Help SailTime SouthWest Florida!

Imagine you start your day tomorrow and find that your local SailTime base was hit by a near category 5 hurricane, the entire fleet was completely destroyed, and your base is out of service indefinitely.

This is exactly what occurred last Wednesday, September 28th, when Hurricane Ian made direct landfall on Ft. Meyers and Port Charlotte, Florida, where the SailTime Southwest Florida base is located. The entire marina and all vessels were crushed by the storm’s winds, a 220 mph tornado, and an 18-foot storm surge.

Fortunately, the franchise owners, Steve and Kelly Edwards, weathered the storm unharmed, and their home did not have any major damage. However, Steve and Kelly will now have to start over and rebuild the business they launched only 10 months ago with the purchase of four boats for their SailTime Fleet. All four of the SailTime Southwest Florida vessels incurred significant damage and most likely will not be salvageable. As good business stewards, the Edwards had the fleet insured and will be able to recoup most of the fleet value, less the deductible of $61,000.00

Being part of the SailTime family as member, as a boat owner, or as a franchise owner, brings joy and touches all our lives in a positive way. Let’s help SailTime Southwest Florida get back up and going so the members and the Edwards can continue to have these special moments on a SailTime boat. The $61,000.00 expense will be a significant hardship for SailTime Southwest Florida, and I humbly ask all of our friends of SailTime to come together and raise money to help Steve and Kelly rebuild the fleet.

Steve and Kelly are role model franchise owners, and we are confident in their ability to rebuild their SailTime base and come back even stronger. They were previously members in SailTime Chicago and SailTime has been an important part of their lives for years.

Our hearts go out to the Edwards, as well as all who have been impacted by Hurricane Ian. Thank you for your generosity and support.