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 | HBTM…HBTM
Monday September 26
Happy Birthday to me…Happy Birthday to me…
Team Prime Time reluctantly left the Rialto Harbor Docks around 0900. We immediately approached the W. P. Franklin Lock. Both Prime Time and I were “lock pro’s” by now. This would be the last lock for us to transit. Except for the first (St. Lucie Lock), I was at the helm. I had really wanted to get some experience with maneuvering through locks…and I DID!
Prime Time continued west on the Okeechobee Waterway to Ft. Meyers. At Ft. Meyers, we continued north past Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Pine Island, Cayo Costa Island, and finally Gasparilla Island. Nice cruising…no problems!
We decided to try and squeeze through a small cut between Gasparilla Island and Placida Harbor in order to save over an hour’s cruising time. We wanted to get just offshore for the 50 mile run up to Venice. The Nobeltec Admiral charting software showed 6-8 feet of water, and Mark had called Boat-US to get some local advice. The Boat-US guys were always VERY helpful and should ALWAYS be consulted when you’re looking for the BEST local advice. He gave us some very explicit directions on how to make the cut.
Well…Prime Time soon found herself in VERY thin water! As a matter of fact, we gently bumped several times. Believe it or not, this turned out to be an excellent opportunity for us to watch Mark deal with the challenge of finding us enough water to continue. It didn’t take too long…
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