CAPTAINS QUARTERS

Hello, I’m Captain Hugh and I have a bad habit of collecting NAUTICAL ANTIQUES and VINTAGE BOTTLES. My obsession started out small but then outgrew my house so I took on some dealer space at Treasure Island in Naples Florida. That’s when I went hog wild in my quest for the neatest and coolest nautical collectables I could find. My success in finding these items has led me to open up a second shop down the street called the Shirley Street Antique Mall. Now I can keep right on collecting and passing these items on to you. 

Much of what you’ll find in my shops is what you see in my home. I love to display the old colorful netted fishing floats and rum jugs that filter the sunlight as it passes through the windows.  There's also an old salty ship's wheel that sits next to hand tied shrimp nets with hanging wood and cork lobster floats that are cracking from too many years drifting at sea. Above that you'll find an old shipyard block and tackle hoisting a New England lobster trap filled with shells and lobsters trying to get out. Vintage oars and paddles from all over the world also adorn the space.

On occasion I use glass tops to make tables out of splintered old lobster crates and crab traps. I also have tarnished brass ships' lanterns and running lights from the days of old on display. In addition, I love cool nautical tin and wood signs with hand painted crudeness. From time to time, passing through the shop you will also discover treasures like a mid 1800's brass telescope, a solid iron sailing ships cannon, rust pitted fishermen’s anchors, a tin foghorn complete with wood mouthpiece that will wake up the neighborhood, hand carved bow sprit figureheads and many other cool items. I enjoy authentic reproductions that I make sure are labeled reproduction so you will know the difference. Then, of course, there is the spill over of my bottle collection found by divers, diggers, or even in Grandma’s attic. The spaces wouldn't be complete without these, as they were what started my love of collecting nautical antiques!

If you are into nautical antiques and collectables you should visit The CAPTAINS QUARTERS. They are not big shops full of lots of hokey boat stuff, but a concentration of collectables located in the corner of two big shops full of antiques of all kinds. Both shops are within three blocks of each other on Central Avenue in the Antique District of Naples. If you live more than a short drive away from downtown Naples I suggest making a day trip out of it so you can enjoy searching through all the antique shops like browsing old museums.

I hope to see you soon!