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Please Note That Postings Below From Fellow Cruisers Are Listed in Chronological Order, Based on Publication Date
When boat owners from across the country make a seasonal visit to Lee County docks, they’ll receive bling bags.
Bling bags welcome visiting boaters to Southwest Florida
The News-Press
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
AREA SPONSORING MARINAS
Click Here To View the Cruisers Net Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Legacy Harbour Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
Cick Here To View the Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Gulf Harbour Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Gulf Harbour Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Fort Myers Beach Mooring Field
This dogleg inlet channel has been an area of shoaling and shifting channels for years. Keep a sharp on your depth finder as you enter. See photo below.
FLORIDA – FORT MYERS TO CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND WIGGINS PASS – MATANZAS PASS CHANNEL: Shoaling and changes to channel.
Shoaling has been reported in the vicinity of the newly placed federal aids to navigation at Matanzas Pass at the previous position of Matanzas Pass Daybeacon 4 (LLNR 18095 [26°27.9340N / 081°58.1690W, 26.465566 / -81.969484]), in position 26-27-55.397n, 081-58-09.010w. Mariners are advised that recent dredge work has been completed returning the federal channel back to its original dimensions south of the current route. The channel runs close abeam of the southern beach at Bodwitch Point and is marked with a Temporary buoy 4. Additionally a temporary danger shoal light has been placed in position 26-27-58.002N, 081-58-09.943(26°27.9667N / 081°58.1657W, 26.466112 / -81.969429), flashing quick white at night with a white and orange danger board. This location was previously the position of Matanzas Pass Light 5 (LLNR 18107 [26°27.9664N / 081°58.1654W, 26.466106 / -81.969424]). All mariners are advised to be aware of these hazards to navigation and transit the area with caution.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, voted Best Small Marina in 2017, overlooks the westerly banks of the Matanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13. Pink Shell Beach Marina is a favorite of the CCCC, see 2020 Cruise to Pink Shell.
August 2020 Pink Shell Cruise
by Commodore Doug Rhees
After several months of quarantine, and adhering to CDC guidelines, the Cape Coral Cruise Club finally put together a cruise with the help of the excellent marina staff at the Pink Shell Resort on Ft, Myers Beach. Dates selected were August 18th-21st. Social distancing and mask wearing protocols assured all attendees remained healthy.
Nine boats ranging in size from 27 to 54 feet attended. A few non boating members joined the group and enjoyed the company of members at two evening dinners. Late afternoon docktail gatherings held on the lawn above the docks where adequate space was available for social distancing. Weather cooperated and made early morning beach walking a treat as, at this time of year, there are no crowds. The resort pools were not crowded as well, and every day provided sun time and an afternoon rain shower to cool things down. Several members enjoyed a memorable dinner at Mantanzas on the Bay the last evening.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club has made adjustments to upcoming Club activities to help assure the safety of members. The Club owns a portion of a spoil Island east of the Franklin lock on the Caloosahatchee River and has decided to hold membership meetings there in conjunction with the Club’s monthly picnics. Cruise locations for the fall have had to be changed due to marinas modifying transient boater rules. However, lots of fun events are in the works for the following cruises: September 17 to 21 at Tween Waters, October 27 to 30 at South Seas Island Resort, and November 17 to 20 at Fisherman’s Village, Punta Gorda.
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 Terry Carlson at 239-770-6955. Read additional Club information on our website, https://ourgrouponline.org/CapeCoralCruiseClub
Attached pictures:
0500 – CCCC member boats at Pink Shell Marina.
0523 – beautiful sunset at Pink Shell, Ft. Myers Beach
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR and voted Best Small Marina in 2017, overlooks the westerly banks of the Matanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13. Pink Shell Beach Marina is a favorite of the CCCC, see 2019 Cruise to Pink Shell.
CAPE CORAL CRUISE CLUB
CRUISES TO PINK SHELL MARINA
By Captain John Queen, Past Commodore, Cape Coral Cruise Club
Each month, the Cape Coral Cruise Club takes a scheduled cruise to a different marina in SW Florida and stays there for several days enjoying the amenities and hospitality of that area. We do that nine times a year along with an extended cruise each Spring and take a break during the summer months of July and August. For February 2020, our destination of choice was Pink Shell Marina at Fort Myers Beach.
Pink Shell has been a popular destination for the club since the Marina expanded its floating docks a few years ago, and this year was no exception. We had 13 boats arrive on Tuesday, February 18th and it was nice to see the long line of yellow club burgees flying on the bow of each boat. Our club burgee sports our club mascot – a dolphin holding a drink of some sort (an adult beverage, I would surmise). After safely docking Tuesday, club members convened in the late afternoon for cocktails, snacks and conversation. The weather could not have been better.
We fired up the marina’s grill around 5:00 and cooked up hamburgers and hot dogs, and along with a slew of side dishes prepared by club members, had a wonderful feast on the marina lawn.
After dinner, club members returned to the marina lawn to play a little game I called “The Whoa Nellie Jelly Belly Deli”. Each year, when my wife Pati and I host the Club’s cruise to Pink Shell, I’ve created some kind of crazy game for members to play. In this game, there were 40 numbered plastic cups, each with jelly beans underneath. The object was to match 2 cups that had the same quantity and color of jelly beans. Couples took turns picking cups until all pairs were matched. The winners were the couples who had collected the most jelly beans. Additionally, all of the couples walked away with the cool U.S. Coast Guard holographic cups that were used for this game!
Wednesday morning, we provided breakfast for all club members consisting of scrambled eggs, sausage links, fresh fruits and pastries. We had to let the boat air out for a few hours after cooking up all that sausage!
After breakfast, club members met at the marina lawn at 10:00 for second game – a scavenger hunt! The scavenger hunt consisted of 10 questions where all the answers can be found on the property of Pink Shell resort and Marina. For example, one of the questions was “Unscramble ‘BISNALE WIVE’ and ‘PICAVAT SLIVAL’ – which one is ‘190’? These letters unscramble to Sanibel View and Captiva Villas, two of the named buildings on Pink Shell property. The street address for Captiva Villas is 190, hence the answer. Easy, eh?
The rest of Wednesday found many club members relaxing in the pool, walking the beach, or shopping downtown Fort Myers Beach at Times Square. Wednesday evening, the winners of the scavenger hunt were announced and more prizes were awarded. We all took the Lee-Tran open-air tram to Nervous Nellie’s for dinner. We had about 30 members in attendance and the restaurant provided us with great food, drinks, and a private area to dine.
Thursday morning was another round of prepared breakfast with eggs, sausage, fruits and fresh pastries. Club members spent the rest of the day enjoying Pink Shell resort amenities, visiting with friends, and just plain relaxing. Thursday night, everyone headed off to dinner on their own. My wife and I joined another couple and had dinner at the Fresh Catch restaurant in Fort Myers Beach and enjoyed great food, great company, and a gorgeous sunset!
Fortunately, Mother Nature was quite cooperative during our stay at the marina and we were truly blessed with lots of sunshine.
On Friday morning, we slipped lines and headed home. Much appreciation goes to Dave and Craig, the dock masters at Pink Shell Resort and Marina, for their hospitality and special accommodation to the Cape Coral Cruise Club for making our trip a wonderful event to remember.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club was founded in 1963, and has offered members unique cruising opportunities to a variety of destinations in SW Florida. We hold monthly gourmet picnics at our private island on Caloosahatchee River near Alva, FL. We’re a great club to join if you live in the Cape Coral or Fort Myers area and have a power boat with overnight sleeping accommodations. For more information, contact our Membership Chairman Terry Carlson at (239) 770-6955, or visit our website at: www.ourgrouponline.org/CapeCoralCruiseClub.
Pink Shell Marina
Cruise leader Queen giving scavenger hunt instructions
Dinner at Nervous Nellies restaurant
Member boats at the marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
Here is a chance to hear about, and maybe voice your opinion on, issues related to the Gulf Coast waterways. The Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center is at 2310 First St, Fort Myers. See River District Connections April Calendar.
SAVE THE DATE
Fort Myers River District Alliance Townhall Meeting
Wednesday, May 8, 2019 * 4:30 – 6 p.m.
Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
Speakers:
Fort Myers Councilman Kevin Anderson, Ward 4
Fort Myers City Manager Saeed Kazemi
RDA President & CEO Lisa Sbuttoni
More information to follow……
Lisa Sbuttoni lsbuttoni@rdafortmyers.com
Lisa Sbuttoni
President & CEO
River District Alliance
Fort Myers, Florida
www.fortmyersriverdistrictalliance.com
Respectfully,
Tracy L. Hayden
T: 239.337.1071 – F: 239.337.1076
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR and voted Best Small Marina in 2017, overlooks the westerly banks of the Matanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13. Pink Shell Beach Marina is a favorite of the CCCC, see https://cruisersnet.net/174459
CAPE CORAL CRUISE CLUB
CRUISES TO PINK SHELL MARINA
By Captain John Queen, Past Commodore, Cape Coral Cruise Club
Each month, the Cape Coral Cruise Club takes a scheduled cruise to a different marina in SW Florida and stays there for several days enjoying the amenities and hospitality of that area. We do that nine times a year along with an extended cruise each Spring and take a break during the summer months of July and August. For February 2019, our destination of choice was Pink Shell Marina at Fort Myers Beach.
Pink Shell has always been a popular destination for the club and this cruise was no exception. We had 17 boats arrive on Tuesday, February 19th and it was nice to see the long path of yellow club burgees flying on the bow of each boat. Our club burgee sports our club mascot – a dolphin holding a drink of some sort (an adult beverage, I would surmise). After safely docking Tuesday, club members convened in the late afternoon for cocktails, snacks and conversation.
We fired up the marina’s grill around 5:00 and cooked up hamburgers and hot dogs, and along with a slew of side dishes prepared by club members, had a wonderful feast on the marina lawn.
After dinner, club members met in the Mariner’s room at the resort for a competitive little game I called the “Bagel Finagle”. Each year, when my wife Pati and I host the club’s cruise to Pink Shell, I’ve created some kind of crazy game for members to play we and provide prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. The object of this game was to transfer 3 bagels from one end of the room to their waiting spouse at the other end of the room, and then walk back and deposit into a bucket. Easy enough, eh…? Not by my rules!
The first bagel had to be placed on the forehead, and without touching it, walked across the room and back. The second bagel was a little trickier where a straw was used to transport the bagel. The third round was the most difficult. In that trip, a spouse had to carry the bagel on their forehead across the room to their waiting spouse and then sandwich the bagel between their foreheads and shuttle back to the waiting bucket. It was a hoot watching everyone do the ‘bangle dance’ with a bagel stuck between their heads!
Wednesday morning, we provided breakfast for all club members consisting of scrambled eggs, sausage links, fresh fruits and pastries.
After breakfast, club members met at the marina lawn at 10:00 for second game – a scavenger hunt! The scavenger hunt consisted of 10 questions where all the answers can be found on the property of the Pink Shell Resort and Marina. Many of the questions consisted of simple math. For example, one question was “Dusseldorf plus Chicago minus the number of planks on the marina gangway”. The marina sports a pole sign with distances in miles to various destinations. So this question was fairly easy, until club members were forced to manually count all 120 planks on the marina ramp! The Marina sports a sign post with distances from it, in miles, to various destinations. This question was quite easy, until Club members realized they had to manually count the 120 planks on the pier access gangway.
The rest of Wednesday found many club members relaxing in the pool, walking the beach, or shopping downtown Fort Myers Beach at Times Square. Wednesday evening, we all took the open-air tram to Nervous Nellie’s for dinner. We had about 35 members in attendance and the restaurant provided us with a private area to dine. The winners of the scavenger hunt were announced and everyone had a good time.
Thursday morning was another round of prepared breakfast with eggs, sausage, fruits and fresh bagels (not recycled!) Club members spent the rest of the day enjoying Pink Shell amenities, visiting with friends, and just plain ol’ relaxing. Thursday night, everyone headed off to dinner on their own. My wife and I joined another couple for dinner at the new Coste restaurant at the Diamondhead Resort on Fort Myers Beach. My salmon served on a cedar plank was absolutely scrumptious!
Fortunately, Mother Nature was quite cooperative during the time we stayed at Pink Shell, and we were truly blessed with lots of sunshine.
On Friday morning, we slipped lines and headed home. Much appreciation goes to Dave and Craig, the dock masters at Pink Shell Resort and Marina, for their hospitality and special accommodation to the Cape Coral Cruise Club for making our trip a wonderful event to remember.
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. Read additional Club information on its website, www.ourgrouponline.com/CapeCoralCruiseClub
Member boats at Pink Shell floating docks
Docktails on the closed in lawn area
Full moon over the Pink Shell Marquee
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
York Island Anchorage is located off the southern shores of York Island, well northwest of the ICW’s flashing daybeacon #13. Our thanks to longtime contributor and experienced cruiser, Sonny Reeves, for this report.
At the South end of Pine Island , St James City
Long Cut @ Aprox 26.29.522, 82.5.581
The Long Cut is a pass for fishing boats. The cut is 7-9 ft deep all the way to the curve past short cut. Entrance is well marked. Holding is soft mud. Bugs and fishermen going wide open can be a problem. Otherwise a good protected anchorage with shore facilities and great Keys style on the water restaurants in dink range. Fuel, diesel and some supplies are on Monroe canal. Winn Dixie and other services are at island center.
York Island anchorage @ Approx 26.29.535, 82.5.514 is just off the ICW North at marker R14 or turn North at R10. Exposed to the South and wakes from ICW. The holding is good and the shoreside amenities are not far off. Pine Island is off the path. Not as well known as nearby Sanibel or Captivia.
Click here for photos from Long Cut and York Island anchorage.
Enjoy!
Sonny Reeves
Be Salt and Light, wash feet!
St James City Fl 33956
see blog https://saltlightwashfeet.wordpress.com
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of York Island Anchorage
Few Floridian communities are as welcoming to the cruising community as CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Fort Myers Beach! This is a town that knows how to treat cruisers and invite them back time and time again! Our thanks to Torie Cannon for this excellent report.
Excellent stop off on your way south or north. Easy in and easy out. Run by the Mantanzas Inn on the Bay. Office staff much better informed and less hassle at registration this time around! Austin on the Pump out boat comes on Monday-Wednesday-Friday between 10:00 and 14:00. Must be aboard for pump out. Ice availability a little tough but you can dinghy into Diversified for ice and fuel. They also have an excellent parts department on the second floor. Moss docks have a closed sign on them across the channel. Showers clean, four washing machines and dryers. Beach trolley is .75 one way and you can take it to the Publix south on the beach side. Had to get a #4 wire to rewrite the new alternator to the house battery and went into Olson Marine next to Diversified marine, Doc Ford restaurant and Olson put the wire together for us in a jiffy for a reasonable price. Excellent experience over all!
Torie Cannon
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Fort Myers Beach Mooring Field
St. Petersburg Municipal Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is a great liveaboard marina located on the western shore of Tampa Bay in downtown St. Pete. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, also A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR and voted Best Small Marina in 2017, overlooks the westerly banks of the Mantanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13. These good words for St. Pete Municipal Marina and Pink Shell Resort Marina are from Dan Sherburn as posted on AGLCA’s Forum.
I second the St Pete Municipal. Great marina and close to downtown. Great stop. I also enjoyed Pink Shell (Ft Myers) and Tarpon Point (resort like marina in Cape Coral).
Dan Sherburn
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of St. Petersburg Municipal Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR and voted Best Small Marina in 2017, overlooks the westerly banks of the Matanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13. Pink Shell Beach Marina is a favorite of the CCCC, see https://cruisersnet.net/170308.
By Joanne Ziemer
An even dozen! That’s the number of boats that took advantage of the $1/ft. marina fee for our summer cruise to Pink Shell! Jeff & I settled in ahead of the arriving boats on Tuesday morning. Dave and Craig from Pink Shell were there to greet us in their usual cordial manner. Boaters arrived over the next several hours so, by Docktail time, we had a nice crowd gathered on the lawn for adult beverages and heavy hors de oeuvres. We were fortunate not to have the normal summer afternoon thundershowers.
Thanks to Michelle & Doug Rhees, and Becky & John Todd, Wednesday morning we served up a breakfast of sausage, eggs, fruit, sweet breads, and juice on the deck. It was HOT even at 8:30 a.m. but a few people found shade to enjoy their coffee and breakfast. After clean up, it seemed to be pool time for some folks. The wind was still out of the East, so no one was bothered by the effects Red Tide.
One group rented a pontoon boat for a leisurely cruise to a nearby restaurant for lunch. Others retreated to their boats for some “down time” or took the opportunity to just visit, and some headed to downtown to browse the many shops of Ft. Myers Beach. At 6 p.m., we reconvened for dinner on the lawn. It was again a concerted effort from my helpers who served up burgers and dogs along with the many varied and delicious sides our boaters brought! We had the 12th boat arrive today plus six folks by car so a total of 30 people for our BBQ! Again, the storms held off so no one got wet!
Thursday morning was a repeat of Wednesday. The temperature did not moderate, so another hot day was in store for us. Unfortunately, the wind shifted to the West, so even at the pool, we could feel the effects of Red Tide. No one stayed for a long time at the pool, most wandered back to the marina for some down time before gussying up for dinner. Tonight folks were on their own for dinner, and several headed to Fort Myers Beach to a favorite restaurant.
The last day of the cruise found all but four boats heading home. We were very fortunate with the weather this cruise. Although we had storms all around us, we did not experience any for the duration of the cruise. (For those of us who stayed Friday night; well, that’s another story!)
Thanks to all the participants! I know the staff at Pink Shell was pleased to have 12 boats nearly fill the marina!
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. Read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
This shoaling is occurring at the northern tip of Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach. In the Survey linked below, just look at all the RED around Marker #4 where there should be BLUE! Matanzas Pass leads to several marinas on the east side of Estero Island, including Pink Shell Resort, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
FLORIDA – FORT MYERS TO CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND WIGGINS PASS – MATANZAS PASS CHANNEL: Shoaling
There is a report of a shoaling between Matanzas Pass Channel Daybeacon 2 (LLNR 18087 [26°27.7979N / 081°58.2593W, 26.463298 / -81.970988]) and Matanzas Pass Channel Daybeacon 4 (LLNR 18095 [26°27.9259N / 081°58.1407W, 26.465432 / -81.969012]) shoaling is on the south side of the channel and gets as low as 1.7 feet MLLW. The following aid was temporarily established to mark SHOALING into the channel: Matanzas Pass Channel TEMP BUOY 2A in position 26-27-52.620N / 081-58-10.620W (26°27.8770N / 081°58.1770W, 26.464617 / -81.969617) . Mariners are advised to exercise extreme caution while transiting the area. Link to the survey http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Portals/44/docs/Navigation/hydro_surveys/14-101.pdf
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Matanzas Pass
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR and voted Best Small Marina in 2017, overlooks the westerly banks of the Mantanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13.
PINK SHELL CRUISE FEBRUARY 20th – 23rd 2018
By Captain John Queen, Past Commodore, Cape Coral Cruise Club
The Cape Coral Cruise Club has monthly cruises to a variety of destinations in Southwest Florida. For the month of February 2018, that destination was the popular Pink Shell Resort and Marina on Fort Myers Beach. There was a super turnout with 17 club boats making the trip, ranging in size from 30 to 50 feet. Most boats arrived Tuesday, February 20th with fairly decent weather on their bow. Many boats waited until slack tide before arriving, as we know how tricky docking can be at Pink Shell marina in strong tidal currents. Dock master Dave and his assistant Craig did an excellent job getting boats into slips safe and sound.
Tuesday afternoon was a time for relaxing and catching up with other club members. Walking down the marina dock it was great seeing a fleet of white fiberglass boats sporting the yellow Club burgee.
At 4:30 PM, the members gathered at the marina deck for our traditional Docktail hour with chips, pretzels and the like. The marina accommodated our need to have seating for 34 club members as they already had set up tables and chairs on the marina lawn. Club members converged at 6:00 PM for our scheduled dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs and plenty of side dishes. It’s always amazing how much love goes into the preparation of food in this club – members never go home hungry.
After dinner, club members anxiously waited for me to describe the fun and games portion of the evening. I had told them previously that we were going to play “The Pathetic Peanut Game”. As club members watched, 50 shelled peanuts and 50 Styrofoam packing peanuts were placed in the center of a large round table. Two large plastic Dixie cups sat opposite each other on the table. I explained that the object of the game was to get as many peanuts into their team’s cup within a two minute period. Simple enough, eh?
Of course, my silly made-up games are never that simple. “Oh by the way”, “you must keep your hands behind your back and only use a straw to lift the peanuts!!” I demonstrated how using suction with a straw would allow players to move the peanuts. Each team had two minutes to lift as many peanuts to its cup, the team with the most points would win. (Styrofoam peanuts were worth 1 point each, shelled peanuts were worth 5 points each, and two specially painted peanuts were worth 25 points each.)
Let the fun begin! It was a wild sight watching these seasoned boaters trying to move peanuts via the suction of a straw. I wouldn’t have it any other way! Each team worked feverishly to beat the score of the previous team. When it was all over, the winning team prevailed with a score of 158 points. Prizes were awarded to the top three teams and everyone had a good time. A special ring in the shape of a peanut was also awarded to the top finisher.
The next morning, we prepared breakfast on our boat for 30 people consisting of scrambled eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, and juice at the tables on the marina lawn. After breakfast, the next fun game began. Everyone learned it we would be a scavenger hunt. There were 10 questions or riddles to solve, all based on objects found in and around Pink Shell marina and resort property. The winner would be based on accuracy and speed. The weather was perfect, and after receiving their list of questions, couples scattered in every direction.
I thought it would be a while before anyone returned with their answer sheets, so I was surprised when some of them were being returned within half an hour. Within an hour or so, every couple had turned in their answer sheets for ‘grading’. All were advised that results and winners would be announced just prior to dinner that night. The rest of the day was spent by club members at the pool, shelling at the beach, shopping at Times Square, or simply ‘chillaxing’ on their boat. Just prior to dinner the results of the scavenger hunt were revealed with prizes awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams.
We usually have a group dinner on our cruises where other club members will join us by land yacht. This outing was no exception as we had 38 club members dine at Jack’s Farm to Fork restaurant just across the street in the resort. Everyone had a great dining experience and left will full stomachs.
Thursday morning, we prepared another breakfast for the boaters, and again carted everything out to the tables set up on marina lawn. We could not have had better winter Florida weather. The rest of the day was spent shopping, shelling, swimming, playing card games, or just plain relaxing.
Thursday night, club members headed off in different directions for dinner. On our club cruises, we usually designate Thursday night as ‘on your own’. Most of the boaters ended up at a handful of different restaurants along Estero Blvd.
Friday morning came too soon, and everyone got underway for the journey home. Some boaters left early in the morning while others were in no hurry to depart. The Pink Shell cruise was another great boating experience for members of the Cape Coral Cruise Club.
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. Read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
BEST SMALL MARINA Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina is, naturally, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! The marina overlooks the westerly banks of the Mantanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13. Congratulations Pink Shell!
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
Well deserved. We love Pink Shell Marina. And yes, Dave and Craig are the best!
Looking forward to going back.
Congrats to Dave and Craig, the best dockmasters in the business!
Boats lay on their sides after the tide has pushed out on Hurricane Pass on Fort Myers Beach, Fl. on Sept. 10, 2017
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!, overlooks the westerly banks of the Mantanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13. Pink Shell Resort and Marina is one CCCC’s favorite destinations, see March 2016 report.
PINK SHELL CRUISE FEBRUARY 21– 24, 2017
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.
Tuesday afternoon was a time for relaxing and catching up with nautical conversation with other club members. At 4:30 PM, the members crowded the marina upper deck for our traditional Docktail hour with chips, pretzels and the like. As in the past, the marina has provided our club with a conference room at the resort, and this outing was no exception. At 6:00 PM club members convened in the conference room carrying food for the scheduled 1st night potluck. It’s always amazing how much love and innovation goes into the preparation of food in this club – members never go back to their boats hungry.
After dinner, club members anxiously waited for me to describe the fun and games portion of the evening. I had told them previously that we were going to play “The Awful Waffle Game” – with absolutely no other information provided.
As club members watched, 25 frozen waffles were stacked on an empty table in the center of the room. I asked for everyone to divide into teams of four. The object of the game “is easy”. “All you need to do is take the waffles and spread them out into 5 rows of 5 each, making sure that all waffle lines are perfectly aligned both horizontally and vertically”. I demonstrated with my hands how to do it. “After that, all you need to do is pick them up and dump them in this trash can across the room”. Again, I demonstrated how easy it was.
Each group was told it would be timed and the fastest team would win. Just before the first team started, I said, WAIT… there’s a catch! ELBOWS…ONLY!” (There is always a catch with my crazy made up games). Let the fun begin! It was a wild and funny sight watching these seasoned boaters trying to move and twist waffles with their elbows. Each team worked feverishly to beat the time of the previous team. When it was over, the winning team prevailed with a record time of 1 minute and 53 seconds. Prizes were awarded to the winning team and everyone had a good time. Thank goodness there was a vacuum cleaner in the room as scraps of waffles were everywhere!
The next morning, we prepared breakfast on our boat for 38 people consisting of scrambled eggs, sausage, bagels, croissants, and juice and carted everything up to the conference room for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, it started raining early Wednesday, and the trip from the marina to the conference room was not the best experience. But we got everything set up, and most boaters hiked up to the room to enjoy the breakfast.
After breakfast, our next fun game began. I explained to everyone that we would be doing a scavenger hunt. There were 10 questions or riddles to solve and the winner would be based on accuracy and speed. With that, I handed out envelopes to each boating couple and told them good luck.
As they opened the envelopes, they seemed unsure what to make of it. Each sheet of paper had what seemed to be a random spattering of letters running across it for several lines. It made absolutely no sense. (Of course it made no sense! I like to make people think!) I gave them one clue: “You need to work together to solve this!” Soon people started comparing their sheets of paper with other teams and realized not all sheets were the same. Finally, some of them realized that if they held the four variations the sheet together up to a strong light, it would reveal the message” THIS SCAVENGER HUNT SHOULD GIVE YOU A THRILL, YOUR LIST OF QUESTIONS ARE UNDER THE GRILL”. And with that, off they went.
Pati and I continued cleaning up the room after breakfast and retreated to the boat. I knew it would be a while before I saw anyone turn in their completed scavenger hunt questions. Some teams decided to wait for the rain to subside, while I saw other teams out there with their umbrellas and a wet sheet of paper trying to solve the riddles. As the day went on, the answer sheets started to trickle in. There were 8 teams that braved the weather and handed sheets in. I told everyone the results and winners would be announced at dinner that night. The rest of the day was spent by club members at the pool, walking the beach, shopping at Times Square, or simply ‘chillaxing’ on their boat.
At 6:00 PM everyone met at Matanzas Inn Restaurant for our group dinner. We usually have a group dinner on our cruises where other club members join us by land yacht. This outing was no exception as we had a total of 43 club members at the restaurant. The results of the scavenger hunt were revealed and prizes were awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place team. Everyone had a great dining experience at the Matanzas Inn and left will full stomachs. Since we had a number of people arrive by car, they were able to shuttle the boaters back to the marina and save them the 20 minute walk.
Thursday morning, we prepared another breakfast for all the boaters. Fortunately, there was no rain and we were able to set everything up rather quickly. After breakfast, some of the ladies stayed in the conference room to play cards, while others took walks, went back to their boats or simply enjoyed the Pink Shell Resort amenities. The weather was great most of the day.
Thursday night, club members headed off in different directions for dinner. On our club cruises, we usually designate Thursday night as ‘on your own’. Most of the boaters ended up at a handful of different restaurants on Ft Myers Beach.
Friday morning came too soon, and everyone prepared their boats for the journey home. Some boaters left early in the morning while others were in no hurry to get underway. The Pink Shell cruise was another great boating experience for members of the Cape Coral Cruise Club.
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. Read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
Pink Shell pool at night
Docktails on the marina upper deck
Cruise leaders on board
Elbow waffle shuffle
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
Fort Myers Beach, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, includes Matanzas Pass south of the western terminus of the Okeechobee Waterway and Matanzas Pass is home to SSECN SPONSOR, Pink Shell Resort and Marina. Comments are requested by March 15.
News Release
Feb. 10, 2017
Coast Guard asks mariners help to designate anchorage area
TAMPA, Fla. — The Coast Guard is asking mariners to participate this month in a Waterway Analysis and Management System study of the mooring area adjacent to Fort Myers Beach.
This outreach is designed to gather information on the potential designation of the Matanzas Harbor Mooring Field as a Special Anchorage Area and establish a Special Local Regulation for the anchorage.
A Special Anchorage Area is a designated and charted area with federal oversight where boats may not be required to carry or exhibit anchorage lights while at anchor.
“We want to get the word out to waterway users in the area and seek their comments or concerns,” said Chief Warrant Officer Darren Pauly, the aids to navigation officer at Sector St. Petersburg. “The WAMS survey provides a great way for the public to provide their vital input.”
WAMS studies are conducted year-round on waterways all around the country and focus on managed mooring fields, anchorages, aids to navigation systems, waterborne commerce, marine casualty information, port/harbor resources, and future development projects.
Any interested company or individual wishing to provide comments or participate in the user survey should use the following link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FortMyersBeachAnchorage
Mariners are asked to comment before March 15.
Interested participants can also contact,
Commander Sector St. Petersburg
Attn: BOSN Darren Pauly
600 8th Ave, S.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(813) 228-2191, ext. 8184.
E-mail to darren.a.pauly@uscg.mil.
U.S. Coast Guard 7th District PA Detachment Tampa Bay
Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment Tampa Bay
Office: (727) 535-1437 ext. 2143
After Hours: (305) 965-4672
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Moss Marine lies on the west side of Matanzas Pass across the channel from Marker #17.
CCCC Returns to Ft. Myers Beach
By Bruce Longman
For its’ season kick off cruise the Cape Coral Cruise Club returned to Moss Marine, a long-time favorite cruise destination. This facility is favored because of its close proximity to many restaurants, walking distance to the Ft. Myers Beach pier and the Times Square area. On Tuesday September 20 Judith, Joe and the Moss Marine staff were very accommodating assisting Phil & Pat Kryger on Y-Knot, Paul & Stephanie Carrico on Infinite Seas, and Bruce & Sue Longman on Surface Interval in securing their boats while dealing with a 3 to 4 knot tidal current. Moss Marine is also in the process of renovating its docks. Later in the afternoon the Mitchells and Petersons joined the group for docktails and an evening barbeque. Moss Marine provided a gas grill, placing it next to the covered picnic area.
A light breakfast of pastries and juice was provided on Wednesday by the Longmans, cruise leaders. Stephanie added a large dish of chilled mixed fruit. The rest of the morning was open. All boaters boarded Surface Interval around 11:30 for the short run down to the Bowditch Point Park pier. The cruise leaders provided a box lunch picnic with the afternoon set aside for shelling or just relaxing under umbrellas at the beach.
Later on Wednesday afternoon the boaters were joined by twelve other Club members for docktails at the air-conditioned boaters lounge. This is a very nice amenity provided by Moss Marine that includes a large laundry facility and well maintained, clean showers. Reservations for dinner had been made for the group of 18 at Nervous Nellies restaurant and hearty meals were had by all.
The plan for Thursday was a trip on the Key West Express to Key West. The Longmans and Limbrights took advantage of a reduced rate promotion and had smooth seas both going to and returning from Key West. They visited the Hemmingway home and enjoyed the interesting and informative guided tour. After a nice lunch we toured a few art galleries before having to return in time to catch the boat back to Ft. Myers Beach. In the future, if a trip to Key West is planned, it will be for at least one overnight as the time is too short to do Key West in one day. The other two boaters departed Thursday for their home ports.
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. Read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
CCCC Members Boats Docked at Moss Marine
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Moss Marine
Sadly, as in many other Florida anchorages, transient cruisers are being painted with the same negative brush as derelict boaters who do not care for the waters and shores they abuse. Smokehouse Bay lies in the heart of northern Marco Island. This fortunate body of water plays host to Esplanade Marina and a good anchorage. Collier Creek is its entrance channel which leaves the Marco Island-to-Naples waterway west of marker #14. Our thanks to Jay and Katherine Light for this report.
I’m sorry to report that Marco Island has taken yet another step toward proving that they are the most cruiser-unfriendly port in southwest Florida.
Many years ago, their Town Council passed an anti-anchoring ordinance that took years to get rid of. In a trial, in which Claiborne Young and the maritime lawyer who drafted the State’s anchoring rules testified, the law was found to be unconstitutional on a whole list of grounds and was tossed out.
More recently, the management of the Esplanade, the condo-shopping mall and marina in Smokehouse Bay made it clear to “those people” who had the audacity to anchor there that they were unwelcome, even though there was an agreement made with the town when the development was built that they would provide dinghy dockage for vessels in the bay. They continued to provide it – in as chintzy a way possible. You can dock your dinghy there for $10, but you must be back and take it out by 6pm or the access to it will be locked up. This means if you want to go into town for dinner, you’d better be a real “early bird.”
Just last week, we cruised to Marco and anchored in Factory Bay, a little farther up the river. We had always been welcomed there when it was the Marco River Marina. They charged a reasonable $5 a day for dinghies and you got back when you got back. Now that it’s the Rose Marina, there’s a new sign. The dinghy dockage is still five bucks, but they, too, have added the “you have to be out by 6pm” rule. Upon questioning some of their staff about it, the reply was “Well, we’ve had problems with it.”
The one remaining place to land in Marco is at the Winn-Dixie store on the other side of the Boulevard. You can get there through Smokehouse Bay and under the bridge to the right of the Esplanade. Take the first left under the bridge. There is also a nice public park right next to that bridge, but it is clearly marked with “No Mooring” signs. All it would take to suggest that cruisers were welcome would be for the town to simply take down those signs and replace them with “Mooring for Dinghies of Anchored Vessels.” A single section of floating dock tied to that wall would really be a welcome sign. Given Marco’s history, I’m not holding my breath.
Jay Light
s/v ALBORADA
Fort Myers Beach
Click Here To View the Western Florida Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For the Smokehouse Bay – Marco Island Anchorage
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!, overlooks the westerly banks of the Mantanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13.
Cape Coral Cruise Club Returns to Pink Shell Resort Marina
Taking advantage of SW Florida’s beautiful sunny weather and calm seas, 16 eager captains headed out the Caloosahatchee River toward Ft. Myers Beach and the Pink Shell Resort Marina February 16th for 3 days of fun, companionship and relaxation. Pink Shell is one of CCCC’s favorite destinations and this cruise is eagerly anticipated by Club members and fills quickly.
As a result of Pink Shell’s popularity, cruise leaders Gary and Kathy Taake always have a wait list of cruisers hoping to go. The lucky ones this year included Larry & MaryAnn Habich, Phil & Lyn Quick, Hal & Dee Moss, Armond & Pam Sikes, Phil & Pat Kryger, Ken & Anne Millisor, Jeff & Joanne Ziemer, Ted & Bev Hutson, Walt & Lynn Engle, Rusty & Marlene Glover, John & Linda Furey, Len & Sharon Palmisano, Bob & Susan Ibanez, Joe & Kelli Miller,and Paul & Stephanie Carrico.
Tuesday evening began with docktails at 4:30 followed by one of Gary’s famous entrees – grilled pork loins. The remainder of the meal was rounded out by potluck contributions provided by fabulous first mates. What a feast! Everyone outdid themselves in the food department and no one went away hungry. Too stuffed to do much bar hopping down the Beach, many were content to take on a hot game or two of cards. For some reason, this group is very competitive when it comes to table games involving quarters, nickels and dimes.
As is customary the cruise leaders provided a hot breakfast in a room provided to the Club by Pink Shell both Wednesday and Thursday morning for anyone ready to get moving by 9:00. The days were free to lounge by the several pools, ride the Beach Trolley, or walk to Times Square for lunch. Rumor has it that one establishment in the Times Square area has the coldest beer on the Beach!
Several members joined us by land yacht for docktails Wednesday evening. Kathy finalized reservations for the now-expanded group of 38 for dinner at Mantanzas on the Bay. Mantanzas never disappoints and every one enjoyed a wonderful meal. The highlight of the evening was a surprise birthday cake to honor Ted Hutson’s 85th birthday!
After another day of leisure, Thursday evening found the group scattered to various locations for dinner, followed by a final get together back at the marina for conversation and several hands of cards. This crowd is really competitive when it comes to card games. Plans were made for the next morning’s departures and everyone said a fond farewell. Another excellent Pink Shell Cruise gets logged into CCCC member’s memories.
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.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina
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