BYOB on the water: Naples CycleBoat gives new meaning to putting pedal to the metal

A new business out of Celebration Food Truck Park hopes to provide guests with a unique, BYOB way of exploring Naples: on the water and by pedaling like riding a bike.

The pedaling, of course, is optional.

Owner Aaron Folck started the business after getting out of the corporate finance industry. He always wanted to start a business and had two criteria in mind for when the time came: It had to be unique and it had to be fun.

“It was an opportunity to bring something different to Naples,” Folck said.

In a design akin to the land-based pub cycles, wherein folks looking for a good time and plenty of booze pedal their way around time in a mobile pub, the CycleBoat takes that design on the water with a large, rotating paddle at the rear of the boat. Guests bring their own food and beverages of choice, with ice and coolers provided by CycleBoat staff. Should they feel fatigued, boaters can stop pedaling anytime: the CycleBoat is equipped with an engine, too.

The emphasis on the CycleBoat certainly is one of fun. In fact, in her safety speech to the passengers on a June 20 trip, main captain Jamie Bonham told guests they must have fun.

“If we can do anything to make your ride more fun, just let us know,” she said. “As long as it’s legal.”

Deep cupholders secure passengers’ beverage of choice in case the boat hits any wake. With all the waterways and canals in Naples, each trip is likely to be different.

Folck brought the CycleBoat to Naples in late December, and the boat and passengers have been chugging along ever since.

“We’re a slow-moving, booze-cruise-y type of deal,” Folck said.

He’s enjoyed his time on the boat, he said, and finds satisfaction in showing people another side of Naples.

Passengers, like Fort Myers’ Elizabeth Huggins, found themselves enjoying both the nature as well as the impressive real estate along the water. She organized a birthday party for her boyfriend, Bryce Hummell of Naples. They blasted their own music, thanks to a Bluetooth sound-system aboard the boat, and shotgunned White Claws over the water.

Huggins compared the experience on the CycleBoat to being on a tour bus — without the boring bits.

“It’s amazing,” she said.

Hummell said it was cool, too. And their friend, Naples’ Brana Williams, said she had a blast.

Sally Cramer of Bonita Springs said she loved the idea and thought it fit the area well. She appreciated that the cycling was optional but found the evening tour relaxing overall.

Her friend, Nicole Hicks, also of Bonita Springs, enjoyed the cruise, too.

“Don’t let it sway you if you think you have to work,” she said. “Even if you don’t know everybody there, it kind of forces you to have fun.”

Individual seats on the CycleBoat start at $42, and group bookings start at $399, with customization options available.

For more information, visit naplescycleboats.com or call 239-219-5119.

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