Update:  October, 2023


WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!  We are open for taking charter and class reservations on a limited basis now for dates after November 1, 2023.

We are now booking our New Fairline Phantom 46 Motor Yacht beginning 11/1 and we are booking our Silverton 43 MY starting 3/1/24!



Update:  July, 2023


Getting Ready to Celebrate a New Beginning!


We are getting there! As we get closer to reopening our Charter and School operations we want to thank everyone again for all the support over the last nine months! As we said right after the storm we look forward to celebrating our 40th Anniversary with all of you later this year and throughout 2024 and we are getting closer to that goal! We plan to have a very much scaled-down operation returning by October/ November, 2023! We can't wait to see all of you again. Please keep us in mind when you make any future boating plans!


Thank you for your patience and understanding!  We look forward to seeing you ALL again soon!




Update:  April, 2023


Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!  As I wrote in January, we are in the process of rebuilding and making great progress!  We will be adding a new vessel to the fleet on May 1, 2023!  The Silverton 43 is a gorgeous double-cabin, double-head motor yacht with twin engines and generator.  She is beautifully decorated and will please the entire crew when you take her out on your next charter!  We will be posting photos, rates an availability in late April.  Stay tuned!

We will also be adding several other new yachts to the fleet in the months ahead and will be sending out "Berth Announcements" as those vessels join our program.  We also have several boats that were in the fleet prior to the storm that are undergoing repairs and should be ready to cruise by Fall, 2023!

As soon as we have boats available we will again begin to offer our sail and power courses.  As we stated earlier this year, we plan to be up and running to celebrate our 40th Anniversary in 2024.  Please join us then!



Update:  March 2023


Making it Home: Navigating the Road to Recovery

 

I have been watching various interviews with Benjamin Hall, the Fox News reporter who was almost killed in Ukraine one year ago when several bombs hit the car that he and his colleagues were riding in. His two colleagues died and Benjamin sustained serious injuries, including losing one leg and his foot on the other leg. He has a new book out now entitled: “SAVED: A War Reporter's Mission to Make it Home”. 

 

In the book he describes what happened to him, gives kudos to the people who helped get him to safety following the blast and his journey through recovery and finally making it home to his family. Each time I have heard Ben speak about his experience I have been moved by his courage, humility and positive attitude. What kept him going? He says that from the moments after the attack and all through his surgeries (at least 20 so far) he just kept his focus on going home. "Home" for him was back to England to be with his wife and three young daughters ages 3, 5 and 7! His strength and his optimism have inspired me even more to be grateful for all that we have been through the last six months after surviving Hurricane Ian. 

 

While we lost our physical home, we have been on a journey to make it to a spiritual "home," if you will. That home would be a place of peace knowing that we had done everything we could to repair, renew and rebuild. How can we be grateful for a disaster that took our home, our cars, our boats and severely damaged our business? First of all, we survived! We, along with friends who were staying with us, all of our pets and our neighbors, emerged the day after the storm with stories to tell, but only a few scrapes and scratches. Moreover, we have a new appreciation for simplifying our life by doing without all the "stuff" we thought we needed to be happy.

 

Since September 28, 2022 there have been many extremely difficult and frustrating moments working through the repairing, replacing and rebuilding process to be sure. However, through the pain and heartache we have received many blessings that we never expected. We received cards and emails of support as well as donations to our GoFundMe page from friends as well as from people we don't even know. As I tell everyone who has reached out to us, their support has meant more that they know.

 

Six months ago I could not have imagined where the road from this disaster would take us. Now that we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel we are once again excited about the future. Having weathered the physical, mental and emotional storms that the Hurricane brought we know now that there is nothing we can't overcome. Of course there are many more challenges ahead, but we have faith that the good will outweigh the bad as we move forward. Personally, I no longer listen to the naysayers. Those are the people who bring only negative energy into our world. By focusing on the positive steps forward we are ensuring that we stay motivated toward reaching our goals and rebuilding our lives. My motto throughout this process has been to "take a step forward each week." There were times when those positive steps were few and far between; however, each time we were successful we celebrated! Whether it was closing out one insurance claim, purchasing a car or finally getting our office phones repaired as we did just last week, each victory was a step closer to being "home."

 

Everyone goes through difficult times in their life. We are not the only ones who have faced a disaster like a hurricane. There are thousands of people dealing with their own "storms" each and every day. Whether you are facing an illness, the death of a loved one, a natural disaster or anything else you can navigate your way home through hard work and a positive attitude. Getting "home" may mean different things to different people. Some people may be working toward better health or a better relationship or even more financial security. If you are facing challenges in your life, continue to navigate the road to recovery with a hard work and a positive attitude and you will make it "home" as well.

 




Update:  January 2023


A New Year's Resolution:  Recover, Rebuild and Reopen!

 

 

This is a New Year like no other at Southwest Florida Yachts. This is typically the time when we all make those resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, read more books or spend more time with family. For all of us here at SFY our Resolution is much simpler. Our resolution involves the three R's - Recover, Rebuild and Reopen!

 

More than 90 days after the storm we are still in the Recovery mode. Many of us are still working with insurance companies, working to save property and belongings and trying to put the infrastructure of our lives back together such as shelter, cars, phones and computers to name a few. We are still waiting for sunken boats to be removed and for mounds of debris to be hauled away. It is no easy task to recover from the worst Hurricane Florida has ever seen and I know that many of you may not understand the scope of the devastation in our area. Nor do some people realize that the recovery continues long after the photos fade from the pages of the newspapers and the nightly news.

 

Personally I have been shocked by some of the negative email comments that I have received. I won't share any of those posts here as this is a message of Hope for the future. Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of you have offered your kind words of support to all of us at SFY. However, a small minority have used email and social media to criticize us for the time it is taking to rebuild and reopen. As hurtful as it is to see these comments, I try to focus on the positive.

 

We have worked every day since September 28, 2022 to put one foot in front of the other and move forward both personally and professionally. It only takes a few hours to lose everything in your life; however, I now know that it can take months and perhaps years to work through the recovery process.

 

Nothing about this disaster has been easy and I would not wish such devastation on anyone. Make no mistake however; this is not about gaining sympathy for our plight. As I write this, tornados have killed many people in the South and have destroyed communities. Disastrous weather has impacted the West Coast for weeks now with flooding, mudslides and wind damage. The Northeast recently experienced life-threatening conditions during a blizzard and record snowfall. We are not the only ones who have ever suffered from a disaster and will not be the last.

 

The second "R" of our Resolution is for Rebuilding. We have already begun the rebuilding process in earnest. Our Nautical Boutique opened on November 20, 2022, but without flooring. Sometimes you have to improvise! Water intrusion made it necessary to take up our floors, but fortunately for us cement floors are very popular these days! In fact, most customers do not even notice the missing laminate flooring. They are just happy that we are open! While our Charter and School operations have not reopened; we hope to have our office operational soon. It has taken much longer than expected to put all of the pieces of the business back together. I may have been overly optimistic when I said that we would be open by now. Until one goes through something like this I don't think anyone could imagine time, energy and resources that it takes to successfully chart a course to a brighter future. We are navigating our way forward every day!

 

We are also working to Rebuild our fleet! As many of you know, two vessels sank and many others have varying degrees of damage. Some of the yachts we hope to have back in service within months; however, for others the repairs will take longer. As SOON as we have a better handle on the repair timeline we will let everyone know which boats will be back and when they will be in service. You can imagine how overloaded the repair facilities are now with thousands of vessels needing work. We are still working through the repair process.

 

Finally, we do plan to Reopen! As we said right after the storm we look forward to celebrating our 40th Anniversary with all of you later this year and throughout 2024! We can't wait to see all of you again and we want to thank you in advance for supporting us with your future boating plans. Please watch our website for details on booking boats for charters and classes!

 

We know the road ahead will continue to be challenging, but we are committed to coming back better than ever!

 


Welcome to Beautiful Southwest Florida!


Southwest Florida offers some of the finest and most varied cruising anywhere.  From remote islands to first-class resorts, from sugar sand beaches and wilderness waterways to bustling marinas, we have it all!  Celebrating our 38th Anniversary in 2022, Southwest Florida Yachts is located at the gateway to unlimited cruising choices.  Heading North up Pine Island Sound, you can visit Sanibel, Captiva, Cayo Costa and Gasparilla Islands.  As members of Useppa Island Club, we can also offer our clients access to this private island resort.  Cruising South, you will find a variety of top-notch marina resorts in Naples and Marco Island or you can get lost in the peace and quiet as you explore Nature in the Ten Thousand Islands.  From our charter base in Cape Coral, you can also cruise East, up the Caloosahatchee River and across the famous Okeechobee Waterway leading to Florida's East Coast.  This sojourn will take you through the agricultural heart of our State where you may pass cattle grazing, orange groves and even alligators sunning themselves along the banks.   As you can see, we are located in a unique and wonderful cruising area.  Southwest Florida has been called the #1, year-round cruising grounds in the US.  So, whether you prefer docking at a marina with access to a pool, shopping and fine dining or you seek solitude on the hook in a secluded anchorage, we have it all.  We look forward to sharing our love for Southwest Florida with you and your family.  We invite you to give us a call.  Come and cruise in style!  We hope to see you soon in beautiful Southwest Florida!
 
Share by: