Beach charter boat captain plans to drop anchor

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

For more than two dozen years, Capt Dave Hanson and his wife Marti have been bringing smiles to the faces of countless visitors to the area through their boating expedition business Fishbuster Charters out of Bonita Beach

Many of those faces who have taken the fishing charters with Capt Hanson have been seen on the pages of the Fort Myers Beach Observer But after next month, they will no longer be seen

Fishbuster Charters will be closing down in March, a victim of Hurricane Ian

“It’s been a fairly slow season anyway with the effects of the storm,” Ms Hanson said

The Hansons had planned on retiring in a couple of years, but damage to their boats from Hurricane Ian and a drop in tourism activity have accelerated those plans “The storm came through and expedited it,” Ms Hanson said “It seems like the right time to do it ”

Repairs were needed on both of their boats The damage to the smaller boat was “substantial,” Ms Hanson said The larger boat, a 26 9 feet Carolina Skiff known as “Sea Chaser” only suffered cosmetic damage and has been operating fine

A trip on Fishbuster Charters can mean in-short and off-shore fishing, either on the bay or a full-day trip as far as 36 miles out in the vast depths of the Gulf of Mexico. “We take a lot of families,” Ms Hanson said “He liked to take the kids out to fish ”

The tough part for the couple will be saying goodbye to those who were longtime customers

“He's got a pretty loyal following so that's the hardest part,” Ms Hanson said “It”s tough to make that break ”

The couple have family in the north they plan on visiting after they retire They are looking to sell the Sea Chaser

“We are definitely leaving Florida,” Ms Hanson said