Estero Bay Bay Marina back on top in Fort Myers Beach
Boat dealership cruising after comeback from Hurricane Ian
Four years ago, Hurricane Ian swooped in behind Estero Bay Marina and tormented the docks of the San Carlos Boulevard boat dealership the way it did to so many Fort Myers Beach properties that day. A number of boats were lost. The inside of the dealership had water up to nine-feet high.
Fast forward four years later, the docks have been rebuilt on 12-foot pylons, and the marina’s manager Chris Flounders has righted the ships on his lot and is enjoying the last laugh.
“This year, we were first place in volume in the country for Worldcat” boats,” Flounders said.
The comeback has been quick for Flounders and Estero Bay Marina since Hurricane Ian. Since reopening after Hurricane Ian, the Fort Myers Beach marina has been among the top three Worldcat dealers in the world, Flounders said. “We do $20 million a year in sales,” he said.
For Flounders, navigating through stormy seas is second nature.
“I’ve been doing this for 34 years,” Flounders said. Flounders cut his teeth in the boat business in Central Florida, while also working at dealerships in Miami, Naples and the Keys.
He first arrived at Estero Bay Marina in 2020, not long after the business opened, and soon found himself in the middle of the covid pandemic. Fortunately, Fort Myers Beach and Southwest Florida emerged out of the pandemic quicker and less painfully than other communities. The influx of visitors, vacationers, second-home buyers and full-time residents into the area has been a boon for the local boating industry which has thrived along the canals of Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and beyond.
“This is a huge boating area,” Flounders said.
The boat ram and dealership at Estero Bay Marina. The docks are used strictly for customers getting work done at the marina. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
Estero Bay Marina has dealt almost exclusively in Worldcat boats, a high-end power catamaran vessel that ranges from 23 feet to 40 feet.
Starting Aug. 1, the dealership has started taking on Jupiter boats for sale. The Jupiter boats are similar in size, ranging from 26 feet to 38 feet. While the Worldcat boats on site range in horsepower between 230 and 1,250, the Jupiter vessels are capable of between 400 and 1,500 horsepower.
The marina also will takes on used boats in as trade for Worldcats they sell. Flounders does not charge any dealer fees and prides himself on his straight-talking honesty with buyers.
The Worldcat 40 is one the top boats on the lot. “It’s one of the easiest boats to sell,” he said. “The side is what sells them,” Flounders said of the fiberlass-build, which makes for a sturdy, long-lasting boat that will get through any kind of tide. “It doesn’t matter if it is one foot of sea or four foot of seas, the boat doesn’t bounce like your average boat does,” he said. The Worldcats are also known for having a better fuel economy than other boats, Flounders said. The Worldcat boats are made from 100% composite material. “They can last forever,” he said. The motors can last 4,000 to 5,000 hours, he said.
“These are the BMW, Mercedes of boats,” Flounders said.
Estero Bay Marina has a full warranty service center, with the docks reserved for boats that are serviced at the center. The center only services boats purchased at the marina. “To take care of the people who buy from us, we only service the people who buy from us,” Flounders said.
Future plans for the San Carlos Boulevard lot include an outdoor showroom under a steel tent, Flounders said. “Coming soon.”