Coconut caused Cape Coral’s Chiquita Lock malfunction

The City of Cape Coral said Friday that the Chiquita Lock was temporarily closed due to a coconut causing a malfunction in the gears of the lock.

The gate was broken in the closed position and boats were unable to come in or go out.  It has since been reopened but will be closed in 20- to 30-minute intervals throughout the day to allow for repairs to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Many local boaters were unhappy with the Chiquita Lock before this latest blockage.

“I’ve always had a thought that they should be taking this lock out because it’s nothing but a drain on the cities resources and I can’t understand why they don’t,” said Ronald Reinert, boater.

The city has spent upwards of $750,000 on maintenance and repairs for the aging lock between 2013 and 2019.

Paul Tee, a real estate agent in Cape Coral, agrees that the lock is past its prime. “It’s an aging facility and the problem is any little thing can set it off.” 

However, supporters of the lock say it protects the Caloohsatachee River from pollution and runoff in the canals.

A state judge denied the City of Cape Coral’s request to remove the lock. So for now, the lock is still in operation and they’re stuck with it. A spokesperson for the city said they have determined the best course of action is to file a new application for lock removal.

At some point, engineers are going to have the Chiquita Lock shut down for permanent repairs and will publicly announce when that will take place.