Community Anchor

If you didn’t know it was there, you might miss it.

In a small but colorful building on the edge of the Cortez Fishing Village sits FISH Boatworks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education and preservation of the Cortez fishing industry.

The workshop is filled with tools, both new and old, but what’s really eye-catching are the boats, scattered throughout the shop in various stages of repair. Next to an old, dilapidated boat that is referred to as a “rotting corpse” sits a richly restored canoe that is almost ready for the water.

One thing is clear: The boats coming in go out with a different look.

“In my view, the FISH Boatworks carries on the living tradition of Cortez,” said Herman Kruegle, a Whitney Beach resident who volunteers there. “Carrying on Boatworks is a tribute to the generation of men and women who made Cortez what it is today — one of Florida’s renowned fishing villages.”

Kruegle, a retired engineer, has been honing his boat-building skills for close to three years under FISH Boatworks’ manager, Rick Stewart.

Stewart and the volunteers work on a rotation of three or four projects at a time, completing whatever work is necessary to restore the vessel to its former glory. The boats, sometimes beyond repair, are donated by people in the community.

“I’ve always been surprised what Rick can do with a boat that looks like it should be trashed,” Kruegle said. “But he is so dedicated and loves to do it so much. I sometimes look at the boat and I’m not sure how he’d do it, but he does.”

Kruegle first learned about FISH Boatworks from a friend at a Whitney Beach pool party. After a few years of experiencing this tradition through his active volunteering, he feels inspired to reach out to others.

“This is probably the first volunteering effort I’ve made where I’m excited about it,” Kruegle said. “Rick’s brought it to something that’s really going to grow. I feel it’s the best part of the FISH preserve, because it’s something to show that’s really alive.”

Although Stewart has a full team working with him during season, he’s interested in building up help when everything slows down.

“Coming into the summer, it comes to a snail’s pace,” Stewart said. “I know in the fall I have a good crew, but I want to have the same in the summertime.”

Both Stewart and Kruegle emphasize the learning aspect of volunteering at Boatworks and the fellowship among the workers as they use their hands to restore boats that would otherwise stay untouched and rotting in someone’s backyard.

“This is purely for the education and enjoyment of boat builders and wannabe boat builders,” Stewart said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
FISH Boatworks is currently looking for year-round volunteers to help carry on the tradition. If you’re interested in woodworking, boat building or repair, stop by the workshop at the corner of 116th Street West and Cortez Road or contact Manager Rick Stewart at 580-1036. The doors are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Contact Kelsey Grau at [email protected]