Massive boat stuck on Fort Myers Beach dock since Hurricane Ian removed

You could say the massive boat stuck on the dock of a popular Fort Myers Beach restaurant and bar has been a survivor, a symbol and a spectacle.

On Friday (Jan. 24), the 40-foot, 20-ton Bertram Yacht known as Batchelor Pad took its final voyage with an assist from a tall crane and a barge. It was a bitter sweet moment for Katie Semmer, the former owner of Bonita Bill’s where the boat had been stuck for the past 849 days.

“When I first saw the boat there after Ian − I hated it,” Semmer said. “It was an ugly reminder of so much of the damage, all what the storm took, and the loss of my Dad (Bill Semmer). But we had to make the best of it because, well − we were literally stuck with it.”

More than two years ago one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit this part of Florida, Hurricane Ian, crashed into the Southwest Florida coast with a historic 15-foot storm surge, causing unprecedented death and destruction.

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Batchelor Pad, despite its size, was no match for the intense Category 4 storm. The surge of water lifted the boat from its slip in the Mantanzas Pass and pushed it toward the shore. If not for a couple of rock-solid dock posts at Bonita Bill’s that impaled Batchelor Pad, there’s no telling where she would have ended up. Probably miles down San Carlos Boulevard, which was the fate of countless other boats that day.

Until Friday, Batchelor Pad had literally been frozen in time.

It hadn’t moved one inch since Ian, including during the double-whammy last year of two hurricanes in 13 days − Helene and Milton. Both of those storms impacted Fort Myers Beach.

“We always knew the Batchelor Pad would have to go,” Semmer said. “It was a risk to the long term safety and stability of the building structure. I would hold my breath each time another hurricane headed our way, worried if the boat would move or become dislodged and take the whole place with it.”

For a very brief moment of time, Batchelor Pad was a miserable reminder of the devastation Hurricane Ian left behind.

But something happened.

When things started to return to “normal” in some places along Fort Myers Beach, including the re-opening of Bonita Bill’s, the word started to spread on social media.

“You’ve got to go see that boat stuck on the dock at Bonita Bill’s,” people said.

People not only saw it, they fell in love with it. They embraced it. They took selfies next to it and they took out their Sharpie’s and scribbled their name on the boat’s hull and wrote inspirational messages.

And yes, adding to the legend, a couple of love birds exchanged their wedding vows in front of the ol’ Bertram.

The boat earned new status: a monument to a unforgettable storm − a jaw-dropping spectacle and a heart-warming symbol of strength. And because of that, no one wanted to see her go.

“I have to admit my feelings for the old boat softened over time as I saw how much joy it brought to people to get their picture with it and get to sign it,” Semmer said. “The boat was our own quirky little destination, and San Carlos Island is fittingly quirky. It brought so many new people to Bonita Bills who may have never have found us otherwise and got to enjoy our little slice of back bay heaven and our no shirt, so shoots vibe.”

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Earlier this year it was reported by The News-Press that Bonita Bill’s was sold. The property was purchased from Semmer and her brother and sister, by HM Restaurant Group, which also owns the neighboring Dixie Fish Company and Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille.

There was speculation about Batchelor Pad. Would she stay or would she go? The visible answer came on Friday when Gorman Marine used one of its cranes to carefully lift the boat into the air, eventually placing it on a barge to be taken away.

But the decision to remove the boat had been made earlier this month by the new ownership group, which will replace the docks as part of their renovation plans for what will now be known as the Bonita Fish Company.

“We know the Bertram is a symbol of the storm,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant. “It has grown into a life of it’s own. It’s just one of those things. In a perfect world we would we keep it and do something.”

Photos. Paintings. Some ornamental pieces were stripped from Batchelor Pad as keepsakes. Two commemorative glasses were designed and can be purchased in the Bonita Bill’s online store.

The boat won’t be forgotten because of what it represented.

Semmer said it best.

“In the end it became like a symbol of resilience, even when terrible things happen and you are left with scars, if you keep going, if you keep rebuilding then you will find the light on the other side of that tragedy,” she said. “The ugliness that the boat once represented that stuck out like an eye store, became a part of the fabric that is Bonita Bills overtime and became a place where people gathered together to say ‘I’m still here.’”

Bon Voyage, Batchelor Pad.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers Beach boat stuck after Hurricane Ian removed from dock