On Sunday, I headed down to the boat to see if I could lend Jer a hand with a few boat projects he’s been working on. I made a point to stop and snap a few photos of the adorable Crayton Cove area before I walked down the dock to our boat.
We love having our boat docked down here at Crayton Cove — where 12th Avenue South meets the City Dock and Naples Bay. It’s so quaint and charming. Truly an unspoiled gem in Naples. We’ve definitely taken advantage of the Ships Store and Napoli on the Bay, a small pizza + ice cream shop that we’ve frequented. 🙂
As the Crayton Cove website says…”it’s an old salt’s delight!”
So, here’s a little Crayton Cove history lesson for you today…
In 1915, Annie Rivers and her son Chiz were among the first settlers of this area, then known as “The Back Bay,” because it provided the town’s first sheltered moorage. The Back Bay Docks, managed by Brembury Storter, catered to the fishing trade and, reportedly, a few prominent bootleggers. By 1927, Back Bay had become the community center for the year-round pioneers who were building the Tamiami Trail, creating a fishing industry, and laying the foundation for Naples. In 1935, Benny Morris purchased most of the area from Ed Crayton, and, to show his appreciation, renamed it “Crayton Cove”. Today, Crayton Cove is anchored by the City Dock and hosts a handful of great stores and restaurants. Each year, it is the site for the Great Dock Canoe Race, arguably one of Naples’ most popular events, which celebrated its 37th anniversary in May 2013.
*We actually attended our first ever Great Dock Canoe Race this past May and watched all the action from the cockpit of s/v LAHO.
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing.
Haha, Chiz