Naples a Bright Spot for the Industry

There’s a rebound happening in the boating industry and Florida, deemed the hub of U.S. brokerage sales, is taking the lead, according to recent reports in Soundings Trade Only, a leading marine industry publication.

The first months of 2009 saw very low sales volume, but by mid-year, local big-boat brokers were able to surpass the monthly unit sales for 2008.  Valuations outpaced 2008 in the fourth quarter and by December Florida brokers led the big-boat market rebound, which has “bred guarded optimism about 2010.”

This optimism hasn’t been so guarded in Naples, however.  Record crowds attended the recent 2010 Naples Boat Show and many left as new boat owners. 

“In a good year we sell maybe one or two boats and plant a few seeds,” said Pete Kostuk, certified professional yacht broker with Galati Yacht Sales.  “This year we sold all four of our display boats in the first two days, including two buyers we’d never met.”

According to Jim Coburn, president of the National Marine Bankers Association, this type of sales breakthrough has also been recently reported by marine dealers in other sections of the country.  A common thread among them is a focus on boating as a lifestyle and not a passing fad.

“This recession has caused a shakedown in the industry,” says Kostuk.  “Those left standing are the cream of the crop and focused more than ever on customer service.”

Kostuk adds that the aged inventory that brought sales down in 2009 is almost gone and dealers are introducing new models and more traditional new boat packages.  Values on trades are also becoming more acceptable. Combine these factors with our beautiful Southwest Florida weather and now is shaping up to be a good time to buy a boat in Naples!

 ”Boaters may not be going as far or as fast,” says Kostuk, “but they’re still boating.”

More than 70 million Americans participate in boating and there are more than 15 million registered boaters currently in the marketplace.  Click here for a full report on 2009 brokerage sales and here for a 2010 industry outlook.

Olympic Sailor Graham Biehl set sail from Hamilton Harbor on Friday afternoon to lead CEOs from around the country in a corporate team building adventure.  Here are a few photos from the day.

Check out the Hamilton Harbor Fuel Dock 
in the recent Naples Bay Holiday Boat Parade!  

After a successful raffle at our 2nd Annual Boat Show, the Boys and Girls Club of Collier County sailed away with more than $3500. A special thank you to the guests who supported the raffle…and congratulations to the winners, one of which became the newest social member at Hamilton Harbor. 

The BGCCC offers programs and services that promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.  It’s a postive place for kids and a perfect parntership for HHYC.  This isn’t the first time kids from the BGCCC have been to Hamilton Harbor.  Over the summer, they took over our docks on a mission to hook the biggest fish.  Read more here.

Our 2nd Annual In-Water Luxury Boat Show hit the harbor yesterday and was a smashing success!  More than 700 invited guests perused a fantastic display of the newest and finest vessels, from yachts to backwater fishing boats, showcased in and around the waters of Hamilton Harbor.  They also enjoyed a Taste of the Harbor with samples straight from our menu.  Kids were invited to create nautical crafts with Rookery Bay while adults indulged in a Sunset Wine Tasting.  One lucky guest left as a new Hamilton Harbor social member…part of our raffle to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Collier County, which raised more than $3500!  Check out the show photo gallery here. Thanks to all of our boat brokers, boating and fishing vendors and community partners.  We’re already looking forward to next year!

The new Naples Botanical Garden, a world-class tropical garden that combines cultivated tropical gardens with beautifully restored natural habitats, celebrates it’s grand opening today!  The 160-acre site is located just around the corner from Hamilton Harbor and connects people and plants through display, education, conservation and science.

Naples Botanical Garden shares our commitment to protecting and celebrating Southwest Florida’s magnificent natural environment.  We are proud to be a major supporter of the Garden’s horticultural and conservation programs, including the Collier Enterprises South Wetlands Preserve, and we encourage you to visit.  Go to www.naplesgarden.org for more information!

By Captain Will Geraghty,The Grand Slam, grandslmcharter@aol.com

What a late summer it’s been for plying the Gulf of Mexico waters! Throughout August and the last several weeks, light winds, calm seas and a solid bite has reigned supreme. The bite has been so good that it’s had many anglers seeing red, red grouper that is!

From the near shore ledges and hard bottom areas out beyond to the offshore artificial reefs red grouper limits have been consistent and impressive. Mixed in with the great grouper catches has been an eclectic mixed bag of snapper, stout Spanish and king mackerel rounded out with heaps of coastal sharks.

Cpt. Geraghty and HH Member with a King Mackerel

On a recent outing with members of Hamilton Harbor, the game plan was to make the long run to fertile offshore grounds. Greeted with slick calm seas and exceptional tides we knew we were in for an outstanding day on the Gulf!  

Breaching Gordon Pass shortly after sunrise, we pegged the throttles of their beautiful triple 350 Yamaha powered 37′ Pursuit. A short stop at the Santa Lucia, a shallow artificial wreck located due west of the pass, had us gathering a variety of small baitfish employing  #8-10 Sabiki rigs. Live bait, often a crapshoot during the summer months, proved easy as we filled the wells in no time flat with a healthy combination of threadfin herring, pinfish and spot tail grunts. Necessary live baits to have on board for those wishing to tangle with big grouper!

Arriving on the scene in eighty-two feet of Gulf cobalt water we took the opportunity to diligently look around checking out the rocky substrate on the Raymarine fish finder in search of an aggregate of fish. Once dialed into where we wanted to concentrate our angling efforts, we set anchor and began deploying a variety of metal jigs coupled with live and dead baits.

Cpt. Geraghty and HH Member with a Grouper

The bite was on fire from the first drop as we enjoyed solid red grouper action for nearly an hour before being “covered up” in pesky Atlantic Sharpnose sharks. No worries, as we had nearly a limit of reds up to 9 pounds already in the fish box on ice!

For the remainder of the morning and into the early afternoon we shopped around on several diverse natural live bottom areas with each producing quality catches of yellowtail snapper, mangrove snapper and smoker king mackerel up to 35-pounds!

Look for this offshore bite pattern to continue to hold strong well into September. While the action is indeed hot out in the Gulf it will be prudent to keep an eye to the sky as the afternoon weather is heating up as well. Always check the forecast, pick your days wisely and catch em up!

Till Next Tide, Hook Up, Hold On and Have Fun!

Over the weekend more than 30 kids, mostly from the  Boys and Girls Club of Collier County, took over our docks on a mission to hook the biggest fish.  The free fishing clinic was Hamilton Harbor’s way of celebrating National Marina Day.  We provided the bait and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Collier County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol provided the instruction, including how to bait and remove hooks and cast.  The officers also taught the young fishermen about conservation, identifying which types of fish are in season and OK to keep.  

For many of the kids, this was their first experience with a rod and reel, but patience and persistance paid off with a few big catches, including Snook and Sheapshead.  ”It’s so important that young people have something productive and positive to do with their time,” said Todd Byrns of the Collier County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol.”The fishing clinic helped them learn about conservation and the environment while having a great time.”  It will now be an annual event at the Harbor.

Click here for local news coverage of the event!

Enjoy independence from soaring fuel prices this Fourth of July!  Just stop by the Hamilton Harbor Fuel Dock on Saturday, July 4th and we’ll give you a 10% discount on your marine fuel purchase!  From 11:00 until 2:00 p.m. we’ll also be giving away complimentary hot dogs and ice cream…no purchase necessary.  So come join us for a little patriotic food and fun!

The Hamilton Harbor Fuel Dock is located less than a mile from Gordon Pass, across from Bayview Park, at Channel Marker Red #20.  We’re open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Call 417-6717 for more information about live bait, sandwiches and more.

Here, in the waters around Hamilton Harbor, the spring fishing bite is in full swing!  Despite what has seemed like months of relentless winds, severe hard charging gamefish species are now staged in their traditional May haunts testing the tackle, skills and wills of anglers.

Aboard the Grand Slam, our efforts have been focused on the “big three”, snook, tarpon and permit.  While each species habituates diverse locations throughout our coastal ecostystem, all posses’ incredible prowess and power make them great light tackle targets.

Along the beaches from points south of Marco Island northward to Bonita Beach, the tarpon have poured into the region in big numbers and they are hungry!  Tarpon, often referred to as the “silver king,” are eagerly snapping up a variety of natural and artificial baits both early and late in the fishing day.  While the results of each tarpon trip can vary, anglers can expect to tangle with behemoths in the 80 to 150-pound class.  Truly an incredible thrill!

Snook, a popular light tackle target, can now be found prowling area beaches, middle bays and passes.  Tide will be cruicial to your snook success as these feisty gamefish aggressively feed during times of swift water movement.  My favorite tide phase to prospect for snook is the last half of the falling tide when the water becomes slightly turbid, as snook can often be hook and leader shy.

On the offshore, the permit bite is beginning to hit full stride.  Here for their annual spring/summer spawning cycle, permit in the twenty to forty pound class are taking live silver dollar sized pass crabs and well presented Merken style crab fly patterns over several of the larger artificial wrecks and reefs that dot our coastline.  Revered for their keen instincts and drag screaming runs, catching a permit on light tackle should be on every anglers “bucket list!”

Till next tide… hook up, hold on and have fun!

Captain Will Geraghty, The Grand Slam, grandslmcharter@aol.com