"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
We are considering renting a 41 foot twin diesel houseboat in the
Captiva/Sanibel/Cape Coral area for a spring vacation. Not a bad
deal.....around $2,300 for a full week, 41 foot (14 foot beam) with twin
diesels, 2 staterooms, 2 full baths, genny, AC, full kitchen, gas grill,
dual helms, linens.....etc.. Some rental places even throw in a full tank
of diesel. We figure we can pull an inflatable.

We vacationed in Sanibel several years back and love the area.

Has anyone done this before? If so, what advice can you offer?

What sort of protected transient dockage does the area offer in the event
of bad weather?


You need to be careful in the waters around here with a twin diesel boat.
There are lots of shallow areas. Stick to the channels in Pine Island
Sound. There are several marinas along Captiva with protected harborage,
but a couple of them might still not be open from Hurricane Charley last
year. Up on the bay side of Cayo Costa, there's some deeper, protected
anchorage. I'm sure that the boat has a generator and A/C, so you could
hang there overnight. Make sure you stop into Cabbage Key for lunch. Also,
you can cruise up to Boca Grande.

Since you said a "spring vacation" I assume you're planning it for April/May
of next year? If so, you'll be fine. Late April through all of May is the
best weather and fishing all year round. If you're planning it this summer,
just remember that we're in our hurricane season...and it's predicted to be
a busy one (5 named storms already in the middle of July! A new record.)