Boat Protection Now Available to Marco Residents

Those who are lucky enough to own a boat and store it outside their home on a lift, know just how convenient it is to walk out their back door to enjoy the pleasure of a day on the water with family and friends. 

However, with this pleasure comes responsibility and demanding work to ensure the investment maintains its value. One of the greatest threats to that investment is the hot Florida sun, which can quickly damage a boat and its appearance by fading the craft’s gelcoat. 

For the last six months or more, a possible remedy to those challenges was discussed by city staff, the Planning Board, and now the City Council. On May 2, Marco Island City Council finally brought the debate to closure, to the relief of several local boaters who brought the issue to the forefront late in the fall of 2021. 

Petitioner Bill Palladino initially brought forth the issue to the planning staff following a neighbor’s complaint about his lift canopy. Palladino purchased the lift canopy for his boat, and he and his sons installed it on his dock in about four hours. 

That lift canopy framing is manufactured by a Southwest Florida company, and is hurricane rated for 175 mph winds. The fabric material (rated for 70 mph winds) is attached via bungee cords and can be easily removed if required due to approaching hurricanes.

One of the issues that city staff, the Planning Board, and finally City Council had to resolve was the issue of riparian rights for neighbors to look across an abutting owner’s property. That issue was initially resolved when the Marco Island Yacht Club was granted permits to add additional dockage at the base of the Judge Jolley Bridge. A second situation involving riparian rights arose when homeowners at the end of Sundrop Court sought a variance to extend their dock to accommodate their yacht. Neighbors opposed, claiming they would have a loss of their view. Council eventually approved both projects.

During the second reading of the proposed resolution to approve the lift canopies, Palladino questioned the rationale of adding aluminum sheeting as an acceptable top material. He quickly found support from council members, such as Councilors Rich Blonna and Greg Folley, as well as others.

Boat owners will soon be able to purchase this protection for their expensive investments now that council has moved forward to approve their application.