Tag Archives: F/V Big Daddy
F/V Capt. Jack II – Matanzas Pass Bridge shrimp boat makes it under on 3rd attempt
FDOT released a statement on Tuesday noting that the shrimp boat had made contact with the bridge sometime that morning; however, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office marine unit, there was no visible damage to the bridge. According to FDOT, the Matanzas Pass Bridge remains open to vehicle traffic. On Monday, the boat, named F/V Captain Jack Two, crashed into the bridge at around 10 a.m. before being dislodged at 1 p.m. The family-owned business just bought the new shrimp boat named Captain Jack Two from Texas and was trying to bring it home, where they have big plans for her. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:05
About that shrimp boat that struck the Matanzas Pass Bridge twice
Chris Gala had a plan for the new shrimp boat her crew picked up from Texas last week. While bringing it to dock through Matanzas Pass on Fort Myers Beach, the boat and its long outriggers was to be assisted by another vessel to get under the Matanzas Pass Bridge. The crew, which had been sidelined for four days off the Texas coast as Hurricane Francine swept in, may have “jumped the gun” as they approached shore, Gala said. A couple hours before high tide was to sweep in at noon, the boat attempted to pass under the Matanzas Pass Bridge, but its large steel outriggers got stuck against the bridge. Gala said the crew was experienced but may have gotten overly “excited” as they drew close to home. “We knew the outriggers were extra big,” Gala said. “We had a plan to push it through with a boat during low tide.” Gala said the high tide was exacerbated by a full moon which made the tide extra high. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:41
Hurricane Ian: Shrimpers rode out the storm on boats. Now they’re left without work
The F/V Aces and Eights precariously perch on land near the Trico Shrimp Co. in Matanzas Harbor. Under the shadow cast by the shrimping boat’s black and white hull, sailors Oriel Martinez Alvarado and Javier Allan Lopez took a breather. The shrimping industry’s long history in Fort Myers Beach, the largest commercial shrimping fleet in the Gulf of Mexico, came to a crashing halt as Hurricane Ian’s storm surge tossed around massive boats like bath toys, most of them now stuck on land. During the storm, Martinez and Lopez worried that the boat they were on, the F/V Miz Shirley, might sink. So they crossed onto the F/V Big Daddy with two other sailors. But now, Martinez, Lopez and other shrimpers are out of a job indefinitely. Photos, >click to read< 17:31
