How could it be so cold for so long?? Maureen stayed on the boat all day just so she didn’t have to venture out into the wind. Gale did go to shore and took the Island Trollee to its northernmost stop near West Marine by Summerlin Square. In his conversation with the Trollee driver, he asked about connecting city buses and how to get downtown close to the hospitals. The driver called ahead to the city bus driver headed downtown who said he would wait for Gale Instead of going to West Marine, he hopped on the city bus and continued on to the city of Ft Myers, about 15 miles from Ft Myers Beach where we were currently moored. Gale stopped by the Mermaid marine air conditioning factory to pick up a part needed for our unit aboard Blue Heron. The blower on the a/c is so strong that it pulls moisture from the condensator and spews it all over the floor beneath the unit and on anything directly in front of it. When the new part is installed, it should prevent the excess moisture problem from happening and we will no longer worry about slipping on a wet floor. The bus trip took Gale through some very interesting locations where it was not uncommon for security guards to be stationed at various bus stops along the route. Apparently, Ft Myers has had ongoing gang problems related to the large influx of migrant workers and other minorities to the area. Fortunately, he was able to make the entire trip to the factory and back in one long afternoon and arrived home safely just before dark.
When Gale returned to the dinghy dock, he noticed that the bow portion of the dink (dinghy) was deflated. After further inspection, he observed a 3-inch gash along the forward starboard bow. The dink is made of a very durable material however a sharp barnacle can damage it if contact is made. The inflatable dinghy is composed of three separate chambers; one chamber on the port, one on the starboard and one on the bow. Any one of the three chambers can be completely deflated and the boat will still float. With a flattened bow, Gale made his way back to Blue Heron and there proceeded with preparations to repair the tear. Fortunately, we keep a pump on board the dink to inflate the chambers as needed, as well as plenty of material to patch any tears or punctures that may occur. Because this was a tear and not a puncture, Gale called the Sea Eagle factory to speak to a technician to determine the best way to make the necessary repairs. The repair itself will wait for a day to come.
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