What many don’t realize is that the canal systems are a host to many fish species!  Imagine fishing off your dock and cooking your catch the same day.  How about catching your own Blue Claw Crabs off your dock and have a crab feast?  Yes, this is all real and will be right in your back yard, right off your dock.

Your lanai will often be a host to lots of parties and get togethers.  Part of the party fun is having some of your guests fish off the dock!  When someone hooks a fish it creates a lot of excitement and fun!  There are fish everywhere in these canals!  This is a year around fishery.

Here are the species you can expect to catch that are all great table fare:

Redfish

Black drum

Snook

Speckled trout

Sheepshead

Snapper

Grouper

Spanish Mackeral

Blue Claw Crab

Non-edible species like tarpon are frequent visitors and some are over 100 pounds!  My first experience with tarpon was about 20 years ago when I lived on a sailboat canal home off of Tropicana in the old sailboat section.  I was working on real estate, looked out the window and saw tarpon rolling in the canal.  I grabbed a rod and threw a lure out and hooked a 5 foot 75 pound tarpon!  The tarpon ran a lot of line off heading towards the end of the canal and jumped 3 feet into the air.  It landed with a huge splash and every dog in every house within 2 streets started barking!  A most wonderful memory that I still revisit in my mind.  Of course, this fish broke the line and got away but not before a final splash down creating chaos in nearby homes with dogs 😊

Other non-edible species include: jack crevalle, gafftop sail catfish and hardhead catfish.

Many fish roam the seawalls particularly ones with rocks.  Fish love the pilings as well.  Fish also love boats that rarely move and in particular sailboats.  Catamarans and deep draft large keel sailing vessels offer hiding places for fish to ambush from.  Often huge goliath grouper will call these places home as do big snook.  Snook are great eating and similar to grouper.

The best canal baits are live shrimp and live minnows.  A variety of lures will work including spoons and plastic swim baits as well as diving plugs.

Buy a couple of crab traps and put chicken in them for bait.  You will enjoy checking the traps daily and collecting large delicious crabs.

I tell all of my customers if they ever have trouble catching fish off their docks to call me and I will show them how.  Hopefully, you will enjoy this extra benefit of waterfront living in Punta Gorda!

The post Aquatic Life in Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles Canals appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

First, there are two inlets to the harbor but not all home locations allow you access to both.  One exit out of the canals is Ponce Inlet and the other is Alligator Creek via Buckley’s Pass, aka the bird cut.  It is important to note that when looking at a map it appears there is a third exit out that is about half way between Ponce and Alligator Creek.  This is not a navigable waterway!

There are homes that access the harbor from the Peace River and have no access to Ponce or Buckley’s Pass and will be covered more below.  There is one exception to the aforementioned and that are the homes on the Colony Point Canal system.  Homes on the south of the Colony Point Bridge area are sailboat waterfront using Ponce.  To the north of the Colony Point Bridge area are sailboat waterfront homes using the Peace River.  Boats that have less than a 12-13 foot bridge clearance can have access to both exits when living on this canal system.

The first thing for sailors to understand is that you will always have access to both inlets, Ponce de Leon or Buckley’s Pass.  Neither exit will encounter a bridge and no concerns with mast height.  Your home proximity with the closest exit will likely dictate your preference.  Implied in this statement is that you purchase a home that is truly sailboat water with adequate depth and no bridges.  For draft concerns with a sailboat the general rule is 6 feet of water at mean low tide at all times in this area and this goes for both Ponce Inlet and the exit into Alligator Creek.  Unusual low tides on full moons with winter winds will cause the tides to get below the norm.

Here is a snap shot of what exit for what area in Punta Gorda Isles (PGI).

Buckley’s Pass, to Alligator Creek

• The area bounded by Aqui Esta Blvd to the NORTH, intersected by Bal Harbor Blvd. to the WEST down to the end of Bal Harbor and only the homes to the left or east of Bal Harbor. This is known as the Bird Section and is sailboat water.  The longest boat ride times at slow idle is about 25 minutes to Buckley’s Pass.  For the Catamaran Sailor this pass is plenty wide for you to get through.  Once through this pass you turn right into Alligator Creek.  The harbor will be visible within a ¼ mile.  Follow the channel markers carefully or expect a soft grounding!
• The area bounded by Bal Harbor south of Aqui Esta, located off of Suzi and Casey Key Drive at the very southern end of Bal Harbor. This general area does not have a specific name but will have the shortest boat ride out of Buckley’s Pass.  Here are the street names in this area and expect less than 25 minutes to the pass, with most having much shorter boat ride times.  Here are the street names:  Suzi, Los Alamos, La Costa Island, Key Largo, Casey Key, Useppa, Pine Island.  Homes on these streets also have access to Ponce Inlet but a much longer boat ride time.

Ponce de Leon Inlet

• All homes SOUTH of West Marion and to the WEST of Bal Harbor Blvd exit out of Ponce and are sailboat friendly streets.
• All homes SOUTH of Bal Harbor and accessed by DEBORAH DRIVE which heads basically west with many streets that branch of Deborah area using the Ponce Inlet.

Peace River Exits

• All homes NORTH of West Marion exit into the Peace River. This area is known as the Old Sailboat Section or the Original Sailboat Section.  A few of these canal systems boast more than 6 feet of water.

The post Boaters! How To Get Out Of The Punta Gorda Isles Canal System appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

Starting from north to south, the top of the map shows a number of canal systems that exit into the Peace River.  The arrow that is marked on the far right is indicating Bass Inlet which passes by Fisherman’s Village.  On some maps its hard to tell there is really a canal exit there but it is an important one for sure serving lots of homes.  To the left at the top are many canals exiting into the Peace River.  These primarily exit from the “old sailboat section” or “original sailboat section” that many sailors prefer because of the super short ride to open water and deep water mooring for their vessels.

The primary exit into the harbor is via Ponce Inlet or Ponce de Leon Inlet as marked with an arrow.  For boat ride times from many locations within PGI you can click on a box at the top of my website to see exact times from different streets that will help you understand this important aspect of buying a home.

Now, to the immediate south of Ponce Inlet there is a clearly visual channel which takes you from the “rim canal” to the open waters of the harbor south of Ponce Inlet.  This channel IS NOT AN EXIT!  It has confused many people over the years.  This canal is known as the “barge canal” that moved dredge material in and out during the construction of the canal systems.  When the canal systems were complete they blocked both ends of the canals to navigation.  It makes no sense that they abandoned a navigable water way but that is what happened.

More recently, as of April 2020 Buckley’s Pass was created at the southern end of Punta Gorda Isles which created a passage way from the “bird section” and other areas of Punta Gorda Isles.  A smart move by the city to shorten boat ride times.  This pass enters into Alligator Creek.  The intention is to keep this exit and the tributary of Alligator Creek at 6 feet mean low water so that sailing vessels and other deep water craft can navigate safely without bumping bottom.

The last point I want to make is that many people fear getting lost in the canal systems.  When I moved here we did not have chart plotters that make it easy to follow your trail back home.  Without that luxury you still should have no worries.  If you get turned around ask a neighbor out on the dock where you are at.  Of course, a cell phone will show you a map and your location as well.  Either way, after a few tries from your dock you will smile about your fear of finding your way out…..I did! 🙂

The post Sailboat – Powerboat Access To and From Punta Gorda Isles: Where Are The Exits? appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

Many of my customers are sailors and cruisers.  There are also quite a few that are fisherman as well.  The one thing in common is that everyone likes to fish a little bit or when company is in town nothing is more fun than people catching fish off the dock!  Add to that who doesn’t like a fresh fish dinner?  It’s all part of the lifestyle.

The obvious part of my real estate service of 19 years to my customers is finding the right house for them and their boat at the right price.  My service continues long after the sale and includes helping you choose the right boat, what services and contractors to use that are honest and fair AND a guarantee that you can catch good fish off your dock to eat!  Of course, I am there for anything and everything else as long as you live in this town.

So, the “Catch Fish Off Your Dock Guarantee” in Punta Gorda Isles or Burnt Store Isles goes with the closing on your home.  This is an easy guarantee for me to make because the canal systems are home to so much aquatic life.

Snapper, Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder:  Do I have your attention yet?  Yes, fish you can order at the finest restaurants are swimming in the canals and pretty easy to catch if you know how.  Imagine how much better they taste when just caught and cleaned (yes, I can show you how to clean fish as well? 🙂

Other species that live in the canal are:  Snook (taste a good bit like grouper), Goliath Grouper, Sheepshead, Tarpon, Mackeral, Mojara, Black Drum, Jack Crevalle and a bunch of others.  One thing that you might be surprised to know is that blue claw crabs migrate into the canal systems and they are big!  Crabs are delicious and easy to catch.  Being from Maryland and catching crabs on the Chesapeake since I was a boy makes me an expert in cooking them as well.  Crabbing in the canals of Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and Charlotte Harbor is pretty easy but there are some subtle things that will catch you a lot more crabs.  If you don’t like eating crabs (however unlikely), they make excellent fish bait for everything that swims.

Other sea creatures that you will see include dolphins, manatees, stingrays and an occasional shark will reveal the telltale fins coming through the surface.  Tarpon are a regular visitor into the canals and you will see massive schools of Jack Crevalle (one of the hardest fighting fish that swims) pushing baitfish up against docks and seawalls and creating a literal whitewash of water as they hord baitfish and feed.

When showing homes you will likely see fish jumping of significant size.  They are Black Mullet.  The are fun to watch.  Punta Gorda Isles canal systems are a spawning location for Black Mullet and massive schools come and go all the time.  Mullet has a reputation for being very fishy in flavor and not good to eat unless smoked.  Trust me they are fishy smoked too HOWEVER, they are a delicious fish to eat if you do the right things.  First, Mullet do not take a hook in line but are easily trapped with throwing a cast net off the dock.  After netting the Mullet, gut and bleed them immediately then place in ice cold water.  When ready, fillet like any other fish and you will see perfect white flesh with a wonderful texture.  Fresh Mullet done like this are as good as any fish out there.  So much fun living on the water!

The post Punta Gorda Isles: Fish and Sea Creatures in the Canals of Punta Gorda. Fishing and Crabbing and eating what you catch appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

Locally there is a term used known as the “Power Boat Section”.  This is strictly in reference to Punta Gorda Isles only.  The power boat section of PGI is a clearly defined area that has a bridge that restricts mast height or upper stations on power boats when leaving your dock and heading out to open water.  The average bridge height for overhead clearance is around 14 feet on most of the bridges that are ONLY found on West Marion Avenue that runs east to west and is a major thorough-fare into the neighborhood.  The first bridge as you head west is located just west of Fisherman’s Village with the water exit below known as Bass Inlet.  The second bridge is just past Maria Court to the east and the last bridge which is the highest is just past Divinci Drive to the east.  The waterway at Divinci Drive which we call the Colony Point canal is the only canal that runs from the Peace River and Ponce de Leon Park.  This canal system has significant water flow because it has two exit points.  If you are on the north side of the bridge you are sailboat friendly on the south side of the bridge its sailboat friendly but you must travel to Ponce Inlet, about 18 minutes or so to get to open water.  Homes on the south side of this bridge can easily go under the bridge with quicker exit to the Peace River if mast height or helm station clearance is not an issue.  Plenty deep water in this canal system as well.

The physical land boundaries to the Power Boat section are roads as follows:  West Marion to the north, Aqui Esta Blvd to the south, Coronado Drive to the west and Magdalina Drive to the east.

Over time the sailboat lots were identified as more valuable because of the lack of a bridge.  The reality of the boating world is that sailors actually are a much smaller segment of the boating population than power boaters.  To me, the logic is not there but the selling price of a power boat lot is almost always less than a sailboat lot.  The power boat lots are also quick access to the Peace River, meaning 15 minutes or less for most homes.  That’s the short story.  Many of the power boat lots are a very good bargain.  They have quick access to open water, good water depth and most boaters will not have a problem with the bridge clearance.  Still the sailboat accessible lots sell for more money and I expect that trend to continue.

The post What Does The Power Boat Section Of Punta Gorda Isles Mean?  Is It Less Valuable Than The Sailboat Section? appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

The ordinances are in general very liberal and not overly restrictive.  The pretense of the deed restrictions is to maintain property values and have a minimum level of rules to keep the neighborhood looking great.

Some of the biggest concerns my customers have regarding deed restrictions are as follows:

FENCES

Can I put up a fence for my dog in Punta Gorda Isles? Yes

How big of a fence can I put up?  The rules are generous but no tall privacy fences.

Can I put up a fence on the waters edge?  I see it all the time, so Yes.

Can I put up a fence on the street side?  No

PARKING OF VEHICLES IN THE DRIVEWAY

Can I have my business truck in the driveway? No

Can I park my car in the driveway? Yes

MOTOR HOMES, BOATS, TRAILERS, ETC PARKING

Can I park an RV in my driveway?  Not permanently but for a 3-day period if you are working on it and let the city know its not a problem.

Can I park my boat in the driveway?  Same as above

Can I park my boat trailer on the side of the house?  No, but there are very reasonable storage lots nearby to keep boat trailers, RV’s, etc.

SEE PART 2 FOR A CONTINUATION WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BOATS, HOUSE AND DOCK.

The post Part 1:  Punta Gorda Waterfront Neighborhoods Deed Restrictions, Neighborhood Covenants and What I Should Know About Them When Buying A House appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

It is now called: “The Buckley’s Pass Project” or “Buckley’s Pass” and it looks like this navigational short cut will actually happen!  First, the new name is to honor the late Capt. John Buckley who was instrumental in making this come to fruition.

Based on my research, the City of Punta Gorda cut a deal with land owner Robert “Buckey” McQueen and the land purchase was approved on August 22, 2018.  This parcel is a land mass that separates a navigable portion of the bird section canal system to the waters of Alligator Creek.  This 4.24 acre parcel is being purchased for $440,000 and the city will create a channel through it that is 1,446 feet long and 60 feet wide.  This connection to Alligator Creek will shorten the boat ride from all homes in the locally named “Bird Section” of Punta Gorda Isles and my guess is it will cut the boat ride time in nearly ½ from the ride it takes to go out (for many homes) to the existing Ponce de Leon channel to the north and west.  This location also places the mariner several miles to the south on the harbor and of course, closer to the Gulf of Mexico.  With that said there are a lot of advantages to use this short cut.  One of key factors that has been missing in the mention of this bird cut through is WATER DEPTH!  They talk width and length but not depth!  Of course, to a serious boater like myself this would be one of the first points to be highlighted but I anticipate a minimum of 6 feet mean low water (MLW).  Anything less would prohibit many large sailing craft and deeper draft power boats from using it.  Add to that I believe it was no coincidence that Charlotte County decided to DREDGE Alligator Creek earlier this year to a new DEEPER water depth that was prescribed to be dredged to 6 feet MLW.  With these depths, they match the city’s prescribed maintenance depth of 6 feet MLW at Ponce de Leon channel.

For those not familiar with the “Bird Section” of PGI, this area got its name because all of the streets are named after birds.  Whether it is a shore bird or upland game bird you will find an interesting mix of names.  This section of Punta Gorda Isles is the newest section within this Punta Gorda neighborhood with most homes being built in the late 80’s to current and with that it has a newer appearance with the absence of homes built in the 60’s and 70’s that can be found in other parts of PGI.

Other important issues that have been met with this project are:

Army Corp of Engineers approved the cut through on August 7, 2018 (Permit NO. SAJ-2016-02715 (SP-KRD).  This was a big hurdle to overcome.

One approval that was previously reported was necessary was the NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES.  I have not heard mention of this and wonder if this is still an outlying issue.

One other point on this project that I have contemplated is that the channel they are cutting is only 60 feet wide.  Granted this should be fine for most vessels that pass in the channel, but more would be better.

The big deal is that it looks like the Bird Section cut through is actually going to happen!  Exactly when no one has reported as the City of Punta Gorda is now figuring out how to assess the property owners in a fair manor to cover the cost of the project estimated at approximately $2 million to complete.  Also, the date of the actual land purchase has not been determined either.  Of course, once completed I would expect the city hopes to assess bird section taxes at a higher millage rate since they will have a shorter boat ride time out.

For sailors and power craft this area of Punta Gorda Isles will become more attractive if a shorter boat ride is important to you.  It remains to be seen if Buckley’s Pass increases property values.

The post PGI Bird Section Cut Through, Harbor Access Project, Buckley’s Pass UPDATE! Big News! appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

First, I have seen the naming of this project take on many titles: Additional Harbor Access Project, Alligator Creek Bypass and most recently Bird Key Cut Through (which is not accurate, because there is not a bird key that I know of in the bird section of Punta Gorda Isles).  With all of this aside, here are the basics that I have deciphered from reading many sources on the topic.  First, the City of Punta Gorda has funded and continues to fund this effort which is a very good thing to have the city behind it.  Secondly, the city has decided on the cost of the special assessment, $501 dollar per waterfront household with less than 85 feet of waterfrontage (over 85 feet than the assessment amount is doubled best I can figure).  I think it is fine they figured out a cost to the property owners but the project is far from being approved.

At this time, there are many opinions coming from different directions:  An Economist Firm, a Law Firm, a Environmental Firm and City Officers to name a few.  The economist opinion is that property values will go way up to those property owners that benefit the most from it.  But how to you determine who foots the bill?  Basically, my understanding is they have drawn an imaginary line of demarcation that splits the boat ride time to Ponce to be equal to the boat ride time to Alligator Creek.  Seems fair at first glance but no one really knows if this will increase their property values.  From my professional standpoint, I wonder if significantly reducing the boat ride time in the Bird Section, which is quite large, will end up devaluing the property values elsewhere in the Isles where they benefit from their short boat ride location.  Essentially, saturating the market will equivalent properties.  Just some food for thought.

To finish the subject at hand there are several major crossroads on this project as follows:

There are unincorporated water accessed units (WAUs) that needs to be paid and who will pay it.

There is a church that will incur significant cost at over $16,000.

There is a piece of land privately owned that is under negotiation.

The US Army Corp of Engineers needs to approve the project.

The National Marine Fisheries Service needs to approve the project.

The good news is that there has been tremendous progress made and there is good forward momentum.  It will certainly be a very long time to know if this project will ever happen.

The post Bird Cut-through aka Alligator Creek Bypass UPDATE: PG Approves Assessment, Many Other Obstacles appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

Why Did The Seawalls Fail in Punta Gorda Isles?

The biggest concern weather forecasters predicted was a large surge tide which was to come well over the seawalls and into the houses.  This has never happened before!  No water has gotten into houses from rising waters.  What did happen in this hurricane and hurricane Charlie is that the hurricane caused a short duration extreme outgoing tide situation that left no water pressure on the water side.  The lack of hydrostatic pressure on the waterside, combined with the natural landbased pressure allowed the weaker seawalls to crack or literally break off or fall into the canal.

The city has identifed nearly 900 seawalls that need repaired or replaced.  The affected seawalls occured in the sailboat home sections as well as the power boat.  I personally drove my boat into the canal that takes you to the Isles Yacht Club and quickly observed many seawalls that had problems.

PGI residents pay a fee in their taxes which covers seawall repairs and canal maintenance in general.  I have yet to hear how much is in the “kitty” for these repairs but the city has solicited FEMA for financial help.  One of my customers has already found the city taping off the back of his house and put up a silt fence.  He has no idea when his seawall work will begin but that is a very good sign for him and quick service by the city.

For anyone wanting to live the dream of having a sailboat at your own down or a cruiser, now will be a good time to make a deal……..especially if there is a seawall issue.  At least, that is what I am thinking at the moment.  We can certainly protect you in the purchase of a home by having the seller escrow sufficient funds to cover any costs that you might incur after the sale.  If the city picks up the whole tab then the money is refunded to the seller but escrowing money will protect my customers from unexpected costs associated with this situation.

The post Seawall Repairs In Punta Gorda Isles Update appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

Anyone considering purchasing a waterfront home in Punta Gorda wants to have an idea of what the closing costs will be before they make a purchase.  Generally speaking throughout the U.S., closing costs vary greatly from state to state and within the state.  This is also true in Florida.

HOME PURCHASE

For someone buying a home here are some of the basic fees to be anticipated:

• Any costs associated with a mortgage
• Deed filing fee
• Partial real estate commission or transaction fee
• Pro-rated amount of the PGI Canal Maintenance Fee (from tax bill)

For comparison take a look at the sellers costs in a home sale:

• State Doc Stamps, this is really a tax at $7 per $1000 of home selling price
• Pro-rated property taxes to be paid to seller for time of home ownership. This is based on last years taxes and taxes are paid in arrears.  The buyer will receive a tax bill on November 1 and will be responsible for the entire bill, of which part was paid at closing by the home seller.
• Real estate commission for listing agent and all/partial for buyers agent
• Recording fees
• Title insurance, normally paid by seller but not always (this protects the buyer)
• Examination of deed and customary closing costs

LOT PURCHASE

There are some minor differences in the closing costs for a lot purchaser.  The fees stated above all apply however here are some other fees that the BUYER can anticipate:

• Water Impact Fee. This fee is paid by buyer to reimburse seller and should be considered a credit from buyer to seller.  This fee was previously paid and is held by the City of Punta Gorda for credit at time of building.  It is a nominal amount, generally under $1000.

Lot Mowing Fee.  A pro-rated amount will be credited from buyer to seller.  This is only $115 for the year

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