Spring Run To Naples Will Close Out March Events

With Fort Myers Offshore event No. 6 completed last weekend, just one organized event remains on the performance-boating scene this month. The Florida Powerboat Club will lead a group to Naples, Fla.—for the first time in more than 10 years. Dubbed the Florida Powerboat Club Naples Spring Poker Run, the event is set for March 20-23.

After a 10-year absence, Stu Jones is ready to return to Naples with the Florida Powerboat Club. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos.

Some 30 boats have been registered so far. “That’s right about where we planned it to be,” said Stu Jones, the founder and president of the club. “We’re still expecting 35.”

Jones, who just returned from a personal trip to Bahamas, added that logistics for the Naples happening are falling into place.

“We had a few issues with finding good launching locations,” he explained. ”But it looks like we have sorted out all of the best ramps and have a couple marina partners with forklifts and a Travel-Lift to help us get some of bigger boats that don’t want to splash trailers in saltwater.

“Otherwise, we have a course mapped out for Friday to go to Fort Myers and pick up any incoming boats from the north,” he added. “We’re going to have a helicopter to chase that crew down south to Naples on Friday afternoon.

During the recent Fort Myers Offshore trek to the Naples Hyatt House, the water got sporty enough to leave Don and Amanda Gardner with a broken propeller shaft in their 36-foot Skater catamaran. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

The group will enjoy a Friday evening on a “party catamaran” ride to dinner. The cat will pick them up at the Naples Hyatt House host venue and take them local waterfront restaurants of their choice. The cat also will return them to their home-based.

For the Saturday run from Naples to Everglade Isle in Everglades City, Jones has plotted two course. The gentler route takes participants through the Intracoastal Waterway to Marco island. For those who prefer rougher water but want to reach the same destination, Jones has established a course that will take them into the Gulf of Mexico for the entire trip.

“There are plenty of locations for fueling along the way, so I think the logistics of this event are finally coming together nicely,” he said. “We already know that the Hyatt House in Naples is very boat-friendly after seeing the Fort Myers Offshore group visit their recently with a large afternoon pool party.

“I’m very excited about the new format,” he continued. “There are always a few challenges to meet when you schedule new events, and it’s been over 10 years since we visited Naples. But this is going to take us to the next level when it comes to offering a variety of venues on our annual calendar.”