Three Years Post Ian, Florida Marinas Still Cleaning Up
By Tony Esposito
Southwest Florida’s marina industry continues to grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which caused catastrophic damage in 2022.
Lingering Marina Damage
Three years after Hurricane Ian blew out of the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 4 storm pushing a 12ft surge of water, many in Southwest Florida are still trying to repair and recover from the damage, not the least among them the marina industry.
“We have been threatened by hurricanes before Ian and had never had substantial damage. Ian was a different matter,” said Peter Mazzagatti, association president of the Sanibel Harbour Yacht Club. “The damage was catastrophic.”
Pounded by winds between 130mph-150mph for hours, the yacht club was protected to a degree by a nearby residential complex.
“The condos saved our buildings because if they weren’t there, it [Ian] would’ve destroyed us,” Mazzagatti told the Florida Weekly.
The condos are still under repair but are expected to reopen over the next several months. The yacht club had over 12ft of water inside, floating docks were lifted off their pilings, stationary docks destroyed and the surge lifted dry-berthed vessels on the first floor of the dry stack storage off their berths, damaging many.
Cars were swept into the marina basin, underground fuel tanks were destroyed, causing pollution, newly installed fuel dispensers were damaged beyond repair, as well as the fire system and boat washing system.
“We had eleven and a half million dollars in damages,” said Mazzagatti. All the utilities required to operate the marina’s duties were wiped out, as well as the elevator. “We have insurance, of course, and some of our insurance carriers paid for damages. However, like many businesses and homes in SW Florida, collecting funds from our largest insurer was, to say the least, a difficult challenge.”
Many area marinas were closed for a year or more; several in downtown Fort Myers have not yet reopened. One exception was the Yacht Club, which after just six months was able to start relaunching members’ boats while completing repairs over the next two years.
One downtown marina property, Legacy Harbour, is undergoing repair and expected to reopen beginning in the first quarter of 2026. It suffered from the 6ft-9ft storm surge that hit the city, with semi-submerged vessels still dotting its harbor.
The City of Fort Myers Yacht basin also sustained tremendous damage and remains closed, with the development being run by Suntex Marinas – which has allowed the idle property to be used as a destroyed boat collection centre. The project is currently stalled, awaiting approval by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Local Businesses Still Hurting
Marina operators and boaters aren’t the only ones impacted by the lack of boating activity, with bars, restaurants and convenience stores feeling the effects.
“We’ve noticed it within our store, but also with all of downtown. People lived on those boats, and with the harbours being down they haven’t returned which hurts the amount of people that come,” a local restaurant worker said.
“I knew about 30 people who died from the storm; it was absolutely horrible,” said Steve Branter, the owner of Steve B’s Waterfront Café, which suffered physical damage from Ian.
“With the local marinas down, boaters are unable to return, which affects the amount of traffic for local businesses, including Steve B’s.”
Despite Ian’s devastating blow, Branter still has a positive outlook. With renovations coming to his café, which will transform the outdoor area. “Eventually flooding is going to happen again, you just have to grab the bucket and get to cleaning, that’s just the reality of it,” he said.
While the marina industry continues to recover and boaters slowly return, locals believe the storm may have allowed opportunity for the marinas to expand or include larger berths to accommodate a growing need from growing vessels.