Prosperity Pointe Marina has long history in NFM
Most of the old crowd remembers going to the old North Bay Marina to get their bait and tackle before heading out onto the Caloosahatchee for a long day of fishing.
The name has changed since then, but Prosperity Pointe is still one of the best places to buy bait or rent a slip for an extended stay on your boat.
Kevin Mulhearn and Deborah Hussey bought the marina in 2003, which had been North Bay Marina since at least the 1950s.
“We were at a prosperity class at church and decided to buy this place. The property has a point at the edge of the water, which is why we called it Prosperity Pointe,” Mulhearn said.
Mulhearn got a pretty good facility. The old owners (who had called the place Mid-Island North Bay Marina) had replaced the docks in 2002 with floating concrete slips, while they remodeled the building.
People who bought bait there as kids continue to do so today.
Mulhearn hears the stories from those who lived in the marina long ago and how the place has changed without the Big Still, which was torn down.
The Marina offers fresh and saltwater bait and tackle sales, storage of RVs, trailers and boats (which many marinas don’t have in the same compound), and rent out transient slips for “liveaboards” – people who want to stay for days, weeks, months or whatever.
Prosperity Pointe has about 25 people living there currently, with some of their boats resembling floating houses.
“They seem to love it. It’s an inexpensive way to live. The calmness of the water and rocking of the boat helps them sleep better,” Mulhearn said. “Most people living on a boat have adjusted to the minimalistic lifestyle.”
Like many businesses, the recession hit the marina especially hard as people sold their boats and RVs, leading to five pretty lean years before things slowly rebounded.
Now, the marina is almost totally full, which is almost unheard of in the summertime. Mulhearn believes this winter will be one of the best he’s ever had as more people want to live in the marina, buy bait and store their boats.
“I may have to turn people away this winter. I’m almost full and I don’t see people leaving, so I may have to turn away people who have been coming here for years, which is going to be sad, but necessary,” Mulhearn said.
Prosperity Pointe doesn’t offer boat tours or fishing charters, but hopes to offer an area for kayakers and a water taxi service to Fort Myers, which was bantered about in recent years.
Prosperity Pointe Marina is at 1016 N. Tamiami Trail.
It is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 3 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call 995-2155 or go online to www.prosperitypointemarina.com