The best place I found to launch and sail my Hobie 16 is off the Sanibel Causeway. Other than the $9 toll to get over the bridge, it is actually a very decent option for sailing in the Ft.Myers area, and offers good beach launching options. I typically launch from either side of the causeway island closer to sanibel. If the winds are out of the North or west, then I launch from the north side of the island and sail in the area between the causeway, Picnic island and St. James City. Nice flat water most of the time. Kind of like the bay side in the keys.


I concur, and Pete and I have launched off that causeway once or twice. Lots of space and easy access to that inlet area.

$9 is only slightly higher than the fee they charge to use the boat ramps down in Naples/Marco. You CAN launch on the beach here in a few spots, but you CANNOT park your trailer near the beach, so you're pretty much shot for a day-sail unless you've got ground crew.

As my "Man-O-Pause" strategy is getting me closer to boat-ownership (I suggested to Heir Sweetness that it's either a boat or a sports car and a 20-something babe - to which she responded she now has a pistol and I should consider sleeping outside, but whatever) I figure that Sanibel causeway may be the easiest launch spot within a 45 minute drive.

Now to figure out how to get a trailer hitch for the civic (looks like it's got a capacity of 1000 lbs, or if I can get trailer brakes and a transmission cooler, 1500 lbs) I won't have to buy another car, making the boat that much closer to reality