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Historic Spanish Point is celebrating the relaunch of its boat, MAGIC, on Friday, September 14, 2018, after a summer of volunteer-led restoration. The MAGIC is a replica of a sailboat owned by pioneer John Webb, which he converted to a motorboat around 1900. Webb and his family used the original MAGIC to transport and entertain boarders at Webb’s Winter Resort, once located on the site that is now Historic Spanish Point. With support from the volunteers of the Maritime Heritage Program at Historic Spanish Point, MAGIC continues to offer interpretive boat tours for visitors to the area. Historic Spanish Point will celebrate the September relaunch with weekly boat tours on Little Sarasota Bay. The public is encouraged to come to meet our volunteer Captains and crew and enjoy a tour on the MAGIC. Seating is limited and reservations are required; call Historic Spanish Point at (941) 966-5214 for more info on tour times. The museum expressed their gratitude to the dedicated volunteers for their ongoing support of the program, with special thanks to the team who conducted the restoration work this summer – Rene Bernier, Gordon Bloom, George Creamer, John Drury, Wayne Hoitt, Jim Nemec, Roy Orkins, and Tony Pearson. Through heat, humidity, rain and red tide, the following list highlights the team’s summer accomplishments in the pioneer boatyard. Extensive care was taken to ensure all work on the MAGIC honored the original design. • New seat cushion and covers (funded by the Historic Spanish Point Volunteer Association) • Updated safety features, signage for life jackets and fire extinguishers, cabin roof running lights, new mirrors and a step stool for safe boarding • Replaced both handrails on the cabin roof and added decorative trim • Polished and painted throughout the interior • Cleaned and painted the exterior components, including the propeller • Changed engine oil, filter, and exhaust hose ABOUT HISTORIC SPANISH POINT: Historic Spanish Point is a 30-acre outdoor museum located on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey, Florida. Owned and operated by Gulf Coast Heritage Association, Inc., the museum includes archaeological and historical resources, including prehistoric shell middens, pioneer homesteads and chapel, gardens, and trails. Historic Spanish Point became the first site in Sarasota County to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.