Originally Posted by commandersander

A local company (gator dredging) was awarded a massive contract to dredge the 385 miles of canals here in the city.....and they are all getting better. Unfortunately, they have no published schedule....so who knows when they will be where.

There first area was 4mile cove with cat cay lake and the 17th st canal.

If you have a +500k budget, 4 mile is awesome. One way in, one way out...very quiet.....nice people everywhere there. It is unique in there is no hoa, and no chance for a section 8 or distressed property across the street.

There are locations in the cape that have a million dollar (+++) home on the river, and the house across the street looks like a shed with very little value. Coral drive and dolphin drive are two examples if you want to google earth it for a visual explanation.

If you can find anything on the fingers of the yacht club (my area) you are doing well.

Stay out of 8lakes. Beautiful area, and realtors will tell you it is one of the most desirable in the cape, but the ride out sucks....40/50 minutes.

When I first moved here, I had enough home buying experience to hear only every fourth word the realtor said. With that said, I found all three homes I have bought here on my own, then involved the listing agent after I made my decision. There is no need to sit with a realtor that will "presearch" based on your criteria. They have an agenda, and will put their listings at the top.....then their office....and so on. By driving the areas you like from location and recommendation, you will see things that allow you the freedom to look further into the potential listing....or not. Plus, when you see the fsbo, you can stop and knock.....realtors won't do that....

Also, do be afraid to interrupt someone with a sign in the yard. Knock. You would be surprised how open and inviting they will be. Remember, it is for sale. They want to sell it. And if you knock on the door and feel it is the home for you, boom.....they are thrilled you knocked. Call the listing broker, make the deal.....and make them throw you 1-2 points on the back end.....if they say no, tell them you will come back with your own realtor and then they have to split it.

Even if they agree to 1k, that covers your doc stamps, appraisal, and dinner at bahama breeze!

Here is some other stuff....

All claims of the miserable are correct. A little shell, it is the beginning of the no wake zone. Locals do refer to it as the mile, but for a different reason than most think. This is the stretch that used to be no wake, then became 25, and after too many swamped boats, slight collisions, drownings and outright catastrophic deaths, this area was again reduced to slow speed minimum wake.

We have two bridges here that do not require you slow your vessel. Veterans and cape. All others do require a 500' buffer on both sides. 41, old 41, Sanibel causeway.....

We have two areas here that break up the icw. Veterans bridge south at red 62 to the turn at red 72 beginning the slow zone, then once again at red 14 after the miserable mile ( the real one) until you reach red 30 in pine island sound. These areas are IWW and have different rules ( international water way) in that red only exists and is used to mark center. Everywhere else, we have red/green....unless in a canal.

Rules of the road are standard. Traveling in a line, bigger vessels have the right of way. A blow boat is NOT a blow boat if moving under power without hanging a sheet....(i wish they knew that!). And you are required to give way to a vessel approaching you from starboard (wish people paid attention to this one too).....

Between red 34 and red 36, there are several pods of dolphin that love to play in your wake if you set the attitude correct....bow high plowing.

Big 1 is also picnic island. This stretch is v e r y sketchy because the channel is only 50' wide, and you are on plane. Not a big deal until a trawler comes at you with a 15' beam at 18knots throwing a 4-6 wake. Bad scene....power through upsets your boat at a very high level of instability, slowing down risks you being washed aground. There is about 2' of buffer where you go from 16/18' to zero water. Like I said, sketchy.

If you plan to come down this weekend, call me. I am busy with checkins and checkouts, but I can offer you a boat For 100$ a day plus gas to cruise the canals once you find a location you like. Normally, I would offer much more, but we are at the peak of season and I'm a dead man....

Rich
239-349-5395