Captiva Cruises celebrates return of Lady Chadwick
Captiva Cruises’ flagship boat is back on the water more than a year after Hurricane Ian struck.
The Lady Chadwick held its first public cruise on Oct. 10 to Cabbage Key in the Pine Island Sound, which included time during the 4.5-hour adventure for passengers to explore the island or enjoy lunch.
A length of 65 feet and able to accommodate 148 passengers, the boat had been undergoing repairs since last September. Captiva Cruises had moved the Lady Chadwick to a Fort Myers Beach boatyard before the hurricane for its annual inspection and maintenance, then it was damaged by storm surge.
Operating out of McCarthy’s Marina on Captiva, the family owned and operated cruise excursion service resumed a limited schedule of offerings in January by using its 45-foot catamarans, Playtime and Santiva. With the return of the Lady Chadwick, Captiva Cruises resumed its regular schedule.
In addition to Cabbage Key, it offers trips to destinations like Useppa Island and Boca Grande, along with beach and shelling adventures, dolphin and wildlife cruises, and wildlife sunset excursions.
All of the cruises are led by U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captains, guiding passengers in encountering Southwest Florida and providing educational insights on the local ecosystems and native wildlife.
Captiva Cruises also offers its sailing catamaran, Adventure, for private charters.
For more information, call 239-472-5300 or visit www.captivacruises.com.
Captiva Cruises is at 11401 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva.