Dragon's Lair




		Punta Gorda - The “Fat Point”

	Roger Strube / Roger H Strube, MD



			Fishermen’s Village - “Fishville” South Shore of the Peace River




		Ponce de Leon Inlet West Shore of PGI

PUNTA GORDA FLORIDA

Punta Gorda (“Fat Point”) is located on the east side of Charlotte Harbor where the junction of this large body of protected water meets the Peace Rive forming an estuary. This small town is located between Ft Myers to the south and Sarasota to the north. We are about 45 minutes north of South West Regional Airport. The Punta Gorda Isles section was developed over 25 years ago. The developers dug a massive canal system, a project that would never be allowed today. There are sailboat and powerboat sections. The sailboat sections have direct access to Charlotte Harbor and the powerboat sections are restricted by bridges with clearance adequate to allow many larger motor yachts to pass. A well known tourist attraction, Fisherman’s Village (known to the locals as “Fishville”) is on the north shore of PGI. Fishville has several good restaurants and many shops. The marina located there has just been rebuilt and has slips available. It has a fuel dock, pump out station, laundry, tennis courts and a small marine store. A new marina with facilities for powerboats including transient boat slips and a launching ramp is located to the east of Fishville between the Tamiami Trail Bridge (Hwy 41) and the Interstate 75 Bridge. Unfortunately the Hwy 41 bridge has only 45 feet clearance so most medium and all large sailing vessels are unable to reach this marina. It is possible to anchor just west of the restricting bridge just off Gilcrest Park, near downtown and dingy into shore at the Best Western Hotel or at Laishley Park Marina, between the bridges. My home is in the north west section of PGI with direct access to Charlotte Harbor by way of Ponce de Leon inlet to the south and west. There is also powerboat egress under a Marion Avenue bridge and out a canal into the Peace River to the north. Boca Grande is located about two and a half hours south and west through Charlotte Harbor. Boca Grande provides access to the Gulf of Mexico and the rest of our Water World. Marco Island (just south of Naples, Florida) is a full day sail south. Sailing south from Marco Key West is another day sail. Key Largo is a day sail south and east from Marco. Sailing from Key Largo the Bahama Cays of Cat & Gun are about 60 miles east or Bimini about 75 miles north east. The Dragon can easily travel 80 to 120 miles in a day under sail or power.




		2560 Rio Palermo Ct Just Right of Center at Apex of Dog Leg Left


	The Dragon Lives in the Canal Center Left Across from White Tile Roof Condos in the Foreground


	Millennium Dragon at the Dock Looking WNW Across Lagoon

Why, you might ask, do I need to know any of this?

There are several good reasons. The first being that if you are contemplating a purchase and commitment of this magnitude, you may want to kick the fenders and look inside the Dragon. It would be good to know where she lives. If you are coming any distance, you might want to stay more than a few hours and see some of the local sights. A dockside tour may be arranged by contacting Nick Dykert at Denison Yacht Sales. The use of a broker protects both the buyer and the seller. Nick will arrange a tour of the Dragon. If you are a serious, qualified buyer further arrangements will be made through the brokerage. See the page labeled “Conditions of Purchase” on this site.

The most important reason to know where the Dragon lives may not have occurred to you as yet. The Dragon needs a home and you will need to provide a home for the Dragon. I am not talking about you providing a “good home” for Millennium Dragon. I am talking about a place to moor or dock the Dragon once you purchase her. Even if you plan to move aboard and sail off into the sunset, you will need a good deal of time to prepare yourself and the vessel for this adventure.

Where will you keep the Dragon
until you are ready to start
your live aboard adventure or extended cruise?

Any vessel capable of world cruising or living aboard requires adequate mooring. The cost for mooring any vessel the size of the Dragon can get into thousands of dollars per month. You need to budget for your cost of keeping any vessel you purchase at a dock or on a mooring while you prepare yourself and the boat for your adventure. You may want to read or reread my log of our first year sailing Millennium Dragon. The boat was commissioned a few days before January 31, 1999. My wife and I began full time preparation for our extended cruise in early April 2000. What was planned as a short three week final preparation turned into 6 months (to October 18, 2000) of final fitting, refitting and sorting out major issues. I admit we probably were having way too much fun in Port Royal, a.k.a., “Tar Pit Harbor” but that is another story. Anyone who has purchased a new vessel located in a pleasant setting will understand. Over the past seven years we have sorted out what works and gotten rid of things that didn’t. The point is that simply stepping on a boat and sailing off into the sunset is very difficult and really only accomplished if you are chartering for a week or two. If you are to make the Dragon your own, a bit of time and effort needs to be spent to get to know her. Even if you are extremely efficient it will take you a month or two getting ready for the adventure. So what is the answer and where will you keep the Dragon?

I am planning to build my next boat and take several years to do so. When the Dragon sells, I will not be using the dock at my home for several years. I am very willing to talk about either short (up to 3 months) or long term (6 month renewable lease) use of my dock with any interested, qualified purchaser. I am assuming even a live aboard couple will need a month or two preparation time before starting the big adventure. There may be a prospective buyer who wants to do some extended cruising but needs a place to keep and refit the vessel between vacations. I am willing to talk about a docking arrangement that could last up to two years. Alternatively you might want to look into some of the marinas that are converting to “Dock-O-Miniums”. I have seen some of these priced between $200,000 and $750,000 in South Florida. When my wife Kathy and I transitioned from living aboard for two years to land based shorter term cruising she wanted a land base. Some cruisers call this “swallowing the hook.” We had traveled both coasts looking for a proper place to keep the Dragon keeping in mind, “If coconuts don’t grow there, we don’t go there”. Our search lead us to Punta Gorda on Florida’s west coast. We looked for a home for several weeks. Our timing was good. We sold our home in Miami and went looking at property with Nancy Andreae. Before I walked through the house I checked the dock and the available turning basin. As we walked around the corner of the building and saw the dock and sea wall, I knew we would buy the place. I have always told people we purchased a dock with a house attached. Prices have gone up. The empty lot across the cull du sac from us is for sale at $950,000. It has a great view and lots of dock space. The availability of temporary cost effective dock space may provide you a valuable option if you decide to purchase my Dragon. Before you purchase any boat determine the cost of mooring.

Another major concern is insurance and insurability. Millennium Dragon was hauled in Spring of 2007 for mechanical work and bottom paint. The bellows / diaphragms for the Volvo Penta Sail Drives were replaced. At that time an Insurance Survey was performed. The Dragon was hauled at Gulf Marine Ways from March 29th to April 12th for bottom paint, insurance survey, zinc replacement, engine maintenance and minor gelcoat repairs. This vessel is now insured. The insurance also requires filing of a “Hurricane Plan”. An Acrobat file of this plan may be reviewed below. This should provide you with additional information regarding the value of the extended dockage I offer to negotiate with purchase of this vessel.


	Click on any picture below to view a print and a slide show.



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Dragon’s Lair -- Tropical Storm Fay

Picture taken August 19, 2008 at 11:04 AM. Tropical Storm Fay is due East with winds gusting over 40 knots in Punta Gorda. Note anchor lines out into the canal basin. The wind is blowing out of the NE quartering the port bow. The Dragon is well sprung off the dock pilings. Note the double halyard wrap on the roller furling jib. The screecher is lashed down in the port trampoline. The main sail cover is protected by a trampoline material shield and lashed to the gutter boom. Nothing is flapping.

Still interested? Need more information? Contact me at:
Captain Roger Strube
2560 Rio Palermo Ct
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
Home: 941.639.6232
Cell: 941.661.4579

wingsailorflorida@yahoo.com
rogerstrube@embarqmail.com


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