Are you thinking about buying a new boat?

With the high cost of everything these days, be prepared for a bad case of super sticker shock when shopping for your new or well used dreamboat Thinking about finally selling old S S MoneyPit? With season coming and if old faithful is in decent shape, it’s probably worth more than you might think Not long ago I sold my wellcared-for fiberglass flats rig for what I paid for it quite a few years earlier

Now, I think I may be getting BBF again (BBF or “boat buying fever” - a dreaded condition which can magically cancel out all reason and financial common sense in normally very reasonable people, especially men ) If you find yourself talking to you in the mirror trying to convince you that you’ll somehow find a way to replace the tuition money, you definitely have BBF There is no cure, just cold turkey, stripped of phones, credit cards and check books, then confined for a short period till senses are slowly regained Nevertheless, I’m on the hunt again but definitely not looking to empty my already inflation-shrunk piggy bank, be confined, or cause war on the home front

An interesting alternative is going aluminum Fiberglass is heavy, more expensive, needs cleaning and waxing maintenance, and requires bigger and definitely more costly engines to push it, plus more fuel and bigger tow vehicles to pull it down the highway

It’s a safe bet that early on many of us spent time fishing or hunting in riveted Jon boats, but when thinking aluminum hulls in saltwater most would recommend staying away from this construction method and choose only an all welded hull model Getting beat up by a nasty chop on the way home over time loosens rivets starting leaks and corrosion issues

When thinking about an aluminum purchase for seawater, usually the first questions folks like me have is, "What about long-term rust and corrosion issues?"

Interestingly, rust and corrosion are two different animals Rust isn’t an issue with aluminum since it contains no steel or iron to oxidize -- it doesn’t rust Corrosion is a different issue, referring to the wearing away of metal due to a chemical reaction, like being dipped in the brine leading to corrosive pitting and possible eventual failure

Galvanic corrosion

When it comes to boat building materials there’s quite a difference in the aluminum used in your lawn chair frame verses marine-grade aluminum, which is manufactured with special alloys to give it much more corrosion

It’s that time of year once again where shoulder pads are being strapped on, chin straps are being tightened and high school football programs start chomping at the bit to get back onto the field

Friday nights are about to get turned up across Southwest Florida as countless talented teams call the region home after a season shortened by Hurricane Ian

The Breeze will highlight West Zone and other local teams leading into the regular season to give fans an early look at their favorite team We sat down with each head coach and select players a series of questions on what they expect from their program.

Look for continued coverage of local high school programs in The Breeze in upcoming editions as we continue the journey to Friday nights where the lights shine the brightest

Mariner High School

Head Coach: Josh Nicholson (4th year)

2022 record: 5-3 (2-1 District)

Competes in: 3S District 14

Preseason: Aug 18 at Charlotte High School

Week 1: Aug 25 at East Lee County

The Tritons are full of playmakers on both sides of the ball, and head coach Josh Nicholson is hoping to see the fruits of his labor with his first full class of players pay off this year Mariner won its first two and final two games of the year last season, hoping to bring that momentum into the 2023-24 campaign The Tritons hope they can stay healthy, increasing their scoring output with a new playbook and make a push to be a top team in its district

How do you feel as a program heading into the season?

“Good Excited to get started It's been a hell of a ride with these guys since they were freshmen,” Nicholson said “Excited to see what they got and see all the work they put in come together Mariner High School football was not something people were excited about, and it was a challenge I took on, and these guys took on They've been loyal, worked hard and now it's time to execute ”

Expectations from the team on and off the field?

“They know the expectations off the field, and that's going to be the biggest challenge That's really what I'm focused on this year I know they can execute on the field, we've just got to get them to Friday nights They don't know any different than the high expectation I've been holding them to for three years They almost coach themselves Not only are they taking accountability and responsibility for their own actions, but now they're stating to take that leadership and mentorship role with the younger guys We want to develop good, young men, and they've bought into that ”

How do you plan to build off of last season?

“I'll be honest, this year for me, it's time to take a step back The first two years everything I did was to set ourselves up to where these young men can take ownership of the program Now, I can step back and focus on the individual I can talk to these guys about life, what's going on at home, at school, what they want to do with themself You're not going to be playing sports forever -- set yourself up so that in the future, the experience you have from this game benefits you in other ways As far as execution on the field, we need to start scoring some points and we're going to be more aggressive The things we do at practice, if we can convert to the game situation, it's going to be fun to watch ”

How would you describe your coaching style/team identity?

“Tough Physical Disciplined football There's going to be a lot more throwing the ball and some Xs and Os might be different, but being tough is what sets football apart from other sports Being disciplined is what sets athletes apart from just a general athlete We're always going to have that level of physicality, that's just kind of how I'm built -- especially in the fourth quarter ”

What do you hope to take as a whole from this upcoming season?

“I'm excited to see these guys as my first freshman group, and we have a couple of guys that never played football until they got to high school We've all had our battles and tough conversations. I'm excited to see them come together and mature And talking about what's next and being academically successful for the next level I'm looking forward to not just what happens this season, but next year with this bright group of kids that are going to do great things I'm excited for five and 10 years from now ”

Expected challenges?

“Adversity is the name of the game I got hired in January of 2020, and we know what happened right after that It's always about adapt and overcome Who knows what this year has in store Everything was going smooth last year and then the hurricane came That's life; that's what the game prepares you for We'll be prepared for whatever life has to throw our way, hopefully it's just football-related ”

Players to watch this year?

■ Kelvin Jimenez, TE, 2024

■ Marcus Kelley Jr , S, 2024

■ Clark Daley, LB/RB, 2025

■ Justin Lewis, WR,/FS, 2024

■ Noah Tolbert, LB/QB, 2024

What has the team chemistry been like so far with the team?

“I think our vibe and chemistry has been really good We've been playing all sports with each other -- we're like brothers ” -- Lewis

What do you think will make this group successful?

“We just all need to stay healthy We always had minor injuries that set us back, because we all work as a team If we all stay healthy, it should be something special ” -Kelley Jr

How has the coaching staff pushed you to be your best heading into the year?

“Coach Nicholson knows the right way to approach each player individually He knows how to get each of us to respond and adjusts to get through to us ” -- Daley

Cape Coral High School

Head Coach: Larry Gary (2nd year)

2022 record: 2-6 (0-3 District)

Competes in: 3S District 14

Preseason: Aug 18 vs DeSoto County

First regular season game: Aug 25 vs Ida Baker

Long-time head coach Larry Gary returns for a second season at Cape High after returning last year from time off as a head coach in the area With a team that has a mix of upperclassman and youngsters, the Seahawks are looking to take a step forward this year after a learning process and coaching change last season

How do you feel as a program heading into the season?

“I feel really good,” Gary said “I see a lot of growth And that's what it's all about -- how they improved from last year up to now If I had to pick a word, it would be ‘growth ’”