Due to the up and down weather that resulted in cancellation of the March Beach Picnic, the decision was made to swap in a short boat / car ride to The Crabby Lady. The owners had recommended we get there early which turned out to be great advice given that the place was packed with a waiting line shortly after our arrival. Participating members enjoyed perfect Spring weather along with fast and friendly service, good food and good friendship.
The MBYC Jetski Special Interest Group made an incredible find this month. We discovered a new route where the mangrove made a complete canopy that was more than a mile long.
I talk about Rabbit Rides and Turtle on this topic, but because this was completely new and highly risky, it took about 60 minutes to travers at no wake speed. There were many mangrove branches and tentacles in the channel, but weaving and positioning the jetski around them is part of the fun and challenge of this route. We saw several birds, but no alligators. On a trip around last Thanksgiving, I did have an alligator cut in front of me on the Black Water River and he could care less that I was only 15 feet behind him in a channel that was too narrow for me to pass him.
I call the new route Canopy Lane, and it is complete Nirvana.
Here we have pixs from the trip of the route. These are not dead ends.
Eventually, I hope to post a short video of the trip. You can see other videos from the Jetski SIG on our website.
https://marcobayyachtclub.com/category/activities/boating/jetski/
The Day Fleet event for February was a trip to the Wahoo’s restaurant at Walkers Port 32 Marina in Naples. The event generated a strong response with 10 boats and 51 people registering, 21 of which were joining on another member’s boat. Unfortunately, mother nature had less than favorable plans for the weather which reduced participation to 4 boats and 43 people. The four boaters that braved the waters felt the conditions were somewhat acceptable on the way there but ran into rougher and wetter conditions on the return trip.
There was an abundance of dock space at Port 32 and both the dock hands and the restaurant staff were welcoming of our club. Although the food service was a little slow, the food was good and well-priced. All in all, the Wahoo’s event was favorable and will be given strong consideration for future events
Monday, February 24, found fourteen hardy souls huddled in CJ on the Bay escaping the pouring rain. They were determined to not let a little water dampen the party, while wondering why anyone would wimps out at a few raindrops. Here’s hoping for beautiful weather for the next Monday Madness on March 31 at CJ’s Star Bar. See you there.
February 22 found MBYC members gathered at the Marco Esplanade Marina for the annual Presentation of the Fleet where the newly installed Bridge, Commodore Paul Schneeberger, Vice Commodore Bob Gagnon, and Rear Commodore Jeff Wilson conducted the annual review of the Fleet.
Commodore Paul Schneeberger welcomed everyone and the USA National Anthem was played to open the program.
Chaplin Alan Sandlin read a History of the Marco Bay Yacht Club and followed with a prayer for the blessing of the Fleet.
Fleet Captain Brent Cook presented the fleet for review which included the vessels:
Top Shelf Captain Mike and First Mate Maria Adamson
Cookin’ Captain Brent and Susan Cook
O Sea D Captain Vern and First Mate Ann Graham
La Vie en Rose Captain Bill and First Mate Debbie Schroeder
Upon completion of the review, the vessels were berthed and the Bridge, crews and other MBYC members proceeded to CJ’s on the Bay for a celebratory luncheon.
The Fifty-first Annual Change of Watch (Commodore’s Ball) was held Friday January 31st at Hideaway Beach Club. At this beautiful venue, nearly 80 members attended and were welcomed with a glass of champagne. Linda Gagnon reflected on her 2 years as Commodore and recognized and thanked the many volunteers and board members who supported her leadership. A delicious meal was served followed by a presentation of the Bridge. 2025 Commodore Paul Schneeberger spoke as his first official duty as commodore. Kellee Kaysee wonderfully entertained us all evening. The dance floor was packed as members danced the night away.
We could not have asked for a nicer evening for the January Monday Madness. Things got off to a slow start as people straggled in at the beginning. Eventually the pace picked up and a larger crowd assembled. We were pleased to welcome new members, Tom O’Reilly and Connie London, to their first Madness. Tom and Connie are long time Marco residents who retired from the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. We encourage you to get acquainted with them and make them feel welcome. Let’s use Monday Madness as an opportunity to develop community within Marco Bay Yacht Club.
January 50/50 winners:
$15 Rudi Landwaard
$25 Dianne Kernan
$40 Lynn Tuttle
The next Madness is February 24, join us at the Star Bar at CJ’s on the Bay. See you there.
The Marco Bay Yacht Club was proud to participate in the Holiday Street Parade this year. Naples Marine generously donated a 26’ pontoon and trailer for us to decorate and show off during the parade.
Sixteen club members and one club dog came together to decorate and/or accompany the float on its journey. We chose a theme of Fun on Land & Sea since we are the ‘FUN’ club of Marco Island. From whimsical octopi to lighted pelicans and marlins, the float really glowed. Even the Gagnon’s truck was decorated with a fun scene. We had lighted Christmas trees, Octopi and a Shark walking alongside the float with candy for the kids. Although we did not win a prize, we were definitely one of the best floats in the parade!!
The MBYC Jetski Special Interest Group (JSIG) finished 2025 in memorable fashion.
The last weekend of the year we took both a Turtle Ride and a Rabbit Ride. The Turtle Ride on Saturday involved 4 jetskis and a Craig Cat. There was a breakdown about 75 minutes into the ride and one of the vessels needed to be towed out to open water to meet up with a commercial tow vessel. A great example of why you never go out alone.
The Rabbit Ride scheduled for Sunday was pushed out to Monday due to wind. Once in the backwaters, the water is always calm, but getting there no one likes to get splashed in the open water this time of year. For both rides we had mostly MBYC visiting family members and/or prospective new members.
On December 11th, twenty Day Fleet participants enjoyed a lunch outing at the historic Rod and Gun Club in Everglade City. For those who have visited Everglade City know that nothing moves fast there, including fulfillment of our lunch orders, allowing extra time for catching up with other members. Having said that, the staff was as friendly as always, and the food was good. Despite being a beautiful Fall day to be outside, the forecasted wind and water conditions led to a cancellation of the boating portion of the event. That turned out to be the right decision. While in Everglade City, a couple additional dining options were explored for future event consideration.
Stay tuned!
