It wasn’t enough for visitors to Fort Myers Beach, and in particular Bonita Bill’s Waterfront Cafe, to have a photo taken standing next to the giant boat called the Batchelor Pad.
What started as an awesome photo opportunity has turned into an art project, you could say.
For several months now, people coming to Bonita Bill’s for a bite to eat or a cold beverage, have been signing their names and writing messages on the boat’s hull. The graffiti has added to the legend of the 42-foot, 20-ton (40,000 pounds) Bertram Yacht that was impaled on a couple of dock posts during Hurricane Ian. The boat has remained in exactly the same place since Sept. 28, 2022.
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Photo gallery: How a boat’s hull has turned into a work of art
Along with the writing, there are stickers and even a business card has been strategically placed on the hull. It’s long past looking like something you’d see in an art gallery, but with additional name or message, it keeps getting better and better.
Time is running out, though − for a selfie or to scribble a message. Bonita Bill’s owners are committed to having the boat removed for safety concerns, and also the fact that a valuable space used for the restaurant − where customers who come to the restaurant by boat dock their vessels − is being occupied by Batchelor Pad.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Giant boat stuck on dock at Bonita Bills on fort myers beach
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