A little over a week ago Gordon and I left our home with the hope of going to Bimini Island in the Bahamas. Well, we didn't quite make it there. We got up the morning of June 16th and as we always do before a boat trip we checked the weather. The waves were suppose to be 1 to 2 feet so we thought that's not too bad. So we got ready, cast off our lines, and headed out. We decided to travel out on the Gulf rather than the ICW since this would have been the quickest route to Naples, FL, our first stop. The seas were choppy at first, then the swells became bigger at about 4 to 5 feet and we were being bounced around pretty heavily with the sea spray coming over the top of the bow of the boat and through the eisenglass. We got to Redfish pass (around North Captiva) and decided to tuck in and run on the ICW. The charts for Redfish Pass are wrong (just saying) and we headed into shallow water. We didn't run aground but decided this was too shallow for comfort and turned around heading south on the gulf with the waves still beating on Dream Chaser. Shortly after, the engine sensor started beeping, warning us that our starboard engine is overheating. Apparently, we were in shallow enough water at Redfish Pass that we sucked some bits of shells into the strainers. Gordon, the brave captain, shut off the engines and went into the HOT engine room to pull out the strainers while the first mate (me) waited nearby to empty them. This was all done in 4 to 5 foot swells 200 yards off the coast of Sanibel with us heading toward land. We managed to get the shells out of the strainers and not washed ashore, whew! At this point we headed around Sanibel Island slowing down periodically because of the engines continuing to overheat. We decided to backtrack on the ICW and limped into Ft. Myers to spend the night at St. Charles Yacht Club. Once on the dock with the boat rinsed we took a nap. We weren't the only visitors to the yacht club that night. Our next door boat neighbors, Bob and Sandy were from St. Petersburg. They invited us for docktails at 5pm. We happily accepted! They are both very seasoned boaters (both are licensed captains) and were very helpful. It was decided that we needed to check our impellers. We got back to the boat and decided to stay another day at the yacht club. In the meantime, I have had vertigo on and off for about a month...well with the rocking boat vertigo was back. The next day we got up, and decided to make home our destination to get the boat back in shape and a doctor's visit for me. Since then we have been working on cleaning out the engines strainers, detailing the boat and have a new diesel mechanic coming out to look at the impellers. The doctor's visit determined that I have a sinus infection and ear infection in both ears. :( Both Dream Chaser and I are on the mend. :)
Where we take the boat from here we don't know...A neighbor/friend of ours said, "I don't make plans. I get up in the morning and say I think I'll go for a boat trip. Now where should I go." We might need to adjust our boating attitude. :)
Leaving Home on the 16th of June
Another view of home.
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