Discussion Thread - FMO, Inc. Winter / Spring 2009 Fun Run Schedule
 

We are looking for ideas for 2 or 3 Fun Runs after the first of the year. The FMO board has decided with the high price of fuel we will not do an organised run this season, to either Punta Gorda or Everglades City because of the distance.

Our first run was to Naples, Thanksgiving run will be to South Seas Resort on Captiva Island and New Years Day to Marco Island.
Your thoughts and ideas are invited for the balance of the season for the FMO Board to consider. Dates we will want to avoid will be the weekend of Feb. 14 / 15 ( Miami boat Show ) and probably the following Feb. 21 / 22 because of the FPC Boat Show Poker Run.

Also the weekend of Feb. 7 / 8 is the Everglades City Seafood Festival. As stated earlier, there will not be a FMO sanctioned run there however traditionally a number of Marco and Naples boats make the 20 / 30 mile trip to EC on the Sunday and I expect will again this season. Anyone is welcome to join us.

Given the above, perhaps a good date for a Fun Run may be Sat. Jan. 28th which would be 4 weeks after our New Years Day run. We could then do another run in late March and another in April.

There has been a suggestion that we go to the Lighthouse restaurant at Port Sanibel near Punta Rassa. The only problem is it’s close proximity to our normal starting point. We would need to figure out a way to get some boating in but I’m sure we can work that out. Maybe round Sanibel Island before going to lunch? Is there support for this proposal ?

Also Yacht Clubs of America in Naples would like to host us. Do we want to go back to Naples? Also in Naples the former “Scenes on the Bay” is soon reopening as a sports bar.

Cabbage Key cannot handle a group our size unless it were late in the season say April, when our numbers start to drop off..

Tween Waters has gone private so that is out. What about Green Flash?

How about just a day at the beach and bring our lunches? Keewaydin or Cayo Costa or ?
Maybe that would work best when a lot of the restaurants are super busy with tourists in March?

Anyway, the purpose of all of this is to get us talking about this and tap into the thoughts and minds of our membership. Post your comments and ideas here.

Thank you, :)

Bob

FMO is always thinking, that’s what I like.

Can we look at the member list, to determine, geographies clusters, and see how many members are at each location. It that was available to us, maybe we could better suggest fun run routes, and ending locations. I am suggesting a geographic clustering around the below listed points.

60 miles North Sanibel bridge (Peace River/Myakka River/Punta Gorda)
50 miles North Sanibel bridge
40 miles North Sanibel Bridge
30 miles North Sanibel Bridge
20 miles North Sanibel Bridge
10 miles North Sanibel Bridge
less than 10 miles from Sanibel Bridge
10 miles South of Sanibel Bridge
20 miles South of Sanibel Bridge
30 miles South of Sanibel Bridge
40 miles South of Sanibel Bridge
50 miles South of Sanibel Bridge (Marco Island)

I am probably the furthest North (we must have several in PG/PGI), and the Marco gang is probably furthest South.

Information is power!

Thanks Frank. The highest member concentration by far is in Cape Coral. You and the Templeman family are the only ones so far at the north end of Charlotte Harbor. There are 3 of us at the south end of the Zone on Marco Island. I will look at the membership in detail and post some stats this evening.:)
Bob

Where our members live / stay.
 

Here is how I have grouped them:

Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda - 4 members ( 3 from one family ) with another 2 or 3 potential;
Cape Coral / Ft. Myers - 12 members with another 10 or more potential;
Bonita / Ft. Myers Beach - 2 members with another 4 or 5 potential;
Naples - 6 members with another 4 or 5 potential;
Marco Island -3 members with another 3 potential;
also 3 members from outside the area with potentially several more.
Total 30 current members with a potential for another 25+ :)

WOW!

That is quite the cluster, that helps, thanks.

Bob-

What about a run that ends at one of the restaurants in Cape Coral/ North Fort Myers? Amanda and I always take the boat to Harborside/ Coconuts in North Fort Myers. It is a nice place (not fancy) with plenty of docking. It is behind pinchers right off 41. If you are interested I can talk to them and see if they would even want a group to come.

Hi everybody.
Time for me to replace work with play, and since I just finally mailed my membership in, I might be eligible for input. Add one more from the cape.
Last year seems I was screwed from most events either from weather or business during planned gatherings.
* I'd vote for more events just to be selfish.
* Restaurants are great, if they can handle a group with ease.
* Good times will be had as Bob suggests, in nice weather with rafting near shore in the gulf and we can eat and drink there, or plan "B" in windy weather is a restaurant as Don suggests inland waterway or someplace like that little island with docks in North Ft. Myers. I'm not sure who owns it or if it's available for use, but it's fairly new and very nice. I think I read something about a Cape Corel boating club regarding there.
Big boats not as effected by weather can make it to the inland water ways and the smaller boats either can navigate the rivers or trailer to one of the many launches.
An unsanctioned side prelude to the new year's run is an invitation to anyone new year's eve who doesn't have plans can dock at my house and join the party. (of course attendance by motor vehicle is acceptable) Then if new years day is blown out again we might make the canal loop. It's a nice 45 minute idle ride loop in windy weather and satisfies the boating fix. On thanksgiving day it's amazing to ride by all the deep frying turkeys outside on that route.
* A nice ride also is the "trail" I call it circling pine island. That can include restaurants or rafting in protected waters.
Harry

Thanks Frank, Don and Harry.

Let's keep the ideas comining and we can sort thu them.

Also Harry, welcome to Ft. Myers Offshore, Inc. I recall the visit we had at Guy Harvey's on New Years Day last year and was hoping you would sign up. Thank you. :)

Bob

Bob, please keep me in mind for Everglades City. I will trailer down to the 951 ramp near the Marco Bridge for that trip.

The Green Flash would be a great lunch stop and then possibly to Charlie's Pass to raft up on the beach for the afternoon or Fisherman's Village and then to the north end of Cayo Costa to tie up off the beach.

I have also thought that Cape Coral crew can possibly make a trip down to Gordon's Pass to pick up the Naples/Marco group and grab lunch at Parrot Key/Salty Sam's Marina (back-side of Ft. Myers Beach). Lots up docking and great restaurant setting. Next time I go by for lunch, I will speak to the restuarant/dock-master and ask about availability after the season or possibly before it ends in March or April.

The Joint Restaurant at Cape Harbor in SW Cape Coral would also be a great stop, but there is about a 35 minute idle from marker 99 entering the Caloosahatee River. After lunch, a cruise to the north end of Lover's Key (just south Ft. Myers Beach/Estero Island). Pristine beach to raft up at. I've have seen the Sea Ray ower's group tie up at this location before.

Naples boaters keep in mind if want to make the trip, but gas is a concern for the "north" runs, Wiggins Pass has a great ramp as does Punta Rassa which is next to the Sanibe Bridge that we always meet at. Both ramps are only $5 a day.

Just some suggestions. I can't wait until South Seas or better yet, Key West Worlds next week!!! I hope to see some of you guys down there.

Jack

Thats a great idea! Count us in for that. I have always wanted to make that run.

Don