Time to catch you up....We've had a crazy stressful 10 days...silly us, we thought things might go a little more smoothly now that we've totally committed to this way of life.  Not so much!
We left the boat storage on January 21st at 7am. 


Heading down the canal to our "Future"..

 

About 15 minutes later Gary checked the engine room only to find the Port Engine water circulating pump had PUKED....as in gave up the ghost, or in the simplest terms QUIT!!!  GREAT!!!!!!   Decided we could hobble along on one engine, since we usually only run one at a time anyway and headed onto Fort Myers to get diesel fuel.....oh yes, that is 400 gallons of diesel fuel which translates into $$$$$!!!.  BUT....it should last us for many months and I am taking bets on that.

 



3 dolphins swimming ahead of us under the bow of the boat.  Brave souls...

The dolphins were in the Myakka River though ready to guide us out into Charlotte Harbor....I am still praying that they are a fortuitous sign of our future.

 

SO,,,, we made it to the fuel dock and filled up, no problems then headed back to Glover Bight in Cape Coral to anchor for the night.  We were off on our timing and ended up getting there after dark and had to wind back into the protected anchorage and though I tried several times to blind us both with  my hand held spotlight, we made it and had a peaceful night with 2 other boats.

 

 

Since we had to track down a new cooler for the engine and wait for it to be delivered at our son Cory's, we spent 2 nights in the Fort Myers Beach mooring field.  Then we started having trouble with the batteries not holding a charge, which the Captain says means we have to equalize them which means overcharging them.  So, ok, we will stay on a ball for 3 nights and rent a slip for one night. Had that all planned out until Gary tried the Xantrex Battery Charger and couldn't get it to work on equalize.  ANOTHER log in the road.  The upside we didn't have to rent a slip...actually saved $$$.  To stay on a ball for four nights in Naples it cost us $42.40!!  AND he got the new cooler and installed it to boot.  I'd say a good stay.

 

On Monday we headed for the Shark River in the Everglades....a nine hour trip from Naples in 10-14 mph SE winds.  We passed only 2 sailboats in that nine hours and arrived to find ourselves the only boat anchoring that night.  Perfect......well except for the no see ums which were vicious.

 The mouth of the Little Shark River

The red marker shows the Green Buoy going in in the picture We anchored where it says 12.

Sunrise on the Little Shark River 

 

Then came yesterday morning with the above beautiful sunrise and calm seas.  We knew it would be getting windy and boy did it.  It wasn't bad in Florida Bay but when we were withing sight of the Seven Mile Bridge in the Keys the full effect of that East Southeast wind was upon us.  Every time we get in really windy and rough conditions (Gary says that it isn't that windy of course) I get nervous especially when we have the dink on top of the boat, that we are going to roll.  Well, it wasn't bad, really it wasn't.  I did throw on my life jacket but Gary and Bob.....yes Bob the boat dog is still aboard and ready for the challenges we face.  We rocked and rolled into the Boot Key Harbor entrance and I even took a video of the action.  Posted on Utube at  http://youtu.be/LdzX0v32GVU

 

Entering Boot Key Harbor 

 

 



So I could end here on a good note.....but wait, this is us I am talking about there must be more mayhem afoot.  No surprises here.  I called into The City Marina for a mooring ball and no dice!  They are all filled up.  Can we take any more????   Well yes I guess the gods of the sea think we can...We are now anchored in Sister Creek waiting for a ball to free up.  Probably won't be until Saturday now as there is a cold front coming and no one is leaving.  GREAT....  It would be ok out here, we are alone again, except for the fact that when Gary tried to start the dink...it isn't pumping water which means the impeller is shot and now we will have to row ourselves a mile to the Marina???  I DON"T THINK SO!!!!  I'll let you know tomorrow how that one turns out!!!

 

 

So to end this lengthy 'catch up' on the trials and tribulations aboard TIE A KNOT  this sums it up in a picture....what Gary found this morning when he opened the engine room hatch....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's all folks......