He pilots an Alumitech commercial 17-passenger airboat powered by a 502 Chevy engine in the beautiful wetlands of Florida. He has always enjoyed sharing this beauty and information about Florida wildlife to his eco-tour guests.
“I relocated to Florida in 2003 after selling my bait shop; I managed the marina at the Mission Inn Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, and ran a cruise boat for a while. In 2007, during the economic downturn, I was laid off and had no prospects on the horizon for work. During that time, I decided to add another endorsement to my captain's license.
“While attending a class at Sea School in St. Petersburg, I noticed a flyer by the break area advertising ‘Airboat captains needed in Kissimmee.’ At that point, I had never operated an airboat, and I was terrified, but I needed to work, so I applied. Surprisingly, they hired me, and I was blessed to have the late Jeff Breisinger take me under his wing, despite being a ‘Yankee,’ and he taught me the safe and intelligent way to operate an airboat. I am forever grateful for Jeff's guidance,” stated Ruggeri .
“I primarily guide at Boggy Creek, but I visit many different locations in Florida and can guide the best locations by vehicle, and I'm always up for an adventure,” shared Ruggeri .
Spending so much time in the marshes has provided Patrick with a wonderful opportunity to capture some beautiful and unique moments on camera. He uses a Nikon mirrorless Z7II with a workhorse 500mm prime telephoto lens.
This story is from the May - June 2024 edition of Airboating Magazine.
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This story is from the May - June 2024 edition of Airboating Magazine.
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