If You Prefer to Paddle
Before You Boat
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Here are more details about the five improved public boat ramps and Chiquita Lock :
Cape Coral Yacht Club Boat Ramp 5815 Driftwood Parkway
Located at the Yacht Club Community Park , along with the 89-slip Godman Yacht Basin , the ramp is about 5.5 miles to the Sanibel Causeway . The yacht basin can accommodate boats from 17 to 52 feet . This is a popular park with a public beach , tennis courts and swimming pool , as well as several other facilities . The ramp is on the Caloosahatchee and provides quick access to the Gulf .
BMX Park Boat Ramp S . W . 7th Court
Just north of Trafalgar Parkway , this facility is the Cape ’ s only freshwater ramp and the center for the Cape Coral Bass Club ’ s fishing tournament . With a double boat ramp and restrooms , it provides access to an extensive network of freshwater canals and lakes south of Pine Island Road .
Burnt Store Boat Ramp 230 Burnt Store Road S .
This 4.5-acre boat launch facility north of Pine Island Road provides access to a system of canals and lakes in northwest Cape Coral , as well as to Matlacha Pass and the Gulf of Mexico . Amenities include picnic tables and restrooms .
Horton Park & Boat Ramp 2600 S . E . 26th Place
This five-acre facility on Chantry Canal , about 11 miles from the Sanibel Causeway , provides easy access to the Caloosahatchee River and Gulf of Mexico . It has restrooms , a picnic shelter and walking trail .
Rosen Park 2414 S . E . 15th Terrace
This relatively new park with two boat ramps provides access to the Caloosahatchee and Gulf of Mexico and is a little more than 11 miles from the Sanibel Causeway . It has 19 wet slips for boats up to 40 feet available for annual and transient rentals . The park also has restrooms , picnic shelters and a walking path .
Chiquita Boat Lock 5808 Cape Harbour Drive Lock operator : 542-5661
The Chiquita Boat Lock provides access from Camelot Canal and the Southwest Spreader Waterway into the Caloosahatchee and the Intracoastal Waterway . It ’ s not quite 3 miles from the Sanibel Causeway . Hours of operation are 6 a . m . to 10 p . m . After hours , call the lock operator a half-hour before you plan to use it .
If You Prefer to Paddle
If kayaking , canoeing or paddle-boarding is more your speed , you can rent boats and boards from various local outfitters . Or you can join a tour : Guides take paddling groups on adventures around Southwest Florida .
The Rotary Park Environmental Center ( 5505 Rose Garden Road ) offers kayak programs and trips ( 549-4606 ), and weekend rentals are available November through May at the Kayak Shack Outpost at Four Mile Cove Ecological Park ( 574- 7395 ).
If you want to explore on your own , there are several options for launching in the river , canals and Pine Island Sound . Paddlers can put in at municipal boat ramp facilities , including a number of saltwater options . At Four Mile Cove ( east end of S . E . 23 Terrace ), you can kayak the creeks or out to the river . Access to Matlacha Pass and the Calusa Blueway — a paddling trail that runs along coastal Southwest Florida — can be reached from Sirenia Vista , an eight-acre environmental park ( Ceitus Parkway and Old Burnt Store Road ), which has a kayak launch . Seahawk Air Park ( 1030 N . W . 28th Street ) has a launch for a freshwater lake .
Before You Boat
Local waters can be tricky , with unexpected shallows . Before venturing out , be sure to obtain and study nautical charts , tide information and required safety equipment . Being safe is a commonsense starting point for a perfect day on the water .
Boats must be registered within 30 days of purchase — whether it ’ s new or used . A registration application and title for any vessel with a motor must be filed before the boat can be used in state waters , with a few exceptions . Register at the Lee County Tax Collector ’ s office , which acts as an agent for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for titling and registering watercraft .
If your boat is registered in another state , you may use it in Florida waters for 90 days before a Florida registration is required . That includes people vacationing here for longer than 90 days . Registration fees vary , depending on the size of the craft . Nonpowered boats less than 16 feet in length need not be registered or titled .
Anyone born after Jan . 1 , 1988 , must complete an approved safety course and have a Boater Education Identification Card to operate a boat with 10 horsepower or more . Temporary certificates are available for visitors . For more details , check with these resources :
Note : Area code is 239 unless specified .
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles FLhsmv . gov
For more information about Florida vessel regulations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission MyFWC . com
For more information about boating safety , Boater Education Identification Cards and other licenses
Lee County Tax Collector 1039 S . E . 9th Ave ., Room 102 , Cape Coral 533-6000 LeeTC . com
For registration and information
Safety , Regulations , Vessel Checks and Courses
For boating rules and regulations , safety questions and checks , and boating courses ( including sites for approved online courses ), contact the following :
Cape Coral Sail & Power Squadron PowerSquadronCapeCoral . org , 549-9754
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission MyFWC . com , ( 850 ) 488-5600
U . S . Coast Guard Auxiliary , 549-1027
U . S . Coast Guard Boating Safety Resource Center , USCGBoating . org capecoralchamber . com 64