Report from Clearwater Municipal Marina, GICW Statute Mile 136
Each year the Cape Coral Cruise Club makes an extended cruise and, after visiting several marinas on the Gulf Coast, sends us their reports. This report is one of eight marinas they visited in April. Clearwater Municipal Marina flanks the well-marked Clearwater Beach Channel just southwest of the high-rise Clearwater Memorial Causeway Bridge
Our first stop on the return trip was a single night at Clearwater Beach Marina. The dock master was alone, and overwhelmed with our arrival, so it was up to the members to help get all our boats secured up in the slips. A short walk had several members taking in the fabulous Clearwater beach along with its several bars and restaurants.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Clearwater Municipal Marina
Comments from Cruisers (1)
I would like to echo the statement made earlier about the dockmaster being overwhelmed. 10 boats from our yacht club arrived on Friday, March 13th (we should have known) with a stiff wind out of the east. The dockmaster, who was alone, did not answer his radio, or the telephone. I had to telephone the cityside marina, only to be told the dockmaster might not respond. Between the wind and the current, we were lucky to back in, but many of the other larger boats were nearly overwhelmed. Even the giant excursion boat was blown into shallow water and grounded. If not for other boaters in the marina, and our fellow yachters who’d previously gotten in, it could have been a real disaster. When asked why he didn’t request additional help on a busy weekend he said he did, but was denied. That still doesn’t explain why he wouldn’t answer the radio. To me, this is an example of a bad city government employee, and a city government that just doesn’t care. And because they are civil servants instead of privately employed, it will never improve. I wouldn’t return.