Punta Rassa Ramp Returning after Ian Battering. County and City Officials are adding new Launch Sites.
I first wrote about the Punta Rassa Boat Ramp at the Sanibel Causeway in September of 2016. It was the most popular boat ramp in Lee County, offering quick access to Sanibel and the Gulf. And the busiest, boasting 215,000 users per year even back then. At the time, I noted that the then 40 year old ramp had needed an update, and more than half a million dollars had just been spent to provide that.
Until Ian had his say.
For most of the past three years the destroyed facility has been used as a staging area for the Florida Department of Transportation and the Sanibel Causeway Emergency Restoration Project. It’s been sorely missed. Many trailer boaters will tell you there are not enough boat ramps in Lee County, the third largest boating county in Florida-The Boating Capital of the World.
With the $328 million dollar Causeway restoration nearing completion, the Lee Board of County Commissioners voted in May to award a $1.6 million contract for Phase One of repairs to the Punta Rassa Ramp; restoring and re-striping the parking lot, repair and upgrading of underground utilities, removing debris and other materials from the ramp area, reopening the restrooms, adding recycling and trash bins, and landscaping.
Control of the parking lot area returns to the county this month, Officials say they need only about four weeks to complete the first phase, allowing a re-opening of the ramp with limited use of two of the three docks damaged by the storm. I visited the site on June 30th to take a photo for this column. It sure doesn’t look like it’s just a month or so away from opening, but maybe I’ll be surprised.
Betsy Clayton is the Communications Director for Lee County Government. She told me the ramp should open in late August, with work continuing after the reopening. Phase Two of the project should be concluded by the end of the year, she added. Florida has never been known for swift completion of restoration projects, but Betsy and her colleague Tim Engstrom have always been dependable information resources.
Betsy said the engineering and permitting of the Punta Rassa project was not challenging; all permits are in hand and the work is progressing. Minor dredging at the ramp is completed. The two new ramps will pretty much be the old two ramps; the facility will be restored to pre-Ian status. Betsy explained that the footprint of the ramps and overall site plan needed to remain relatively the same so that local taxpayers will not have to foot the bill for the hurricane repairs. FEMA is reimbursing the county for the project.
Phase Two of the $906,000 contract with marine contractor Sully’s LLC includes construction of a shaded fish cleaning station, completing repairs to the northern and middle dock, full replacement of the southern dock, and installing facility signs, and other landscaping improvements to the area. The contract is funded through the Florida Division of Emergency Management Legislative Appropriation Program and the Lee County General Fund.
Lee County Commissioner David Mulicka, whose district includes Punta Rassa had this to say about that ramp’s re-opening:
“We are very pleased with the progress on this project. As a boater myself, I’m eager to see the Punta Rassa Boat Ramp reopen. We look forward to a soft reopening in late August, with total project completion to follow soon after.”
The re-opening is coming at a good time. Several other popular boat ramps in the county are being closed for repairs and upgrades. Lavender’s Landing in Bokeelia will close temporarily on July 7 for renovations and parking improvements; and it’s not scheduled for reopening until next Spring. Pine Island area boaters can use the Matlacha Park ramp, which was briefly closed twice in the past few years, or the nearby D&D Bait and Tackle ramp.
The southern part of Pine Island has the Pine Island Commercial Marina (weekends and holidays only), and our friends at the Monroe Canal Marina and Boat Rentals facility in St. James City have a public access ramp; but call ahead for availability at that busy site.
In South Fort Myers, trailer boaters will have an upgraded option for low-draft boats. On May 6th of this year, Lee Commissioners approved a purchase agreement for the Mullock Creek Marina, giving boaters access to Estero Bay and Big Carlos Pass. But the Marina will likely close for repairs and upgrades in late September 2025.
Officials hope to announce a reopening date in early 2026, but not necessarily FOR early 2026. And here’s a tip on a little-known city-owned boat ramp next to the Oasis Condominiums near downtown Fort Myers. The City-run Oasis Boat Ramp has 18 vehicle/trailer parking spots.
It didn’t help the situation when the City of Fort Myers suddenly stuck a “Closed” sign at the Centennial Park Boat Ramp in downtown Fort Myers around the time of my original Punta Rassa Ramp story. Most thought the park was deeded to the city under the condition that the area be used solely for the recreation of its citizens, but I guess the Luminary Hotel got a vote. That’s a story for a different time.
But along comes Noelle Casagrande, Public Information Officer for the City of Fort Myers, and holder of a Captain’s license by the way. I called her as part of my research for this story, and she couldn't have been more helpful. She acknowledged the loss of that ramp, and then surprised me with this: “That is why the City is building a new one next to the Riverside Community Center in East Fort Myers.” Whoa! That information was not yet a part of Bob’s World.
The Community Center is also just two lots away from our Fort Myers Power Squadron building, and very close to the Oasis Boat ramp, which Noelle said would remain open as well.
The Riverside plans are in the early stages, so don’t expect an opening for at least a year; but it’s a much needed addition for Fort Myers area boaters. The huge new Suntex Marina at the site of the old Yacht Basin will have many amenities, but a public boat ramp isn’t one of them.
How many boat ramps are there in Lee County? Good Question. It depends on which browser site you click on. I’ve seen lists naming 35, 62 and 67 ramps, and a bunch of numbers in between.
I recommend you do some research before you head out to a ramp you find in your Internet searches. Many are shallow water or primitive paddle craft launches only.
I contacted fellow NMM writer Tom Dawson for help in posting the best boat ramp map for this story. (Thanks Tom!) He’s an author of two great books on boating in SW Florida, and an educator for the Cape Coral Power Squadron. He likes “My FWC Boat Finder” because it “lets you sort and filter.”
I have no idea what that means. Oh, and he said he “uses the clipping tool to grab the images.” Maybe some day he can also explain that to me. For additional boat ramp locations and updates on ramp projects, you can visit www.leeparks.org/boats, or FWC's more comprehensive site: https://gis.myfwc.com/BoatRampFinder/
Despite the closures, it’s nice to see Lee County, Cape Coral and Fort Myers adding to it’s list of ramps. The county last added to its inventory in 2005, when it closed on what is now Lavender’s Landing in Bokeelia. The purchase price for Mullock Creek was $4.4 million, plus closing costs. Several existing structures on the site are being demolished by the seller prior to the September closing for repairs and upgrades, which will not include dredging for the shallow water marina. The purchase agreement is contingent on a boundary survey, title exceptions and site assessments.
And there’s this: The final permit for the rejuvenation of the ravaged Cape Coral Yacht Club was issued by Army Corps. of Engineers on May 1st, and it will include a new boat ramp to replace the one lost to Ian. The ramp will be moved to the adjacent Gordon Yacht Basin, and will offer 46 vehicle and trailer parking spaces, along with 27 day docks, 121 regular slips, and five staging slips. Congratulations to city and county officials for ramping up the boat ramp offerings.
Now all we need is to ramp up our trailering and boat launching skills. (Our squadrons offer classes.) It’s a slippery slope, in more ways than one. Be careful.
And here’s some great news from The Nautical Mile for waterfront dining destinations when you leave the ramp. Jim Griffiths is building maps for every water access restaurant in Florida. He should have every location from Collier to Tampa Bay listed by the time you read this. The Directory can be found at www.WaterAccessDining.com It’s already proving to be a popular site!
P/C Bob Moro, AP
Ft. Myers Power Squadron, Florida
