On docks in Fort Myers, tough choices ahead for houseboat dwellers
| Fort Myers, Fla.
The 鈥淲ild One鈥� was tamed by Hurricane Ian.
That鈥檚 how Victor Coletta summarizes his experience 鈥� and that of his boat 鈥� as the massive storm churned through southwest Florida last week.聽
Mr. Coletta rode out the storm, along with other houseboat dwellers from the same marina, in a parking garage across the street. He and his dog slept inside his pickup truck. More than 15 feet of storm surge inundated the area,聽picking up Mr. Coletta鈥檚 houseboat 鈥� the Wild One is big enough to have two levels and two small bedrooms聽鈥撀燼nd landing it on nearby聽cement.
Why We Wrote This
Hurricane Ian struck directly in one of Florida鈥檚 havens of houseboat culture. For boat owners, gratitude for their own survival blends with rising challenges to a distinctive lifestyle.
At one point, he tried to run outside amid Ian鈥檚聽triple-digit聽winds, but he turned around.
鈥淚f I could have gotten out here early enough before the surge聽went down ...鈥� Mr.聽Coletta says, his voice trailing off as he leans against his truck,聽pondering what might have prevented the damage.
He shakes his head and stares back toward his boat as it lies on its side in front of him. He聽considers himself fortunate. He still has his life and his dog. Mr. Coletta opens the door of his truck when he says this; a gray labradoodle sticks his head out. 鈥淲ho鈥檚 a good boy?鈥� he asks him.
The Wild One was more than just a boat. As was true for many with boats docked permanently along the marina, it was Mr. Coletta鈥檚 home. More importantly, it was his dream 鈥� to eventually move from his native Michigan to Fort Myers for a life on the water. He relocated to the area in December.
Southwest Florida鈥檚 houseboat culture is distinct in its charm,聽but the increasing volatility of storms is putting this lifestyle 鈥� and its role in the local economy and community 鈥� at new risk. Houseboat owners here are reeling emotionally and financially. Many intend to stay; some may not.聽
The Sunshine State and its rainy days
Under Florida law, fully insuring houseboats isn鈥檛 mandatory. Many houseboat occupants across the region decline to obtain full coverage. Mr. Coletta is among the exceptions.
But even for those like him who already have full coverage of their homes, a catastrophic event like Ian gives pause. Florida鈥檚 struggling insurance industry has already seen six providers go out of business this year. And in June, a Florida Office of Insurance Regulation report cited at least 30 more at risk of shuttering due to financial instability.
Houseboat dwellers worry that they鈥檒l be among those most difficult to insure in the future,聽and that premiums will soar.
The state has faced hurricanes throughout its history, but scientists say warming air and water temperatures are enabling more powerful storms like Ian, which made landfall near here as a Category 4 with winds exceeding 150 mph.
Those who opted not to evacuate saw a storm surge inundate neighborhoods up to 12 miles inland. Federal officials estimated more than 4,000 emergency rescues occurred. Early estimates cite Ian as the deadliest storm to hit Florida since 1935 (more than 100 fatalities) and the costliest (damages may exceed $100 billion).
For houseboat dwellers, Ian鈥檚 fallout is hard to put a figure to. Many of their boats 鈥� their homes 鈥� now lie scattered across the Fort Myers area. Some are totaled. Many will require repairs.
Kyle Collard, a boat mechanic who relocated to Fort Myers from Colorado last year with his wife, has only liability insurance due to the cost of full coverage. During the storm, their houseboat lost a bedroom wall, and a pylon from the marina dock was forced through the boat鈥檚 deck.
The houseboats of their immediate neighbors both sank.聽Theirs would have done the same had Mr. Collard not stepped out to fix it after the storm passed through Thursday morning, as Ian鈥檚 winds gradually died down.聽
And unlike others, Mr. Collard has the skills to help point their lives forward.
A Harley and a houseboat
Scott Ready聽is thankful to be聽grieving only the loss of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, engulfed by the storm surge in the marina鈥檚 parking lot. The motorcycle was among his only possessions when he relocated from Las Vegas last year.
Living on a boat in southwest Florida had always been Mr. Ready鈥檚 goal. He finally accomplished it, but he knew better than to attempt to ride out the storm in his home.
During Ian, Mr. Ready traveled to a friend鈥檚 home in nearby Cape Coral. It was his first hurricane, and they were on Ian鈥檚 eyewall. He felt it rip the siding from his friend鈥檚 home.聽
The next day, he returned to his side of the bridge in North Fort Myers, where his boat was docked. It remained, but it was among only a handful that were still livable.聽聽
鈥淗alf the boats ain鈥檛 even here no more,鈥� Mr. Ready says, pointing across the marina.
Some boats were jarred loose from the dock and swept out to sea. Many sank.
鈥淢y friend didn鈥檛 fare so well,鈥� Mr. Ready adds, pointing to the hull of an overturned boat.
Much of Mr. Ready鈥檚 life has consisted of simply moving on. He says this is another example. It鈥檚 what will be required of all his houseboat neighbors, in one way or another, as they get their lives back in order.
It鈥檚 part of their culture of life on the water.
鈥淚t鈥檚 got to be that simple,鈥� Mr. Ready says, noting that it鈥檚 unclear when power will be available on the marina again. 鈥淩ebuild, move on. You can鈥檛 sit around and cry about it.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 a survivor, man,鈥� he adds, with no intention of leaving Florida or houseboat living behind. 鈥淚鈥檓 gonna be all right.鈥�
