Stiltsville Drone Video

[HopCar]

Walker Mims is the son of a good friend of mine. He is really good at making drone videos. The following link gives you a really good idea what Stiltsville is all about.

For those of you who have never heard of Stiltsville, it’s a group of houses built on pilings in shallow water south of Miami. Unfortunately it’s now part of Biscayne National Park and no more houses can be built. As hurricanes destroy them the existing houses can not be replaced so Stiltsville will eventually disappear.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo6ZtEDP0qA

The boat in the video is a 1968 Chris Craft that Walkers grandfather bought new. It lives in a boathouse on the Coral Gables Waterway.

[Comodave]

Interesting video and nice boat.

[ssobol]

I wonder if the drone operator had a permit for making this video. Flying drones is not allowed in National Parks. Florida also prohibits flying in FL State Parks (location of the lighthouse in the video).

[Bigsfish]

Thanks Parks

I’m sure you remember when there were approx 15 “homes” out there and the greatest weekend parties. The Bikini club boat was on the bottom nearby where you could get a hamburger and beer, only rule was the bottoms had to stay on, however that rule was frequently violated. Great times at Stiltsville.

[Bigsfish]

Also, some of the greatest bonefishing and permit in the world.

[Rufus]

Originally Posted by ssobol

I wonder if the drone operator had a permit for making this video. Flying drones is not allowed in National Parks. Florida also prohibits flying in FL State Parks (location of the lighthouse in the video).

Easy enough to find out...

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by Bigsfish

Thanks Parks

I’m sure you remember when there were approx 15 “homes” out there and the greatest weekend parties. The Bikini club boat was on the bottom nearby where you could get a hamburger and beer, only rule was the bottoms had to stay on, however that rule was frequently violated. Great times at Stiltsville.

If you went back far enough there was all kinds of stuff going on out there. Do you know about the tours that the History Miami Museum gives? Dr. Paul George leads the tours and he is great. He does a boat tour of Stiltsville a few times a year. I haven’t managed to go on that tour yet but I will one of these days.
I’ve been on his Miami River tour. Being a River Rat, I thought I knew a lot about the river. I was wrong, he taught me a lot.
I just signed up for his Miami Aviation History bus tour.

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by Bigsfish

Also, some of the greatest bonefishing and permit in the world.

That’s a fact! Did you ever get a chance to fish with Bill Curtis? He was the greatest bonefish guide ever. He invented the poling platform and was the basis for characters in books by Thomas McGuane and Carl Hiassen. The one time I got to fish with him he was pretty old and only had one eye. He poled that Hewes all day and could smell bonefish long before I could see them.

[Bigsfish]

I’ve been on the river since the 1950s and there is a lot of history there. My great grandfather worked for Flagler on the RR and would bring his schooners to the mouth of the river (where the fort was)and fill the hold with fresh water to take down to the keys for drinking. Indian settlements near the house I bought to keep the boat, which was an old fishing camp in the 1940s. Lots of history.

I did Fish with Curtis a few times, I remember when the CG made him get his captains license to take people out fishing. Crusty character, I think he was born old. LOL Bob Hewes was a friend of mine too, had his first shop on the River, the Hewes Bonefisher was born and Curtis had a yellow one.

Bob Branham became the skiff Guide of fame after Curtis got really old.

Good memories.