Commodore For those who love great times with good friends on the water, it was hard to beat February, 2022 at the Marco Island Yacht Club. First, there was the first-ever “Club Swap” conducted by MIYC, and beautifully orchestrated by Peggy Frazier. What’s a “Club Swap”? It’s where our Club heads for another Yacht Club with a group of boats, and the other club sends their group of boats here. We can just “swap slips” for a few days, and see what life is like at another corner of paradise. In this case, we “swapped” with the St. Charles Yacht Club in Ft. Myers, with six boats from MIYC travelling there for three nights. One of the nights featured a “pot-luck” dinner aboard Garland & Bettye Kight’s beautiful new yacht, “Bad Bettye”, where all hands had plenty of room to stretch out and socialize in splendor, and sampled delightful food and drink brought
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from every boat. When we couldn’t eat any more, we played board games and chatted until the moon rose high over the yacht basin. On another day we all climbed aboard Pete & Peggy’s “Pelican” and rode across the Caloosahatchee to Tarpon Pointe, where the gang enjoyed an upscale lunch followed by shopping in a collection of shops which served wine while browsing! Kelley & I even found time to play 18 holes with the Wagner’s (aboard “Whiskey Charley”) at the Sanibel Island Golf Course. Next stop on that cruise was at the South Seas Resort on Captiva Island. Members relaxed aboard, lounged on the beach, went in to explore Captiva town, or played golf on the gorgeous oceanfront course at the resort. That’s where we were to be found, together with Doug and Kim Gaker (aboard “Doma’s Hideway II”) on an absolutely perfect afternoon. Every green and every tee box was another “ooh and aah” moment, an unforgettable combination of turquoise seas, manicured grounds, swaying palms and powdered beach, with gentle breezes wafting any cares away. For our final dinner, our entire party dined in a private waterfront gazebo, laughing and talking the night away, until we stepped aboard “Pelican” for a romantic and beautiful ride under a million sparkling stars back to South Seas. Back on Marco Island after the “swap”, Past Commodore Jeff Comeaux organized a Day Cruise to the Island Gypsy on Isles of Capri. Several boats loaded up eager Members, and we all had a great time cruising to a tasty long lunch on the next island over. The 19 th brought the 2022 Blessing of the Fleet and Fleet Review, conducted for the first time on the brand- new docks of the Club’s Riverside Marina. A total of 14 boats participated, led by “Bad Bettye”, with Captain of the Fleet Jeff Comeaux aboard directing operations, followed by Member boats large and small passing in review before Bridge Officers and distinguished guests, with two Marco Island Police Department boats bringing up the rear. The nautical procession ended with a flourish as the Marco Island Fire Department fireboat shot its water cannons into the air, an appropriate salute to our sparkling new marina. After all this excitement, captains, crew and Members ashore enjoyed a bountiful buffet lunch at the Club. Finally, the Sunset Cruise on the 23 rd , ably organized by Vice Commodore Henry Stanley, gave us perfect conditions, dancing dolphins, gentle breezes and a sunset for the ages: A huge orange orb that seemed to take an hour to slowly, ever so slowly, descend into a purple sea, while we waited breathlessly for the fabled “green flash” to appear. Did we see the green flash? Ask a Member who was there, or better yet, come on along on one of our next on-water events….I guarantee you will make memories that you will never forget .
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