Catboat Regatta on Useppa Island

SAILING...SAILING...

Yes...today was the first day of the bi-annual Catboat Regatta on Useppa Island, hosted by the Useppa Island Yacht Club....where there are no dues...no rules.  You just have fun! And, if you have an idea or suggestion....YOU get to do it!!

Four races today...with 28 boats participating from as far away as New Jersey, only a couple of boats caught too much wind and went topsy-turvy!  Didn't catch that on camera but see some of the action, here....

                                             Coming up on the mark....

Rounding the mark....

                                                                                                               
                                 "Ferreting" things out....

Then, replenishing your energy at mid-day cookout!

                             Captured beautifully by Useppa Island artist
                                  Captain Charlie Chapin

Tomorrow, it's a Poker Run.  Race, again, on Saturday.  So, if you're on the water....come watch!!  You can find the action on the east side of Useppa, in Pine Island Sound!

Flood Insurance Update: Keeping Florida Home Owners Informed

This hot topic is changing from moment to moment.

Here's an important update for Useppa Island:

The bill was expected to come up today -- meaning it would need a two-thirds majority vote to pass. But members coming out of the GOP meeting yesterday morning said they did not think it had enough votes to clear that hurdle. GOP leaders are now refusing to run the bill through committee, and instead, are negotiating directly with the Democrats. Read the article

Prior Report from the Florida Association of Realtors

U.S. House releases its own flood insurance bill

WASHINGTON – Feb. 25, 2014 – Florida Gov. Rick Scott pressed for help in high places on flood insurance in a meeting with President Barack Obama on Monday, but the issue may be decided in the GOP-controlled U.S. House.

The issue has split some Republicans in coastal states like Florida from GOP hard-liners who say some folks need to pay significantly more to help the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) get out of $24 billion in debt and discourage building in flood-prone areas.

Congressional Democrats said there is no deal yet but one lawmaker said conversations with GOP leaders have been “productive.”

A new House version of a bill to address the problem could be considered as early as this week. It eliminates, not just delays, certain triggers for a huge, immediate jump in premiums, such as the sale of a home, a lapse in coverage or the remapping of flood zones. Read the report

READ ALL ABOUT IT!: Useppa Island Featured in March Issue of Gulfshore Life!

CHECK OUT THE MARCH ISSUE OF GULFSHORE LIFE!!

The fashion shoot photographed on Useppa is on pages 122-129 and the ad featuring four Useppa homes is on page 213.  So….go buy some copies!! Pass ‘em out!  And, LIKE US...and FOLLOW US  www.Facebook.com/PeopleOnUseppa!!    

Here is the ad.....

About Gulfshore Life Magazine:

Since 1970, Gulfshore Life magazine has captured the vibrant spirit, style and natural beauty of Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, from Fort Myers and Cape Coral down to Naples and Marco Island. The region has grown in recent years to become an international hotspot that attracts sophisticated, cosmopolitan residents and visitors from all over the globe. Our coverage of local personalities and pursuits, from arts and entertainment to fashion, real estate and the luxury lifestyle, helps these residents and visitors enjoy the best of the region. The magazine has earned numerous state and national awards for writing, design and publishing excellence—including recognition as Best Overall Magazine two years in a row from the Florida Magazine Association.

Deeply involved in the local community, Gulfshore Life is committed to highlighting and preserving the unique character and resources of our region, and partners with local charitable, cultural and business organizations in a variety of ways. From its Naples offices, Open Sky Media also publishes Gulfshore Life, Gulfshore Life At Home, Discover Southwest Florida Visitors’ Annual, the Naples Chamber of Commerce’s Naples on the Gulf visitors guide; NCH Healthcare System’s Naples Health and numerous other publications.

Useppa Island's Winter Weather Report: Warm & Sunny!

Useppa Island's Winter Weather Report: 78 degrees, winds at 10-12, gusting to 15 and everyone's on the water!!

Behind the Scenes with Gulfshore Life Magazine on Useppa Island

Gulfshore Life is on the newsstands....so we can now "show and tell" about the model.

Aksala, who moved from Russia to Miami to avoid the cold, came to Useppa to do Gulfshore Life's annual fashion shoot.  The wind was howling, the temp was 38 degrees and she wore...not much!

Between shots, the team did what they could to keep her warm

But you could, literally, see her shiver!!  This next shot was perhaps the coldest time of the day....winds whipping.

Looks like Spring, huh???

Useppa Island Featured in Major Publications in 2014

So much to blog....so little time....

Well, January, generally slow, got off to a BANG!  At least, for us!

'Tis "the Season" here in SW Florida and we are advertising to best leverage the interest. We were immediately hit with Production Deadlines?!? All due the same date!  WOW!

We are doing full page ads in DuPont Registry, Soundings and Gulfshore Life plus DuPont Registry is using one of our listings for their "Featured Homes" on their home page.  www.dupontregistry.com/homes. 
(Go to the Featured Home box, upper right quadrant (they cycle fast) click quick on Useppa People Ad.)

Soundings also invited us to be their on-line  "Waterfront Home Feature" for "boat show" month. At  www.SoundingsOnLine.com month."  (Click the "Waterfront" tab, top right.)

Gulshore Life chose to feature Useppa Island as the perfect place to do their Spring Editorial Fashion shoot....8 pages!!  It took a crew of six and one model to pull it together.

               

  A couple in The Palm Garden.

....behind Jay's house 

                       ....On the Collier Preserve

Behind Albert's new house, on one of Irwin's Palms and our back deck for sunset.

And, what a great bunch of people.  We were unable to shoot the areas they had previously scouted so, we all scouted together...trekking through neighbor's back yards, phone in hand to ask permission whenever they found the perfect spot.  It was gusting to 35 knots at 40 degrees.  Brrrrr!! Between playing the wind, the sun and the temp, it was very interesting. That model made it look like 80-degree weather.

And, NO!!!  This is not the model.  Of course, every crew has it's comedian...this is "the Techie," Javier from Miami.  They were all independent contractors .  I could take pictures of everyone BUT the model - something to do with her Agency, how the photos are used, etc.

This is the afternoon break...still freezing.  Left to right...the tech guy, Gulfshore Life Fashion Editor, photographer from New York and Australia, hair and make-up expert and another tech assistant.  The fashion coordinator and assistant were in another room, with the model, coordinating, shoes, jewelry......underwear or NOT???

They were more than a little protective of both model and fashion pieces as Gulfshore Life is THE fashion opinion leader in SW Florida. So I could not shoot anything "definitive"....just the process.  I actually do have some photos of the model but am honor bound NOT to show them until after the publication is out. 

The whole process was absolutely amazing! Some had worked together, most had not. Yet, as a team, they worked like a well-oiled machine. 

A few had to get back, so Brian got to boat 'em back...in 38 degrees minus wind chill.  Those that stayed were super fun!!  A little dinner....a little wine....a few jokes....a few stories on each other and prior shoots....  A good group!  They were an experience, by themselves. 

And, rumor has it....they'll be back!!!

Useppa Island Featured on US Harbours

Travel writer and resident of Useppa Island, Gretchen Coyle, shares her perspective of the various lifestyles and activities found on Useppa, in this article from US Harbors.

USHarbors delivers free, printable tide charts, onshore and marine forecasts, buoy data, weather radar, a steady stream of local knowledge, and a directory of coastal businesses. 

Useppa Island Lifestyles

Is it a harbor? A private island? A marina? What the heck does the name “Useppa” mean, and where is it located? For me and my husband, Useppa Island, Florida, is our home for six months of the year — and it has been for almost thirty-five years.

The island is private, but the definition of that sort of depends on who you know, your membership status, whose guest you might be, and what boating organizations you might be a part of that might have privileges.

Our home is a 1912 Collier Cottage, built by Barron Collier as bedrooms and baths while visitors ate meals in a large inn on the north end of the island. Over the years we have restored and added to the structure while keeping the mullioned windows and look of the old home.

Read the article Useppa Island-Life at a slower pace