twin Yanmar diesel engines, each generating 100 hp.
Hansen said summer charters of three days or longer will earn two free days of cruising as part of a three-year celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary in 2014. Winter cruises of three days or more from Dec. 15 to April 30 earn one free day of cruising.
Hansen said ChriSea is docked at Marinatown Marina in N. Fort Myers. Marinatown Marina provides quick cruising access, via the Caloosahatchee River, to the sheltered Gulf ICW. ChriSea is now part of a fleet of nine power cruisers from 32 to 50 feet The company’s five-boat sailing charter fleet is based at Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda.
Southwest Florida is ranked as one of the best cruising and sailing areas in the world. Visitors have scored the barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva as the best islands to visit for their ambiance, beaches, friendliness, restaurants and scenery.
For more information about Southwest Florida Yachts and Florida Sailing & Cruising School visit http://www.swfyachts.com, http://www.flsailandcruiseschool.com, http://www.swfyachtsales.com Mailing Address: 3444 Marinatown Lane, N.W., N. Fort Myers, FL 33903. Telephone: 800-262-7939 or 239-656-1339, or email info@swfyachts.com
"Early Morning at Snows Cut Bridge (North Carolina AICW, north of Southport, NC)"
by: Captain Sheila Dixon
