New Venue A Hit With Fort Myers Offshore Members
Years from now, Fort Myers Offshore president Tim Hill may look back on the logistical challenges created for his group when—in late September 2022—Hurricane Ian plowed into Southwest Florida and laugh. OK, so maybe Hill won’t actually cackle at his current trials and tribulations, but he will be able to take pride in the way he and his fellow organizers in the nonprofit scholarship-fundraising group, as well as the club members themselves, overcame them.
Located on the shores of Alligator Creek, Riviera Restaurant and Bar was a hit with the Fort Myers Offshore faithful. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix
Last Saturday’s Fun Run to the Riviera Bar and Grill in Punta Gorda provided yet another fine example in logistical problem-solving. The course was supposed to take the group from the Sanibel Island Bridge to the Hyatt House Resort in Naples.
“But 10 days before the run, Hyatt House notified us that they we would need to move our date back a week due to staffing issues,” Hill explained. “With many club members planning flights and trips to Southwest Florida around our schedule I knew that moving the date back was not a viable option.
“As it happened, we were planning a run to a new destination, Riviera Bar and Grill in Punta Gorda for February 3,” he continued. “So I reached out to see if they could accommodate us on the date of the Hyatt Run, and they quickly said yes and welcomed us with open arms. The Riviera is up Alligator Creek off of Charlotte harbor and feels like old school Florida as you wind back through the mangroves before the creek opens up to a large yacht basin and restaurant.”
Enjoy more images from the most recent Fort Myers Offshore happening.
Hill praised Joe Pocklington and his wife, Ronnie, the owners of the Punta Gorda establishment, as well as Fort Myers Offshore member/Riviera bartender David Elkin for their exceptional hospitality and last-minute flexibility. Member feedback, he added, was overwhelmingly positive. Without question, the spot earned a permanent slot on the annual Fort Myers Offshore schedule.
Club members registered an event-record-setting 43 boats for the run, which with morning temperatures in the low-to-mid-40s was among the coldest in Fort Myers Offshore history. The day was so brisk, in fact, that a dozen members opted to leave their boats at the docks and arrive by car to the “absolutely packed,” in the words of Hill, restaurant and bar.
Fort Myers Offshore board-member Cyndee Hill bundled up for the ride to the new venue.
“The tides also played a little havoc with docking,” Hill said. “(MTI owner/founder) Randy Scism brought an MTI-V 50 center console, which we were going to tie up at the restaurant’s fixed dock. But low tide prevented us from doing that, so we were forced to only use the floating docks, which meant our capacity dropped by about 10 boats. It turned out to be a blessing that not all boats could make the run.”
A Fort Myers Offshore event first-timer, Scism was unfazed.
“It was a great time with great people,” he said. “What a really nice event.”
When the sun finally popped, temperatures rose to the mid-60s and upped the party mood, as did the venue’s live food and music.
“Most of our group gathered at the dock side tiki bar and ordered lunch off the restaurant’s incredible menu,” Hill said. “It always makes me nervous when our destination restaurants want to utilize their full menu, especially with this being a first-time run to Riviera. We tend to inundate establishments when we roll in with 350 people all ordering lunch at the same time, which is why buffets have become the norm for many of our events. But the Riviera absolutely killed it and accommodated all of our members with very quick and efficient service.
“The fact that they stepped up to accommodate us kind of last minute is a testament to the Riviera’s dedication to performance boaters in Southwest Florida,” he concluded. “I’m pretty sure there will be another Fort Myers Offshore run in the coming months to this unique and accommodating destination.”
MTI’s Randy Scism brought an MTI-V 50 center console to the run.
Related stories
Florida Powerboat Club/Speed On The Water Miami Boat Show Bash Returning
Fort Myers Offshore Holiday Fun Run Made In The Shade With 92 Boats
Fort Myers Offshore Overcomes The Gray For Turkey Day Fun Run
Catching Up With Tim Hill—Fort Myers Offshore And The Art Of Helping Others
Fort Myers Offshore Opens 2023/2024 Season With Boca Grande Lunch Run
MTI Bringing Full Arsenal To Miami Show
.
