Marco Island Opinion http://www.marcoislandflorida.com en-us Copyright 2013, marcoislandflorida SaxoTech Online Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Tue, 21 May 2013 05:45:08 -0400 15 http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130520/MARCOOPINION/130520021 I recently spent two days on Marco Island as part of a week-long sailing cruise, something I've done numerous times over the years. Marco is a cool place. I'm a responsible boater. I don't flush overboard. I don't disturb others. I know and observe the rules of the road and I don't go where I'm not welcome. We've always anchored in Smokehouse Bay, landed our dinghy at The Esplanade dock and made it a point to have drinks at the bar or ice cream at the Coldstone Creamery. My wife has always enjoyed browsing the shops and has purchased some items over the years. This time, it was dismaying to be met by the dockmaster and be told (to his credit, very politely) that the board of directors of The Esplanade had established and were strictly enforcing a new policy, which was that boaters could land at their dock only to shop at The Esplanade and if they were to leave the premises for other errands (like buying things their shops didn't offer, or, God forbid, eating at one of the many other places in town), they were prohibited from landing there. OK, I get it. The place is privately owned and they have a right to keep "those people" (me, for instance) from sullying up their little piece of heaven. Meanwhile, with stops at Ace Hardware, NAPA, CVS, Winn-Dixie and Porky's Restaurant, I dropped a little more than $200 in the local economy in two days, not counting the $50 on a lunch in Goodland. On other trips, West Marine and any number of other shops and eateries have gotten my money. I understand that my 200 bucks isn't going to save the local economy. But multiply that by the 150 members of my sailing club, plus the hundreds who will read my report of this unwelcoming attitude in the regional boating press in print and online, and you're talking about some real money that sees Marco as an unfriendly place to avoid. I wonder if the local merchants, not to mention the shop owners in The Esplanade, think that actions which keep potential customers away are a good idea. My home port, Fort Myers Beach, takes a very welcoming approach to visiting boaters. The town provides a mooring field, where for about $15 a night, a cruiser gets a pump-out, shower, trash disposal and water. There is a dinghy dock which puts them right in the middle of the local action. One can also simply anchor out in several places and still use the dock. Each year, the town and Matanzas Inn, which operates the on-land facilities, co-sponsor a "Cruisers' Appreciation Day," a party with food and drink for the boaters. As many as 20 local businesses donate items and services to be raffled off. They value the boaters' patronage. Since the event's inception, a large contingent of SAMI (Sailing Association of Marco Island) members has made the run north to participate. They spend the weekend and their money. It's something to think about. No one understands better than I that Marco Island doesn't want to be like Fort Myers Beach. Of course, the Beach doesn't want to be like Marco either. But a little friendliness wouldn't hurt. Many years ago, Marco Island shot itself in the foot with its ill-advised, hostile anchoring regulation, which was later found to be unconstitutional on numerous grounds. It is my understanding that the principal players, both in and out of government, who perpetrated this fiasco are no longer around. Marco has a golden opportunity to take a new approach to boaters. All it would take would be for them to take down the "No Mooring" signs on the seawall in the little park off Collier Boulevard in the southernmost corner of the bay and replace them with a sign that says "Mooring only for tenders of boats anchored in Smokehouse Bay. No overnight mooring." Everyone would be happy. Boaters would have a place to land and go spend their money in the local economy. Local merchants would benefit. The Esplanade would have successfully kept the riff-raff out and I'd be happy to wave at them as I walked by to shop elsewhere. (I haven't yet decided how many or which fingers I'd wave with.) It would be my pleasure to write that report for the regional boating press. I'm not holding my breath. Jay Light Fort Myers Beach Mon, 20 May 2013 15:28:00 -0400 http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130520/MARCOOPINION/130520021 http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/MARCOOPINION/305150048 One former Northerner has the right idea. Wed, 15 May 2013 16:08:00 -0400 http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/MARCOOPINION/305150048