Do We Beach House

Four years after Hurricane Ian swamped the docks behind its San Carlos Boulevard showroom, Estero Bay Marina has done more than recover — it has climbed to the top of its industry. The Fort Myers Beach boat dealership now ranks first in the country by sales volume for WorldCat boats, and has spent the years since reopening among the top three WorldCat dealers in the world, manager Chris Flounders told the Beach Observer & Beach Bulletin.

The numbers back it up. The marina does about $20 million a year in sales, and its docks have been rebuilt on 12-foot pilings — taller, stronger, and ready for whatever the Gulf sends next. Flounders, a 34-year veteran of the boat business, credits the island’s deep boating culture and the steady stream of visitors who come to Southwest Florida to get out on the water.

Why it matters for Fort Myers Beach: boating is woven into the island’s identity, and a nationally ranked dealership on San Carlos Boulevard is another sign that the area isn’t just back — it’s competing at a higher level than before. For visitors, it’s a reminder that the water is the main event here: charter a boat, book a back-bay tour, or just watch the fleet work the channel from the Matanzas Pass bridge.

This island has spent four years rebuilding. Wins like this one show the momentum is real.

Source: Beach Observer & Beach Bulletin — read the full story.