Morning Blog

Good morning Everyone,

Well, it may be frigid up North but we are freezing here as well. In the 30s this morning. The good news is, as always, we'll see 65 today and 75 tomorrow. One day last week it was 96 degrees warmer here than in Chicago! Beautiful blue sky today and calm seas now that the wind has died.

It's been all about the restaurant for a couple of weeks now. On Thursday last week we had our first of three private opening parties for friends and neighbors. Great time was had by all I am happy and proud to say. Over 150 each night and on Sunday we opened to the public to a packed house! Here's a few photos for you to enjoy.

Check out the menu at http://www.bayfrontbistro.com/.

Season is cranking up now and there's lots of activity around the marina with members comings, goings and enjoying the member clubroom faciilities. Our docks are again filling up as people are realizing we are open and construction is over. Short term and long term slip renters are enjoying the new facilities, especially the heated pool and BBQ deck.

The rental boat business is usually an indicator of the economy but it seems we are still bucking the tide. In December business was up 20% and in January we are sure to finish at least 50% ahead of each of the past two years! Our boats are the best and you can enjoy a wonderful day out on the beaches or just cruising the area watching the Dolphins play.

Congratulations to Kim DeGuerre. Kim is our Ship Store/Retail manager and she won the 2008 Employee of the Year Award for her outstanding dedication and service throughout the year.

Well, busy busy so have to go. Stop in for happy hour and have a drink before dinner. The Lolly Pop Lamb Chops are incredible and the Sweetfire Shrimp appetizer is amazing!

Happy and safe boating!

Joe

2009!

Good Day Everyone,

Well, it's 2009. What a year it has been here. First let me wish everyone who takes the time to read these blogs a very happy and prosperous new year from all of us here at Snook Bight Yacht Club & Marina and Bayfront Bstro.

The restaurant is looking really spectacular now. It is going to be so special and beyond your imagination! We will open for our first night of food, wine and entertainment on the 18th of this month. You can check out the menu on line at www.bayfrontbistro.com. Make a reservation now for Valentine's Day. We're filling up fast for that special night. You can also call 239-463-FOOD and speak directly to the staff.

Gas prices dropped like a rock for 2 months but, as we all know, they are back on the rise. Marina price today is $2.649 and that is the lowest on the beach at the moment. The prices are changing very fast now and it all depends on the day we buy but we are trying hard to maintain our price advantage. Diesel is also changing often. Today we are $2.67

Boat Rental business was crazy over the holiday and I am delighted to say that we had a nice increase over the same peiod last year which is a good return to our usual monthly increases over previous years. Maybe folks are starting to gain confidence in the economy again.

Looking for a home for your boat? We would love to have you here and our dry storage can take anything up to 45' in length so give Jill a call and discuss our lease and purchase options.

Time to get back to work. Lots of to do to get the restaurant ready! Hope to see you soon.

Joe

Happy Christmas to Everyone

It's a beautiful Christmas morning here at the marina. All of us here wish you all the very best of holiday cheer.

It's a long time since my last blog. We have come so far in the past months. The yacht club and marina are fully open and completed now and things are finally settling into a routine. We are glad to welcome back our dear friends Joe and Sigi on their Krogen. They have been loyal customers for many years and we are always glad to have them back.

Phase IV Charters joins our family. Looking for a beautiful sunset cruise on the Gulf and Bay? Call Capt. Joe Griffin at 239-246-7992.

Great news! Bayfront Bistro is nearly finished. Opening on Monday January 12th, we're taking reservations now. Wait till you see this spectacular restaurant. The Back Bar will blow you away and the views from every table are magnificent. Make a reservation now at www.bayfrontbistro.com and check out the menu there. We're cookin up a heck of a meal for you!

Don't have a boat but would like to see our beautiful waters and watch the dolphins play? Why not book one of our rental boats and have a great day on the water. We have special discount pricing now.

I am proud to announce that our Ship Store manager Kim has been awarded the Employee of the Year for 2007. Why not come by and see why.

Safe boating and happy holidays.

Joe

Morning Nov 1, 2008

Good morning Everyone,

Well, after a very brisk few days of January weather we are finally warming up again. Today is breezy with 10-15 out of the East and it is absolutely beautiful here on Ft Myers Beach. The Full Moon briught our first real "winter" tides the past few days as well with lows at -3.5. Stay in the channel!

Exciting times here in the marina. We are fully open now and enjoying the wonderful new facilities. Kim has done a great job organising the Ship Store and is now joined by Jim who will assist her in keeping things in order and taking care of boat rentals and the gas dock.

The past week has brought lots together for us with the opening of the club facilities, arrival of the furniture, paintings and plants. Also the tiling of the bridge to the restaurant is under way. The two water features are nearly done and the flagpole and dolphins are in place.

It's been a long two years since Old Glory flew on our waterfront and it was a proud day today when she finally flew again. Of course, joined by the Irish flag honoring my two partners in this venture.

But it's not all about the flagpole this week. Here are a few pics of the clubroom.
From the Clubroom Deck this morning.The party is this week. On Saturday and Sunday the 8th and 9th we open our house for everyone to see. Great food by Pop Z BBQ (ribs and pulled pork) and lots of wine, beer and soft drinks. Entertainment by Eric Stone and his Band will keep us dancin all day. Lots of great door prizes and even an auction of some wonderful artwork by Coyote man Marcus Pierson. http://www.markuspiersonart.com/castresin.asp check out his stuff!


If you haven't been invited but would like to come along to the party please e-mail us at info@snookbightmarina.com.


This Monday the final area of the parking lot will be paved so it will be good-bye to the dust!!!!


Our rental boats are the best on the beach and our rates start at $99.00* for a half day. Why not come in and have a look. *Requires coupon. Bring a copy of our ad in The Florida Weekly for your discount!


Well, back to work. Today we're building the stage for Eric Stone's band. http://www.boatsongs.com/


Have a great day and safe boating.

Joe

Morning Blog Oct 5, 2008

Good morning Everyone

It's not often that we say "Another lousy day" but that is what we have today. Another day of gusty winds and squalls from the South. The good news is tomorrow it will be gorgeous again.

I posted lots of new pics on the Timeline section of the website this morning. Try this link http://www.snookbightmarina.com/construction_timeline.asp

The furniture arrived last week for the Promenade and the Ship Store is now open so here are a few pics.

The Upstairs area is also finished now and Larry and Lorie are now in their offices and the Employee Break Room is up and running. Above is a pic of the Locker Room in the Men's Room. Below are some more pics from upstairs.

This week we'll put the last layer of cool crete on the pool deck. The ClubRoom will get the final paint and wallpaper and the furniture for it will arrive. The BBQs are here now and all is going to be ready for the Members and guests by Friday. We are hoping to receive our final permits from Lee County Utilities by Friday and then it's fully open for business.

Progress on the restaurant is good. You can view the menu at www.bayfrontbistro.com.

The final design features for the bar area are complete and the bids are coming in for the contractors. We appointed Owens Ames Kimball as General Contractors and they are moving at breakneck speed to make a January 10th opening date.

Lastly, it's party time and we'll be hosting a two day open house on the 8th and 9th of November. Invitations are going in the mail tomorrow. If you would like to come along please call Jill or Kim at 239-765-4371 to receive an invitation.

Gotta go now. Lots to do today.

Happy boating!

Dreary Morning Sept 28

Good morning Everyone,

What a dull and dreary morning it is. Not often do we start the day out like this. There are a few small storms around as the flow is out of the South now. It looks like it may clear later. Calm seas and no wind today.

We're In!!!!!!!!!!!! On Friday we officially opened the new Ship Store and Service Department sections of the main building. Still lots to do but the Ship Store is fully operational and stocked with a wide selection of beers and soft drinks. New ice machine and frozen bait locker as well. Ice is exactly the same price as Publix now and we're working on the drinks prices at the moment. A great selection of clothing at terrific prices and check out the duffle bags and cooler bags.

This coming week we will open the upstairs section to employees and start setting the furniture and getting connected. The pool will get the final inspection on Tuesday and then it's time for a swim! With a small bit of luck the elevator will be cleared and we'll be able to open to Members by Monday week.

The member's Club Room is nearly ready. Just a few minor touch-ups and the furniture for it arrives on the 6th.

I haven't taken any pics today because of the weather but I will tomorrow. The Promenade furniture was delivered on Friday and looks amazing. It's so comfortable. Also, the pool furniture is here and just waiting for the final inspection this week.

Progress on the restaurant continues at a furious pace with the final stucco work this week and painting the exteriour. Then it's all inside. Finally we say good-bye to the scaffolding!

Mitch and the architects are going gangbusters toward the January 2 opening of Bayfront Bistro and the plans are really exciting. The back bar will be a sight to behold! Check out the menu at www.bayfrontbistro.com

So, as we continue to get settled in to our new digs we look forward to our first party welcoming the Members and prospective Members on November 1. And then on Sunday the 2nd we'll have an open house for all to see. Lots of food and drink and a special draw for prizes such as free boat rentals, VHF radios and more on the day.

By the way, compare our gas prices. We're $469 while all of our neighbors are $4.87 to $5.10! And Members enjoy that special price at the moment of $4.41.

Safe boating and we look forward to welcoming you!

Joe

Morning Blog

Good morning Everyone,

Lots of activity here at the marina as we get ready to move into the new Ship Store on Wednesday. O my God, that's tomorrow! We have been stocking the shelves all week and we're about 70% ready. All of the new shirts and towels and bags are in and lots of new goodies in the store.

The cooler is still being stocked and we hope all of the distributors will be here by Thursday. In the cooler we have a great selection now of soft drinks and domestic as well as imported beers, wine and coolers. Check out the prices. We are working hard to be competitive with Publix. Also with the new ice machine we're now exactly the same price as Publix, $1.93 per bag.

Next week we'll move in upstairs and the furniture for the offices has arrived and is being set up today. The pool is ready and the final layer of Cool Crete on the deck will be completed tomorrow. I get the first swim! The BBQs arrive on Thursday as well.

Most of the security and webcam equipment is now installed and we're just waiting for it to go live so we can put the cams up on our website. Great views of the Gulf and the Bay!

On Friday Robb & Stuckey will deliver the pool furniture and the wonderful collection for the Promenade. Can't wait! The Promenade looks great with the lights on now and the 3" ropes joining each colum. Just need a place to sit and enjoy the scenery!

We're also moving into the new service department tomorrow. The guys are sure looking forward to getting out of those 40' containers.

The most exciting of all is the progress on the restaurant. Bayfront Bistro will open in January and we are submitting for permit to complete the interior on Wednesday. This is going to be a wonderful restaurant with something for everyone. From Baby Back Ribs and Sliders to:

Try These

SEARED AHI TUNA PAD THAI SALAD Napa cabbage – udon noodles – roasted peanuts sesame ginger vinaigrette

BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICH Bleu cheese aioli - Franks hot sauce lettuce – tomato – onion

PAN SEARED GROUPER Sage caper brown butter – scalloped potatoes fresh vegetables

GORGONZOLA TORTELLINI Chef made three cheese tortellini – vine ripe tomatoes – fresh basil rich gorgonzola cream sauce – shredded parmesan

A casual restaurant with great food (all freshly made on the day) and a very substantial wine list featuring the beautiful wines of Napa and Sonoma Counties. You will be able to arrive by boat or car and dine on the upper deck or down below or just saddle up to the bar where the view is amazing in all directions. Check out the website (still under construction but the menu is up) at www.bayfrontbistro.com

We've joined with Mitch Schwenke of The Blue Coyote who has proven his considerable skill at hiring and training the most creative and energetic staff of any restaurant I have ever been to. Check it out at http://bluecoyoteclub.com/home.htm Mitch and his team will get the restaurant up and running for us and hire the management for the future. Wait till you see the interior as Mitch has designed it with our architect Gora McGahey Associates! It's going to be something really special.

Opening January 2!

I know a pic is worth a thousand, as they say, but I'll wait a few more days to get more pics up. The final cleanup is going on right now and it will look better on the weekend after the Promenade and pool furniture is in place.

Oh yeah! The weather. Well, Noah is building a new ark here today. We have had torrential rains every evening for a week and the drought is officially over. Ike gave us a miss of course and all is quiet for now in the Atlantic. Interesting that the storms that passed us by have cooled the waters around us and that will inhibit storm development for a while yet. Every day quiet is another day closer to the end of season. We started Fall yesterday at 11:41 AM. Who coulda guessed? Why not 11:45 or...

Today we're looking for 15 Kts NE winds and probably afternoon rain with cooler temps. Tomorrow we get back to normal with a dry spell coming in from the North. All in all, still paradise!

Well, that's enough blabber for now. I'll leave the rest to McCain and Obama. uuuggghhh.

Later

Joe