Morning Bell Feb 27th

Good morning Everyone,

Well, I can't say "another day in Paradise" today as the news is all about the weather today. Overnite we had winds of 30 Kts up to about 7AM. Now they are settling a little bit as the front passes through but still around 20 Kts. Lots of clouds around as well but no rain. Looks like this will pass through today and bring sunshine back tomorrow. As with all fronts like this in Jan/Feb we can look forward to cold temps overnite and into the morning. Currently it's only 66* and not likely to get much warmer today. Down in the 40s tonite.

Locals like us think this is frigid weather and everyone here is bundled up. You'd think it was snowing outside.

Unfortunately this is not a day for boating.

Beachcomber Tours runs an eco tour boat out of the marina and the other day Capt. Bobby Romero had a group on board that got some rare and incredible pictures of dolphins at play. I'm promised we'll get copies to show you shortly. Many people are fortunate to see dolphins on the back bay when out in a rental boat or with Beachcomber Tours. It's one of the most enjoyable events you can have. Do you know why the dolphin love to swim in the wake of a boat?

The most common belief is that they love to play and this is playtime. That is probably true and, if not, it's suits us to see it that way because we love these guys. Another commonly held theory is that they get a kind of high from the oxygenated water on the wake. Whatever it is, it sure is fun to see.

Yesterday was MaryAnne's birthday.

Happy Birthday MaryAnne!

No pics of the construction today but there is lots of activity. The steel building work is nearly finished and Stemic is working hard on the last section of seawall. The air conditioning is being installed this week and there are all kinds of odd looking things hanging from the ceilings everwhere. The plumbers are also on site as well as the supplier of the water filtration and cleaning system so lots going on.

Today's a day for maintenance catch up on the rental boats as the weather has dampened any interest in boating by the tourists in the area. We'll be ready for them tomorrow again.

Time to get back to work. Have a great day and drop in to see us.

Joe

Morning Bell Feb 26

Good morning Everyone,

Another day in Paradise. Partly cloudy skies, high in the 80s and SW winds 10-15 Kts. Seas will be onshore today and 2-4 feet. There is a strong cold front approaching and lots of weather on the way. Rain chance tonite and more tomorrow with strong NW winds (30+ Kts) so batten down the hatches. They are predicting some possibility of thunderstorms as the front approaches and passes thru. Clearing behind the front but lots of wind on Thursday.

Once in a while we get a celeb on the property so we always like to brag. Today we're priveledged to have Washingto Redskins star OL Jason Fabini with us. Jason and his friends are having a great day on the water.

Had a chance to take a boat out the other day to photograph the property from the water. This shot gives you some idea of our progress and the scope of the project. Can't wait til' it's done!

Lots of rental boat activity this week again. Season is in full swing and most boats are out every day. Due to the increase in our business we launched another new 22' Premier Pontoon boat the other day.

We're expecting confirmation any day now of our registration with Yachting Club of America. With over 800 yacht clubs listed in the US, Hawaii, Us Virgin Islands and Alaska, YCA provides reciprocal priviledges and lots of valuable information to Member Clubs throughout the world. Check them out at http://www.ycaol.com/



Time to go for now. Happy boating!

Joe

Morning Bell Feb 22

Good morning Everyone,

Well, it's been a week since my last blog. So sorry but we have been so busy around here with the daily construction challenges and season is upon us so boat rental business is crazy. Anyway, we've had some pretty interesting weather since my last. A good bit of rain and some breezy days but staying very warm.

Today will be a perfect April day (I know, it's February) with temps in the mid 80s and high humidity. No rain and clear skies. Seas should be less than 3 feet so good boating weather. The water temp is already in the eighties and that doesn't boad well for hurricane season but the way the weather is these days we could have a mini winter before June and, who knows, ice forming in the Gulf!

Lots of pics today as construction moves along very well. The pace of activity has increased dramatically in the past days. Here's a few to keep you up on progress.








In spite of all the work going on operations around the marina continue. Here you can see Jennifer and Gary Schmidt's boat, Holy Schmidt, getting a facelift. We have a great crew of detailers to do your boat over from top to bottom.

On to other things. I am pleased to announce the addition of Kim deGuerre to the Team. Kim comes to us from another marina and will share the duties of the Ship Store and also maintain inventory of the Parts Department.

Here Kim and Tiki pose for the camera. Tiki has a weakness for pretty women and always gives them a whistle as they go by. Tiki loves the camera.

Yesterday we had the pleasure and priviledge of a visit from Kathy Oerter and her friends. They rented a pontoon boat and had a great day on the water. You will remember that Kathy is the wife of Al Oerter, 4 time Olympia Gold Medalist. Although Al has left us he is remembered as a great guy with a bright personality and also proved to be a pretty good artist. Want to learn more? Go to http://www.aloerter.com/

Ok, time to get to work. Check out the "Timeline" section of the website to see all the recent and older photos of our progress.

Good boating! Joe

Morning Bell Feb 9

Good morning Everyone,

Yesterday we reported rain just North of us. Today its very overcast and no wind. Very muggy but still no sign of a raindrop. Maybe tomorrow. Sun seems to be arriving as I type.

Heard from Neville and Catherine on DreamTime. Here's the latest on their world cruise.

"Hi Joe,
We left South Seas on Monday and had a beautiful cruise all the way to Upper Captiva Island - what an adventure! We're still anchored off the runway on Upper Captiva but I promise you, we will be leaving next week, probably Monday/Tuesday for Dry Tortugas.I've spent the last few days setting-up my Iridium email and forwarding my business and zeroXTE emails to the sat' phone - it works like a treat. I have a feeling that the Beam data cradle I purchased along with the larger external antenna really help my connection speed.We'll be updating the site tonight, perhaps with aerial shots of Dream Time taken by our new pilot friend we met last night.Stay in touch, and if you're in the neighbourhood this weekend, stop by.

Cheers,Neville & Catherine"

Their website is www.zeroxte.com and they are, eventually, going to depart on the next leg of their round the world criuise. Next stop the Dry Tortugas but when they actually leave the beautiful barrier islands here is almost as unpredictable as the Dem's candidate selection. We'll just have to wait a little longer for reports from the high seas.

Yesterday I told you that maryAnne, our accountant, is retiring in June. Today I introduce her replacement, Lorie Van Winkle. Lorie has a Masters in Business Administration and loads of experience so we are looking forward to great things in our bank balance.

Good luck and welcome aboard!

Work continues and we're seeing progress everyday. Here's a couple of pics showing the Service Department facing and the roof going on the Member's area.

Looks like we have some wind coming tonite and tomorrow. NOAA says 15 to 20 Kts NW with seas 3-5 feet so it's going to be a great sailing day and a little rough for small craft.

Have a great day!

Joe

Morning Bell Feb 8th

Good morning Everyone,

Well, every once in a while this time of year we have the strangest weather event. There are actually some dark clouds to the North and East this morning. Apparently there is water falling from the sky in Port Charlotte. Rain? It's been so long we have forgotten what rain looks like. Maybe we'll get some today.

We do get something else regurlarly though. On a daily basis someone comes to me or calls just for the purpose of complimenting a member of our Staff. It's been amazing and wonderful to have this happen so consistently over the past 2 years. Yesterday I received the following:

"Hi Larry I just wanted to say thanks to you and everyone for your hospitality when we dropped off the boat at your dealership last Friday. It was really awesome that you let us take a boat out on the ocean like that! We had never been on the ocean before, so we just thought it was fantastic. You are lucky to live in such a beautiful place. It looks like your new building will be beautiful as well, and your staff is so professional and friendly.

Thank you again for everything, it was really a pleasure meeting you!

Chris

PS. We loved Tiki the bird! We had never seen a parrot before, other than on TV. He is fascinating. =)

Thanks -
Chris "

Work continues on the buildings and the roof trusses went up yesterday so the whole restaurant and member facilities are really looking good. Last week they filled the pool to test for leaks before pouring the final concrete surface and all was good so shortly we'll see the final pour there. The service buildings were finished this week and look great now with the siding up. I'll have pics tomorrow.

Meet Jill! Jill is our Ship Store and Boat Rental coordinator and has been really busy with rentals and stuff lately. Jill lives here on the Beach and is well known around town for her great personality, good humor and constant smile.

Jill spends a good deal of her time counting live shrimp. Not the most enjoyable of tasks but she always does it with a smile.

MaryAnne is our Accountant. She came to us 2 years ago when she and Mike moved here from Maryland. Mike is a retired policeman. Now they have decided to move on and fully retire to travel. We'll miss MaryAnne but wish she and Mike all the best. She'll be leaving us in June and her replacement starts on Monday. Lorie VanWinkle and I'll tell you more about her tomorrow.

Have you seen the video of the new marina? If not why not click on the link and then click twice on the play arrow. It's worth a look and be sure you have your volume turned on. http://www.snookbightmarina.com/marina_tour.asp

Gotta go for now. More tomorrow.

Joe

Morning Bell Feb 7th

Good morning Everyone,

Today's weather is just like yesterday. A few light clouds, lot's of sunshine and 83 degrees. Breezy again and the wind is out of the SW so it's a bit choppy out there. Looks like 10-15 Kts all day as the cold front passes by to our North. I heard this morning the shuttle launch is delayed due to the clouds and chance of rain in their area.


I mentioned the other day that we were just appointed full line dealers for Evinrude's new E-Tech motors. We sstarted testing these two years ago on our rental fleet and we have sure been pleased with their performance. Lighter and more economical to run makes them a great choice for your re-power. So, this morning let's meet a couple of the Service Department guys.

Larry Philips is Service Manager and leads the crew. He joined us about 18 months ago after selling his Marine Service business in upstate New York. Larry is originally from the Tampa area and is glad to be back in Florida. We're glad too! Larry has a broad range of tech background, good diesel and electrical skills and carries his Captain's license proudly.

Rich is our newest mechanic having joined us a couple of years ago. He is always smiling and recently got his Yamaha Master Tech certification. Always working hard, he is.

Well, at least I was right about the smiling part.

Things are in full swing here now that season is upon us. Rental boats are going out and bait sales are at their peak. If you're considering a boat rental soon better go to our rental boat section on the website and reserve your choice.

By the way, the beaches are in great shape now and the manatees are back in the marina. Yesterday we had a cow and two calves moving around in the area between B and C Dock.

The Cowens are headed home for a while. They live here on their cruiser off and on in the winter and have a reort on the lake in Westport, Ontario. It's cold up there now but I'm told it's beautiful in the summer. Check them out at The Cove Country Inn. http://www.coveinn.com/

7AM here and time to get started so have a great day wherever you are and come to paradise and see us soon.

Joe

Morning Bell Feb 5th

Good morning Everyone,

Well, another glorious day in the making here on Ft Myers Beach. Sunny and 87 degrees is the plan.

I posted a few new photos on the construction page this morning. http://www.snookbightmarina.com/marina_construction_timeline.asp

If you scroll through to about 180 you'll be at the newest ones. We now have access to the launch pad area and have installed the new ramp to the floating dock at that location. Boats are in place now for temp storage on the pad while construction continues.

Here is a good look at the new launch area from C Dock and a few boats waiting for their skippers to take them for a ride.

In the last few weeks we have been enjoying a unique sight on the Bay. The lone Red Ibis is back again this year. I first saw him flying with the flock last Spring and he's back again. I have seen him three times now. The flock flies along the water in a long formation and he is usually right in the middle.

Here's a shot from Trinidad of two Red Ibis in flight. Imagine how amazing one looks in a flock of 20 or so white ones.

More to report on the voyage of DreamTime. Neville and Catherine sailed to Upper Captiva to have a final check of all the new systems on board before finally leaving land behind. While in that area they discovered South Seas Resort and had a couple of days there while on the hook off of Captiva. We stopped in to see them and when we left on Sunday they assured us they would leave all of the luxury behind today. They have launched the new web site so have a look at zeroxte.com

Well, time to go to work. Happy boating!

Joe

The Morning Bell Feb 1st

Good morning Everyone,

So, I'm a terrible Blogger. I missed the Bell again for two days. Please be assured it is not because I am sleeping in. We have been so busy on the site getting everything ready I just haven't been near my desk. Enough of that.

Lots going on. The restaurant precast slabs were all set on Thursday and now they are pouring the concrete floor. The second last small section of seawall and seawall cap are being poured as I write this morning. Later today the 1 ton wheel stops for the launch pad are being bolted in place and we'll be launching boats from there by Tuesday.

Once the electrics are run this morning the temporary shower and laundry facilities are being moved to the launch pad on the far North end where they will be easy to access from the docks.

The new ramp to the floating dock at the launch pad was assembled and placed yesterday and we're ready to launch boats now.

Work continues all around setting the upstairs walls and finishing the pool (it passed the leak test!) and mounting the sheeting on the building.

In the meantime, weather is wonderful. We have a light breeze and temps will be in the 80s every day for a week. No rain. Glorious weather for boating!

Continuing with our "Meet the Employees" section, here is Rick O'Shea. Rick is one of our seniour techs who just received his Master Tech certifications for Yamaha and BRP. His real love (sorry Tasha) is fishing and nobody has caught more snook right here on the docks than Rick.

Sharing with the important task of keeping the boats in tip top shape and providing Master Tech service on Evinrude/Johnson is Bob Einer. We call him "The Grump" but you wouldn't get that from this photo of Larry presenting Bob with his anniversary award. Bob's not crazy about 4-strokes but he sure loves the E-Tech from Evinrude.

Larry, of course, is our General Manager. Retired Coast Guard and experienced marina manager from North Carolina, Larry keeps things going strong here.

Well, time to go. Should have some construction pics tomorrow.

Joe