Ft. Myers to Wiggins Pass "oops" Naples



Today's blog is brought to you by the First Mate.  Left Fort Myers Beach Friday afternoon a little later than expected - 2pm.  Still thought we could make Naples before it got too dark.  As we merrily putted along, the Captain thought maybe we should stop sooner because we had vowed not to travel after dark.  According to the charts and guide, we believed that we could go into Wiggins Pass even though it advised you to be careful of shoaling and shallow depths. Since we only draw 3 and half, that has never been a real problem.  Well they should have a mark with a big flashing sign saying "Don't Enter" far enough out so you don't experience what we did!  To see the posting that says depths could vary due to shoaling you have to have entered the channel into the pass.  Guess what, we stopped, hard.  Yours truly, who as we all know does not like heeling, found herself hanging onto one side of the boat with her Captain hanging outside of the boat and then jumping (??) to the other side to break away.  Break away we did and so did about 2 feet of rudder.  I'm hollering, "isn't that the rudder floating away", and this was indeed confirmed by the Capt.  At which time he gets into the dinhgy and tells me to continue circling around in the Gulf of Mexico solo.  I did what any First Mate with any common sense would do and said, "Are you kidding?" and you can imagine the response.  So whoever nominated me for "Wife of the Year" in 2010 can now consider doing it again for 2011.  A Seatow boat came along and told us they plan on dredging sometime this month.  Information just a little too late.  So luckily we still have steerage with what is left of the rudder and off to Naples we go and into the night.  There were no other boats out so collisons were not a big concern.  Just trying to see the marks with our big spotlight was enough and we anchored in the channel heading into Naples.  Meanwhile; I'm suffering with a head cold that makes me wish I had selected a different cruise line that has a sick bay.  The Captain may marry couples at sea but his best advise was to get outside and let the sun bake it out of me!  Wish me well.  I blame it all on the airlines and all the delay time on the airplane.  So sometime today, the rudder situation will be addressed in Naples, of course it is the weekend.  So we may be here a few days.  Over and out or whatever you seamen say.....

Candy