Not all is sunshine and roses!

Well we have a couple of interesting days since the last post. We left our tie up at idyllic Bocha Chita Key and headed down Biscayne Bay along the North side of the Keys. We stopped for the night at Lingum Vitae Key. This was a spot where the State had put out some mooring buoys to tie up to. This was a new experience for us and Barbara and Al on Explorer. We both managed to do it with fairly stiff winds. We rocked all night in the wind and waves.

Then during the night, our generator quit. We had been having problems with it when Bob had found that the generator raw water shaft leaked and he needed to pump out the bilge every few hours when it was running. The next morning, Bob could not get it started, so we ran on engines and battery power to our anchorage for the night last night in Little Shark River in the Everglades. When we anchored for the night, Bob took a closer look at the problem and found that there is water in the oil due to a failure of the water cooler. As a result, we have not been able to use the generator. That meant no air conditioning, cut back on use of electricity of any lights or electricity, etc. So we read last night using those head lamps you wear on straps around your head.

Our passage today was quite rough in the morning, but calmed as the day progressed. We limped into Naples, our first Marina stop for three days. We were out of cell phone and Internet range for 24 hours yesterday. It was rather nerve wracking to have generator problems, and not being able to communicate with the outside world. It was very comforting having Explorer nearby.

We have a mechanic lined up to meet with us in Fort Myers tomorrow. Despite all the problems, I was able to take a few photos to pass on.

Photo 1 - Explorer in Little Shark River

Photo 2 - Little Shark River

Photo 3 - Sunset on Little Shark River

Photo 4 - Marco Island