by John Lindsay

Created on: February 09, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

BURNT STORE MARINA - Such a strange sounding name for a marina belies the glorious bliss of wind wave and sun that waits for you in Charlotte Harbor. A tiny channel from the marina gets you into the wide sailing area of the approaches to Punta Gorda.

Southwest Florida Yachts, Inc. http://www.swfyachts.com/ keeps a stable of sailing boats at Burnt Store Marina. You can charter a racing cruiser Hunter ( my choice) or larger boats with room for larger families or groups. SWF operates out of North Fort Myers FL. with a wide choice of motor boats for charter in Fort Myers. Jan Peters is SWF's concierge. She is very knowledgeable and helpful.

For sailors who just want to sail and relax, Burnt Store is ideal. It only takes a few minutes using the motor and you can turn it off and...sail. After making a few dog leg turns in the very narrow channel (easy on the throttle) to get from the Marina into Charlotte Harbor, you have some pleasant choices before you.

Sail north to Punta Gorda a trip of 2-3 hours depending on winds. There is also the possibility of sailing Southwest to Useppa island hotel just off the inter coastal waterway. This is about a 3 hour trip. Sailing due west from the white board advertising the Marina at its entrance, will put you at the mouth of the channel that flows into the Gulf of Mexico between the southern end of Boca Grande and the northern end of Cayo Costa State Park.

The sailing area is well marked. Sometimes the top of the poles have birds sitting on them so look for the triangular daymarks. The Hunter racing cruiser "Magic", is roomy for two people. There are enough coffee filters on board to last for the next 10 years.

Magic is a fun sail. Easy to maneuver under power and it has everything you need for comfort and safety. It likes the wind. However, if you honor the tried and true maxim of reefing ten minutes ago, put in a reef at anything over 10 knots or you will be sailing sideways on Magic.

The alcohol fuel stove works well as does the icebox which needs a bag of ice every day and half. The electric pump on the toilet makes an unpleasant sound but works well. The holding tank on this boat is very small so expect to empty it with just normal use every 2 days. If you don't like huge fuel bills, this boat is for you. Our fuel bill for 5 days of use came to a whopping $2.96!

There is no chartplotter GPS on board but the charts supplied for the charter are adequate if you want to sail. On the other hand if you want to gunkhole along the Inland

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