They call him ‘Dumplin’: Captain reminisces on the original Boca Grande

BY OLIVIA CAMERON – The Naples Sailing and Yacht Club visited the island to hear a special guest speaker, and they may have gotten more than they bargained for. “Captain Dumplin’ ” gave an inside look at being a Boca “Bad Boy” before the Causeway was in existence.
Whether on land or sea, everybody around here knows his name – just not his real name.
Captain William Wheeler III, better known as “Captain Dumplin’,” had a visit with the Naples Club members during a dinner at the Eagle Grille last Friday night. His tales had the dining room rolling.
When asked why he goes by such a nickname, he was puzzled. “I really don’t know,” said Dumplin’, “but if you really want to find me in Boca Grande, you ask for Dumplin’.”
When asked what he came to talk about, he flashed a smile and blurted out one word: “Women. They say I’m the expert on women,” as if he wouldn’t have to say any more than that.