Cruising Expert to Punta Gorda: "Number 1 Thing Punta Gorda Needs to do to Become a Great Cruising Destination"

"Promote the Waterfront," Claiborne S. Young, Editorial Director of "The Salty SouthEast" and Cruisers' Net and a well-known and respected cruising expert,  told a large group of Punta Gorda city officials, Team Punta Gorda members, Boating Club members and citizens today.  Mr. Young said "the number one thing Punta Gorda can do to establish itself as a "cruising friendly destination."  He noted the many draws of Charlotte Harbor pointing out that the area around Pine Island Sound and the mouth of Charlotte Harbor was "the most cruising rich section of the Southwest Florida coast." 

Mr. Young's talk focussed on four other coastal towns on the East Coast that turned their respective communities into top cruising destinations, some going from almost deserted locations on a weekend morning to bustling, thriving tourist draws.   He reviewed the challenges faced by Georgetown, South Carolina, for instance, that has two unattractive, industrial sites near their waterfront, i.e., a paper mill and a noisy scrap metal plant. "They built a harbor walk." he noted.  Sound familiar?  They introduced dingy dockage.  They promoted their historic area with home visitations and events.  "Almost nobody cruising along the intercoastal waterway misses this stop."   The two Beauforts (pronounced differently) one in South Carolina, the other in North Carolina, were also cited as waterfront success stories. 

Another town, somewhat off the ICW akin to Punta Gorda,  is Washington, North Carolina 25 nautical miles from the Atlantic intercoastal.   "They had many challenges to make a success of their waterfront destination for cruisers," Mr. Young noted.  "They made in easy to come into their location, with dingy dockage, managed dock facilities, and they advertised."

When asked what were the key things boaters expected in a waterfront destination, Young told the audience, "mooring fields, destination anchorage, easy-to-get-to dingy docks, wet-slip dockage, good restaurants and shops, shower and laundry facilities, WIFI throughout the harbor area, provisioning."  He thought one of the top things Punta Gorda could do was "built a mooring field on the downside of the bridges (west mooring field)".

Mr. Young also discussed the tough regulatory environment in Florida for cruisers.  Florida only accepts state registration for boaters.  He stressed watching local regulations on boaters noting how easy it was to turn off cruisers.   He agreed with an audience member about the desirability of Charlotte Harbor as a place for sailboaters to take time from journeying to do some fun sailing noting that one can "sail on an unimpeded body of water straight up Charlotte Harbor to the Punta Gorda waterfront."

Mr. Young's talk was organized by Team Punta Gorda.