Well we're nearing the end. Yesterday was spent in the scuba area, working in the pools on snorkeling and skin diving skills. We also did briefings. I was not directly involved as I was waiting to hear from my wife on her flights to Key West.
Before starting the snorkeling and skin diving skills we had everyone do a rescue skill, surfacing a non-responsive diver from the bottom. That went well.
The evening was spent in the classroom. Steve did the professionalism review with the candidates and Alex and Rich did briefings. Christy collected the maps and reviewed them. I sat in accident traffic after picking Barbara up at Key West International.
It was a late night. Hopefully it won't be too tiring today as we all want to go to Key West for Newy Years Eve tonight.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
DMA 8 Day 12
Things have been sooooooooooo busy that I haven't been able to post. Unlike Steve, I can't keep up the daily postings.
Day 12 started with the daily morning meeting where the usual joking and fun takes place while assignments for the day are discussed. Actually the day usually starts around 05:30 where I meet with Rich and sometimes Alex to discuss the upcoming day and to review the standards we will be dealing with.
We decided that the day's dives would be a deep dive, search and recovery and working with ow students in the open water. Like always changes took place when we got to the boat and the schedule changed to no deep dive and the addition of a 'fun dive'.
We went to Captain Grumpy's for the Search & Recovery dive. Alex, Rich and I went in to check conditions and to set the search items. We had each 'lost' a weight and a mask. We sent in dive teams of three divers to locate the items using whatever method they preferred. All of the teams were successful. Yeah.
Next we set up for Pratical Assessment #2 - OW students in OW. Here the candidates act as divemasters working with an instructor that is working with OW students. We throw problems at them to see how they deal with them. Again, my team completed the exercise well, except Ben who is navigationally challenged.
For the last dive we moved to Cresent where we did some make up work and did a 'fun dive'. It was a nice site.
The evening was spent back in the classroom where Steve did a 'show and tell' on equipment. I kept falling asleep at the front table and almost fell over once. I seem to fall asleep alot in the evenings and when I can on the dive boats...and before flags, and after breakfast.
Day 12 started with the daily morning meeting where the usual joking and fun takes place while assignments for the day are discussed. Actually the day usually starts around 05:30 where I meet with Rich and sometimes Alex to discuss the upcoming day and to review the standards we will be dealing with.
We decided that the day's dives would be a deep dive, search and recovery and working with ow students in the open water. Like always changes took place when we got to the boat and the schedule changed to no deep dive and the addition of a 'fun dive'.
We went to Captain Grumpy's for the Search & Recovery dive. Alex, Rich and I went in to check conditions and to set the search items. We had each 'lost' a weight and a mask. We sent in dive teams of three divers to locate the items using whatever method they preferred. All of the teams were successful. Yeah.
Next we set up for Pratical Assessment #2 - OW students in OW. Here the candidates act as divemasters working with an instructor that is working with OW students. We throw problems at them to see how they deal with them. Again, my team completed the exercise well, except Ben who is navigationally challenged.
For the last dive we moved to Cresent where we did some make up work and did a 'fun dive'. It was a nice site.
The evening was spent back in the classroom where Steve did a 'show and tell' on equipment. I kept falling asleep at the front table and almost fell over once. I seem to fall asleep alot in the evenings and when I can on the dive boats...and before flags, and after breakfast.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
DMA Day 7
Day 7, December 24...Christmas Eve
Conditions had improved greatly. The seas were running 1 to 2 feet but there was still a bit of wind. The first dive was at Long Key Ledge. The task of the dive was Workshop #4 - DSD Additional Open Water Dive. The goal was for a divemaster candidate to lead 2 DSD divers on a tour, while controlling their every move. It went quite well considering the minor current and surge. It's alot harder than it looks.
The second dive was at Pillars of Atlantis or 'bridge rubble'. This was to be a Search & Recovery exercise. Alex and Rich had visited the sight a week before, setting out crates with weights in them which were the starting points and objects to be found and lifted. We took our teams down and had them wait under the boat while we, the instructors, went out to the patch to find the starting points. Visibility was crap so it wasn't an easy task. Also, one of the starting points was missing. Rich never di find his starting point or crew.
I found my starting point, retrieved my team and set them to the task of searching for the 'object'. Once found they rigged it to a lift bag and floated it back to the starting point. Next they floated it up to the boat for the completion of the task. They were the only team to complete the task. The other teams spent their dive waiting under the boat. At least they logged another dive.
The evening session was short. Christy gave a briefing on mapping and log books were signed.
Conditions had improved greatly. The seas were running 1 to 2 feet but there was still a bit of wind. The first dive was at Long Key Ledge. The task of the dive was Workshop #4 - DSD Additional Open Water Dive. The goal was for a divemaster candidate to lead 2 DSD divers on a tour, while controlling their every move. It went quite well considering the minor current and surge. It's alot harder than it looks.
The second dive was at Pillars of Atlantis or 'bridge rubble'. This was to be a Search & Recovery exercise. Alex and Rich had visited the sight a week before, setting out crates with weights in them which were the starting points and objects to be found and lifted. We took our teams down and had them wait under the boat while we, the instructors, went out to the patch to find the starting points. Visibility was crap so it wasn't an easy task. Also, one of the starting points was missing. Rich never di find his starting point or crew.
I found my starting point, retrieved my team and set them to the task of searching for the 'object'. Once found they rigged it to a lift bag and floated it back to the starting point. Next they floated it up to the boat for the completion of the task. They were the only team to complete the task. The other teams spent their dive waiting under the boat. At least they logged another dive.
The evening session was short. Christy gave a briefing on mapping and log books were signed.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
DMA 8 Day 6
Yesterday was a strange day. I've been really tired and it's been noticeable. Steve offered us all a little time off so I jumped on the chance and took the afternoon. I took a nap then went to Diver's Direct to exchange a a pair of 'Bert Hubbys' and then I went to CVS to pick up a prescription.
In the morning we were in the pool doing Practical Assessment #1, OW Students in Confined Water. I felt we were rushed and could not do enough scoring but it all worked out. We were also able to get into the deep pool and finish up some of the skills that the candidates had bombed on.
The class went to Alligator Deep to do Deep Dive #2 and Alligator Ball 3 for Workshop #5, DLD OW.
In the evening we were back in the classroom. First a did a long, boring review of dive theory. I really have to find a way to deliver material better. I pretty much suck at delivering dry material.
After the review, of which Christy handled the tables, the candidates took Exam #2. Everyone passed but it still didn't redeem their poor rescue performances. Tomorrow we're going to give them a second chance with the rescue. There's no reason not to improve as Steve gave them a guide to doing rescues that is simple to follow for a fool-proof rescue. Hopefully they won't suck, again!
In the morning we were in the pool doing Practical Assessment #1, OW Students in Confined Water. I felt we were rushed and could not do enough scoring but it all worked out. We were also able to get into the deep pool and finish up some of the skills that the candidates had bombed on.
The class went to Alligator Deep to do Deep Dive #2 and Alligator Ball 3 for Workshop #5, DLD OW.
In the evening we were back in the classroom. First a did a long, boring review of dive theory. I really have to find a way to deliver material better. I pretty much suck at delivering dry material.
After the review, of which Christy handled the tables, the candidates took Exam #2. Everyone passed but it still didn't redeem their poor rescue performances. Tomorrow we're going to give them a second chance with the rescue. There's no reason not to improve as Steve gave them a guide to doing rescues that is simple to follow for a fool-proof rescue. Hopefully they won't suck, again!
Friday, December 23, 2011
DMA 8 Day 5
Today was our first deep dive. There was alot of briefing and reviewing of deep diving. We went out to the Eagle hoping for diveable conditions. It was a bit sporty; seas were 4-5's with a few bigger rollers thrown in to keep things interesting. We had a few pukers but that didn't last long.
The blue water had moved in so the visibility wasn't too bad; maybe 30-35 feet. There wasn't much current but we rigged a 'granny line' anyway, to pull ourselves up to the mooring line.
My team, Green Team, went first. The surface was a little challenging but nothing to keep us from diving. We made it to the mooring line and started down but Emily J. had a few issues so she went back to the boat with Paul, her buddy.
We descended to the deck and performed our kills. The first was to note the change in colors at depth, using a color chart card. Next we compared our depth guages. After the two tasks we went on a short tour, with a max. depth of 94 feet; 100 feet is the limit for the training dive. The return up the line was uneventful. We did our halfway and 15ft. safety stops and got back on the boat.
After the dive we decided to go to the inside, bayside' to do rescues instead of doing another dive. This was because of conditions, the pukers and little hope for good visibility at any of the dive sites.
We took the ball behind Lignumvitaeand set up for the rescues. The candidates had to perform a rescue on a non-responsive diver from 25 yards. What a mess. It was a real 'goat rope'. The candidates perform like they had never had a rescue class. Only one candidate, Hank the Tank, perform the skill for a score of 5. We kept at it all afternoon but they still didn't get it.
Steve gave them a good talking to, explaining how they should have arrived prepared for the rescues.
The evening was spent in the classromm with two lectures and the first of two exams. They seemed aprehensive about the exam but everyone passed.
The blue water had moved in so the visibility wasn't too bad; maybe 30-35 feet. There wasn't much current but we rigged a 'granny line' anyway, to pull ourselves up to the mooring line.
My team, Green Team, went first. The surface was a little challenging but nothing to keep us from diving. We made it to the mooring line and started down but Emily J. had a few issues so she went back to the boat with Paul, her buddy.
We descended to the deck and performed our kills. The first was to note the change in colors at depth, using a color chart card. Next we compared our depth guages. After the two tasks we went on a short tour, with a max. depth of 94 feet; 100 feet is the limit for the training dive. The return up the line was uneventful. We did our halfway and 15ft. safety stops and got back on the boat.
After the dive we decided to go to the inside, bayside' to do rescues instead of doing another dive. This was because of conditions, the pukers and little hope for good visibility at any of the dive sites.
We took the ball behind Lignumvitae
Steve gave them a good talking to, explaining how they should have arrived prepared for the rescues.
The evening was spent in the classromm with two lectures and the first of two exams. They seemed aprehensive about the exam but everyone passed.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
DMA 8 Day 4
Day four...Wednesday December 21st. Christmas is just around the corner. You wouldn't know it here. The temperatures are in the mid 70's and there's no Christmas music playing anywhere that we can hear. Thankfully Alex has a small Christmas tree in the room and there are a few Christmas lights on the trees and cactus outside the room.
The day started with a rescue demonstration in the pool. Rescues are one of the most important skills the candidates need to perform. The candidates had a chance to surface a non-responsive diver from the bottom of the deep pool. If they did it well enough they were given a 'pass'. Five candidates have to repeat the skill.
We had an early lunch and headed to Founders Park Pool for Watermanship Skills. These consist of a 400M swim, an 800M mask, fins, snorkel swim and a 15 minute tread water. There will also be a 100M inert diver tow later on. This is very physically demanding and we urged the candidates to practice before the DMA. Again, the group did quite well as a whole. There were just a few that have to re-do the swims.
We also tested the candidates on four skin diving skills; a surface dive, underwater swim, blast clearing and displacement clearing. This went very well with very little remediation.
The pool work ended early enough for us to return to the classroom for sessions on Wreck Diving, by Rich, and Deep Diving by me. Hopefully we'll be doing a dive on the Eagle tomorrow.
After dinner we returned to the classroom for another session by Rich...Search and Recovery. We will also be doing a S&R dive tomorrow if the seas cooperate.
We ended the evening early, giving the candidates an opportunity to study for the first part of the Exam, set for tomorrow.
The day started with a rescue demonstration in the pool. Rescues are one of the most important skills the candidates need to perform. The candidates had a chance to surface a non-responsive diver from the bottom of the deep pool. If they did it well enough they were given a 'pass'. Five candidates have to repeat the skill.
We had an early lunch and headed to Founders Park Pool for Watermanship Skills. These consist of a 400M swim, an 800M mask, fins, snorkel swim and a 15 minute tread water. There will also be a 100M inert diver tow later on. This is very physically demanding and we urged the candidates to practice before the DMA. Again, the group did quite well as a whole. There were just a few that have to re-do the swims.
We also tested the candidates on four skin diving skills; a surface dive, underwater swim, blast clearing and displacement clearing. This went very well with very little remediation.
The pool work ended early enough for us to return to the classroom for sessions on Wreck Diving, by Rich, and Deep Diving by me. Hopefully we'll be doing a dive on the Eagle tomorrow.
After dinner we returned to the classroom for another session by Rich...Search and Recovery. We will also be doing a S&R dive tomorrow if the seas cooperate.
We ended the evening early, giving the candidates an opportunity to study for the first part of the Exam, set for tomorrow.
DMA 8 Day 3
Tuesday 20 December...Day 3 of the DMA. We stayed on base instead of diving due to the winds still being up and the ocean still being too sporty. The day was spent in the pools performing the Divers Skills Workshop. The candidates have to demonstrate 20 basic scuba skills for an instructor. The skills are judged for correctness and quality of demonstration. As a whole the group did well with a few bumps along the way. Some bumps were bigger than others! The candidates are scored on a scale of 1 through five; five being the best. To pass, the candidates have to earn at least a three. Five candidates are finished. Good Job! It was a long day in the pools.
The evening was spent in the classroom. Christy reviewed Divemaster Conducted Programs and I reviewed Specialized Skills and Activities. It was an early evening. Ahhhh, sweet sleep.
The evening was spent in the classroom. Christy reviewed Divemaster Conducted Programs and I reviewed Specialized Skills and Activities. It was an early evening. Ahhhh, sweet sleep.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Back to the DMA
Yesterday was day three of the 8th DMA (Divemaster Academy) at the Florida Sea Base. It's been a whirlwind of activity so I haven't posted anything yet but I'll try to re-cap.
Day one was Sunday the 18th. We started in the classroom introducing ourselves, handing out uniforms and going over the 'rules of engagement'. It's always good to meet the candidates even though they are quite reserved at first. The afternoon was spent setting up and storing the dive gear. Evening was classroom. A pretty sedate day.
Day two, Monday the 19th, was our first dive day. Everyone was excited but we still had to go over navigation and some standards first. In the afternoon we headed to Port Antigua, a protected anchorage with crap visibility. We had to dive there since the winds have been up for days and it was too sporty to go out into the ocean. The first dive was a led dive, where we assessed the candidates dive skills. It was difficult since we couldn't see them. One numb-nut even ended up in the wrong group when the groups crossed underwater and then didn't surface to find his group. Stupid, novice mistake. The second dive was a 'fun' dive; an opportunity to get their dive numbers up. The evening consisted of more classroom.
Day three to come...gotta go to the morning meeting.
Day one was Sunday the 18th. We started in the classroom introducing ourselves, handing out uniforms and going over the 'rules of engagement'. It's always good to meet the candidates even though they are quite reserved at first. The afternoon was spent setting up and storing the dive gear. Evening was classroom. A pretty sedate day.
Day two, Monday the 19th, was our first dive day. Everyone was excited but we still had to go over navigation and some standards first. In the afternoon we headed to Port Antigua, a protected anchorage with crap visibility. We had to dive there since the winds have been up for days and it was too sporty to go out into the ocean. The first dive was a led dive, where we assessed the candidates dive skills. It was difficult since we couldn't see them. One numb-nut even ended up in the wrong group when the groups crossed underwater and then didn't surface to find his group. Stupid, novice mistake. The second dive was a 'fun' dive; an opportunity to get their dive numbers up. The evening consisted of more classroom.
Day three to come...gotta go to the morning meeting.
Friday, August 26, 2011
SLS082011A - day six thursday
Don’t forget to check www.schoonerconchpearl.com for pictures.
Another night at the dock. We came into the dock because the weather forecast predicted that the winds could be up in the morning. Actually it wasn’t too bad. The sky was very clear at 05:30 with Jupiter almost straight overhead and a stiff breeze blowing in from the north.
No seeping in today. We wanted to get up and out but still have a cooked breakfast so everyone was up and moving at 07:30. The more the sun came up the more the wind picked up. Since it was coming from the north the keys would keep the seas from building and getting too rough. We finished up breakfast, cleaned everything up, put up the main and the jib and headed out. The ocean wasn’t that bad. There were one to three foot swells and a stiff wind but nothing to keep us from diving.
We went back to the large Western Sambo complex of reefs. The way this reef sits protects us from the swells coming from the north. We moor and dive on the south side of the reef. The first stop was Crackers. There were few jellies if any to be seen. When I hopped in to do the conditions check I saw one lone jellyfish.
The second stop was Shark Alley. This site is marked by a wide sand channel that cuts through the reef. It’s called Shark Alley because we see Nurse Sharks here. The visibility was still good and there were still few jellies. On the beginning of this dive the crew attempted to do something that most crews try…a group picture. I’m always up for trying. It’s very problematic. We have to find a large enough sandy spot, which gets kicked up and becomes cloudy. Everyone has to cooperate and get into the group; there’s always a few hams trying to pose and then everyone has to be breathing in sync so there are no bubbles in front of their faces during the photo. If that all comes together you still need good visibility, the sun has to be out and the camera needs to take a decent picture. I hope it came out good enough to see everyone. I will be taking my camera in today and try to get pics of everyone to email home.
Our last stop was back at Haystacks, but a different mooring ball than on previous dives. The mooring balls are far enough apart that the divers see a completely different part of the reef at each one. The dive started out great, few jellies but by the end there were lots of them. Still not as bad as we had seen previously but we had been lulled into a false sense of jellyfishlessness. (?)
Slowly but surely the wind had been building. It was blowing around 20 knots by the time we started back in to the mooring. It was a bumpy ride but not too bad; just a little spray. We made it to the harbor, took down the sails and headed to the mooring ball. Although it was windy we were looking forward to a relaxing spaghetti dinner out ‘on the ball’.
Another night at the dock. We came into the dock because the weather forecast predicted that the winds could be up in the morning. Actually it wasn’t too bad. The sky was very clear at 05:30 with Jupiter almost straight overhead and a stiff breeze blowing in from the north.
No seeping in today. We wanted to get up and out but still have a cooked breakfast so everyone was up and moving at 07:30. The more the sun came up the more the wind picked up. Since it was coming from the north the keys would keep the seas from building and getting too rough. We finished up breakfast, cleaned everything up, put up the main and the jib and headed out. The ocean wasn’t that bad. There were one to three foot swells and a stiff wind but nothing to keep us from diving.
We went back to the large Western Sambo complex of reefs. The way this reef sits protects us from the swells coming from the north. We moor and dive on the south side of the reef. The first stop was Crackers. There were few jellies if any to be seen. When I hopped in to do the conditions check I saw one lone jellyfish.
The second stop was Shark Alley. This site is marked by a wide sand channel that cuts through the reef. It’s called Shark Alley because we see Nurse Sharks here. The visibility was still good and there were still few jellies. On the beginning of this dive the crew attempted to do something that most crews try…a group picture. I’m always up for trying. It’s very problematic. We have to find a large enough sandy spot, which gets kicked up and becomes cloudy. Everyone has to cooperate and get into the group; there’s always a few hams trying to pose and then everyone has to be breathing in sync so there are no bubbles in front of their faces during the photo. If that all comes together you still need good visibility, the sun has to be out and the camera needs to take a decent picture. I hope it came out good enough to see everyone. I will be taking my camera in today and try to get pics of everyone to email home.
Our last stop was back at Haystacks, but a different mooring ball than on previous dives. The mooring balls are far enough apart that the divers see a completely different part of the reef at each one. The dive started out great, few jellies but by the end there were lots of them. Still not as bad as we had seen previously but we had been lulled into a false sense of jellyfishlessness. (?)
Slowly but surely the wind had been building. It was blowing around 20 knots by the time we started back in to the mooring. It was a bumpy ride but not too bad; just a little spray. We made it to the harbor, took down the sails and headed to the mooring ball. Although it was windy we were looking forward to a relaxing spaghetti dinner out ‘on the ball’.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
SLS082011A - day seven friday
Last day on the water. The crew woke early because there was a lot to do. We had to go in to get fuel so it was a quick cold breakfast and off we went. We pulled into City Marina for a quick pit stop then headed out to the reef under full sail. It was the first opportunity for us to put up all of the sails. The winds were up so it was a little ‘sporty’ out on the ocean, a gift left over from Irene.
We went out to Toppino’s Buoy for our last dive. It was a fairly close site and the crew really liked it there. The seas had us jumping and bumping around a bit. When the boat was tied to the mooring ball things really got interesting. Sometimes the wind will hold the boat sort of parallel to the waves making the boat rock and roll deeply from side to side. This makes it a challenge to get on and off the boat. Again, it’s high adventure baby! Once in the water there’s a little time spent on the surface going up and down in the waves until you submerge, then everything is peaceful again. The jellies had subsided with only a few to be seen. That alone made it a joy to dive.
After the dive we headed back in to the dock. On the way the crew packed up their scuba gear and private gear. We had lunch then tied up to the dock. Everything was removed from the boat then the cleaning commenced. Everything is washed down; especially areas that took salt spray or that grimy little scout hands may have touched.
The vans arrived and all of the tanks, scuba gear and personal gear had to be loaded into the trailer. The marina was having their road repaved so the crew had to carry the stuff much further than usual. The return ride was like every other return ride…two minutes on the road and everyone was asleep.
When we arrived back at Sea Base everything was removed from the trailer. The tanks were returned, the gear was washed and then the crew was turned loose. Until flags and Luau.
Don't forget to check www.schoonerconchpearl.com for pictures...still more pics to come.
We went out to Toppino’s Buoy for our last dive. It was a fairly close site and the crew really liked it there. The seas had us jumping and bumping around a bit. When the boat was tied to the mooring ball things really got interesting. Sometimes the wind will hold the boat sort of parallel to the waves making the boat rock and roll deeply from side to side. This makes it a challenge to get on and off the boat. Again, it’s high adventure baby! Once in the water there’s a little time spent on the surface going up and down in the waves until you submerge, then everything is peaceful again. The jellies had subsided with only a few to be seen. That alone made it a joy to dive.
After the dive we headed back in to the dock. On the way the crew packed up their scuba gear and private gear. We had lunch then tied up to the dock. Everything was removed from the boat then the cleaning commenced. Everything is washed down; especially areas that took salt spray or that grimy little scout hands may have touched.
The vans arrived and all of the tanks, scuba gear and personal gear had to be loaded into the trailer. The marina was having their road repaved so the crew had to carry the stuff much further than usual. The return ride was like every other return ride…two minutes on the road and everyone was asleep.
When we arrived back at Sea Base everything was removed from the trailer. The tanks were returned, the gear was washed and then the crew was turned loose. Until flags and Luau.
Don't forget to check www.schoonerconchpearl.com for pictures...still more pics to come.
SLS082011A - day five wednesday
Don’t forget to check for new pictures at www.schoonerconchpearl.com .
Last night was spent on the dock. The crew had a chance to ‘re-charge their batteries’. When we’re at the dock there is air-conditioning, real showers and toilets and no anchor watch. They even got to sleep in a bit. When everyone was finally up we had a big cooked breakfast of eggs, sausage and pancakes. This high adventure stuff is rough.
When breakfast was finally over we headed out to the reef. The ocean was a little choppy and the winds were up but not enough to affect diving. We went to Toppino’s Buoy, ball #3 first. This is a nice reef with lots of fish. The visibility wasn’t stellar but there weren’t many jellies so that balanced out. Nobody got stung by the jellies; either that or the crew is getting tougher and just not noticing them.
After the first dive we had lunch and filled tanks. I couldn’t believe that they were hungry already after such a big breakfast but diving does make you hungry.
For the next dive we moved over to Toppino’s Buoy, ball #2. During the first dive the visibility was beginning to improve and by the time we were ready for the second dive it had improved greatly. Better visibility has several advantages the most obvious being you can see everything more clearly and the colors are brighter. Better visibility also lets you spot the jellies better.
The last dive was at Western Sambos Wrecker’s Reef. Western Sambos is a large reef area with a lot of mooring balls. The western end is called Haystacks (our very first dive) and the eastern end is called Wrecker’s Reef. This visibility was still good which made this a nice dive. The crew saw all sorts of animals including some lionfish, southern stingrays and a pair of VERY large tarpon. When a large fish like a tarpon, especially a very large one, comes into view it can really evoke a reaction from a new diver.
After the dive we headed back in to the dock. We would have to put up with more air-conditioning and showers. Tonight was steak night. Woo Hoo! This high adventure stuff is really rough! After dinner the crew took a walk to the local ‘stop and rob’, Captain Denny’s name for the local convenience store.
Last night was spent on the dock. The crew had a chance to ‘re-charge their batteries’. When we’re at the dock there is air-conditioning, real showers and toilets and no anchor watch. They even got to sleep in a bit. When everyone was finally up we had a big cooked breakfast of eggs, sausage and pancakes. This high adventure stuff is rough.
When breakfast was finally over we headed out to the reef. The ocean was a little choppy and the winds were up but not enough to affect diving. We went to Toppino’s Buoy, ball #3 first. This is a nice reef with lots of fish. The visibility wasn’t stellar but there weren’t many jellies so that balanced out. Nobody got stung by the jellies; either that or the crew is getting tougher and just not noticing them.
After the first dive we had lunch and filled tanks. I couldn’t believe that they were hungry already after such a big breakfast but diving does make you hungry.
For the next dive we moved over to Toppino’s Buoy, ball #2. During the first dive the visibility was beginning to improve and by the time we were ready for the second dive it had improved greatly. Better visibility has several advantages the most obvious being you can see everything more clearly and the colors are brighter. Better visibility also lets you spot the jellies better.
The last dive was at Western Sambos Wrecker’s Reef. Western Sambos is a large reef area with a lot of mooring balls. The western end is called Haystacks (our very first dive) and the eastern end is called Wrecker’s Reef. This visibility was still good which made this a nice dive. The crew saw all sorts of animals including some lionfish, southern stingrays and a pair of VERY large tarpon. When a large fish like a tarpon, especially a very large one, comes into view it can really evoke a reaction from a new diver.
After the dive we headed back in to the dock. We would have to put up with more air-conditioning and showers. Tonight was steak night. Woo Hoo! This high adventure stuff is really rough! After dinner the crew took a walk to the local ‘stop and rob’, Captain Denny’s name for the local convenience store.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
SLS082011A - day four tuesday
Another night of thunder, lightning and some rain showers. Again anchor watch did their job, this time taking down the sunshade and collecting up all of the dry laundry. When this happens almost all of the boat crew whips out a computer or smart phone and checks the weather radar. We’re very hyper-sensitive to the weather here.
When the crew got up we were surrounded by storm cells. None were threatening us directly but we still had to wait for them to move on before we could get under way. We had another cold breakfast so that we could get moving as soon as they cleared. It wasn’t too long before we were on our way.
This was lobstering day and this crew was really motivated to go ‘bug hunting’. Most of the boys even put on war paint. See pictures at www.schoonerconchpearl.com . When we arrived at the site, Pelican Shoals, we were pleased to see that there were very few jellies and the visibility was great. The jellies were hated even though most of the crew had fashioned some sort of body armor from long sleeved and long legged clothing. Some were fortunate to have dive skins. They hopped in and headed to the shallows to do battle. These are spiny lobsters. They don’t have claws but have sharp points like rose thorns on their shells. The crew stayed at it for over two hours before breaking for lunch, bringing back 5 keepers. We can’t keep lobsters that are too small or are carrying eggs.
After lunch the crew voted to keep lobstering. We moved the boat to another site; one of the other captain’s secret sites. We didn’t see jellies so everyone hopped in. Surprise! There was a blanket layer of jellies at about 10 feet, very thick. We all swam out to the shallows but as we did the jellies also got shallower to the point where it would have been impossible to catch lobster without getting badly stung. Everyone came back to the boat. Again the vote was to keep lobstering so we moved back to the other side of Pelican Shoals. This time the catch was 4 keepers; enough for everyone to have at least half a tail.
We headed in for the evening. Since we were close to the dock Captain Denny decided that we would return there for the night to get a good night’s sleep with air conditioning and no anchor watch. On the way in we got what is called a Key West Bum Wash; we went through a very heavy rain storm.
Dinner was good, bratwurst and lobster, a weird kind of surf and turf.
When the crew got up we were surrounded by storm cells. None were threatening us directly but we still had to wait for them to move on before we could get under way. We had another cold breakfast so that we could get moving as soon as they cleared. It wasn’t too long before we were on our way.
This was lobstering day and this crew was really motivated to go ‘bug hunting’. Most of the boys even put on war paint. See pictures at www.schoonerconchpearl.com . When we arrived at the site, Pelican Shoals, we were pleased to see that there were very few jellies and the visibility was great. The jellies were hated even though most of the crew had fashioned some sort of body armor from long sleeved and long legged clothing. Some were fortunate to have dive skins. They hopped in and headed to the shallows to do battle. These are spiny lobsters. They don’t have claws but have sharp points like rose thorns on their shells. The crew stayed at it for over two hours before breaking for lunch, bringing back 5 keepers. We can’t keep lobsters that are too small or are carrying eggs.
After lunch the crew voted to keep lobstering. We moved the boat to another site; one of the other captain’s secret sites. We didn’t see jellies so everyone hopped in. Surprise! There was a blanket layer of jellies at about 10 feet, very thick. We all swam out to the shallows but as we did the jellies also got shallower to the point where it would have been impossible to catch lobster without getting badly stung. Everyone came back to the boat. Again the vote was to keep lobstering so we moved back to the other side of Pelican Shoals. This time the catch was 4 keepers; enough for everyone to have at least half a tail.
We headed in for the evening. Since we were close to the dock Captain Denny decided that we would return there for the night to get a good night’s sleep with air conditioning and no anchor watch. On the way in we got what is called a Key West Bum Wash; we went through a very heavy rain storm.
Dinner was good, bratwurst and lobster, a weird kind of surf and turf.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
SLS082011A - day three monday
Don’t forget…check out http://www.schoonerconchpearl.com/ for pictures. New pictures were posted overnight.
Overnight a thunderstorm passed close to where we were moored. This gave the anchor watch a chance to do one of their duties; inform the boat crew of the changing weather and wake everyone on deck to have them go below in case it started to rain. It didn’t rain much; just enough to chase everyone below deck (downstairs) and soak all of the drying towels.
The crew woke up around 07:30 when the alarm clock went off – the boat’s engine. We headed out almost immediately because we were going to try to get in as much diving as possible and we still had to fill tanks. We had a cold breakfast (much quicker than cooked), put up the mainsail and jib and headed out.
It was a long ride out to our first dive site, Sand Key. It is marked by a Civil War era lighthouse. When we pulled up to the dive site we were hoping that the jellyfish problem had subsided but that was not the case. They were thick. Despite the jellies everyone got in and we had a nice dive. Sand Key has several beautiful, very large, coral head formations.
The second dive site we went to was Eastern Dry Rocks. Here the jellies were even worse. The dive was nice, there was a nurse shark cruising around under the boat that most divers saw and the coral formations are well formed and fun to navigate. Unfortunately, nobody escaped the jellies this time. By the time everyone got out of the water we had all been stung; even Megan and diverDave.
The third dive site was Nine Foot Stake. Here the jellies were thin. Finally, a break! This site is marked by high ridges of coral arranged in rows with flat channels of sand in between. The crew saw lots of animals here; eels, rays, etc.
After the last dive it was back to the mooring in Key West harbor but first we had to make a stop. One of the scouts had left his gear bag in one of the transport vans on Sunday. There was also a package for one of the scouts. We made arrangements to have the items placed in a dock box at the docks in Key West at the marina and we went in and picked them up there.
Once we were tied up to the mooring out in the harbor the crew started fishing with hand lines called Cuban Yo-Yos. These are plastic hoops with fishing line wrapped around them. They caught all kinds of fish but we only keep baitfish called Pinfish. It was fun watching them take the fish off of the hooks because they are called pinfish for a reason. We take the baitfish and put them out on regular rods at night to see if we can catch a shark. Last night we had no luck. In fact, except for the handlines, we haven’t had any luck fishing.
Dinner was chicken patties, corn, stuffing and salad. Not bad for camp food on a boat. After dinner the crew resumed fishing. When it finally started getting dark, after a spectacular sunset, fishing stopped and everyone started getting ready for bed. Even though it was early for most folks it was time on the Conch Pearl. Diving, being in the sun, fishing...can wear a guy out.
If you're following this blog please leave a comment. I like to know if my efforts are being read.
Thanks,
diverDave
Monday, August 22, 2011
SLS082011A - day two sunday
Pictures at http://www.schoonerconchpearl.com/ .Check them out.
The crew was up early and made it to flags at 07:45. Immediately after flags it was breakfast. We went to the head of the line because we still had to get into the pool and do the scuba skills review; something that would have normally been done the day before. We were behind schedule but had plans to make up the time.
So after breakfast it was off to the pools for the scuba review. Here the crew put on all of their scuba gear, hopped into the 10’ pool and went through a review of about 15 basic scuba skills. The crew did great and we were out of the pool in record time. We wrapped up the scuba gear into individual packages and headed over to the commissary to pack food and ice. Our drivers, Aaron and Dean, inventoried our food for us while we were in the pool which saved us more time. Thanks guys! We packed six large coolers with ice, loaded them and the food into the trailer and headed back to the scuba area to pack up everything else. In addition to the six coolers of ice, two coolers and numerous boxes of food there was also 28 scuba tanks, two weight crates and all of the scuba gear to go into the little trailer. It was full but it all fit. Lastly, all of the personal gear was packed into the back of the vans. We loaded up all of the crew and headed out for the 1 ½ hour drive to Stock Island. Stock Island is the island before Key West. It is where the Conch Pearl lives. It is too big to get into the Sea Base dock.
When we arrived at the marina we were greeted by Captains Denny and Holley. Because of road construction we could not park as close as usual so the crew really had their work cut out for them. Everything that had been packed into the trailer had to be moved to the Conch Pearl. It’s about a 75 yard walk with one set of six steps at the end. This was not an easy task considering it included the 28 scuba tanks and six large cooler packed with ice; but they did, without whining! (most crews have at least one whiner) Once everything was at the boat we loaded the food and ice, set up scuba gear, put away personal gear, had a detailed orientation by the Captains then had lunch. We were almost back on schedule so it would be two dives today! woo hoo!!!
We headed out into the little harbor, put up the mainsail and jib then headed out into the ocean. We sailed and motored to the dive site, Western Sambo ‘Haystacks’. On the way to the dive site Capt Denny gave another detailed orientation on how we would gear up and get into the water. When we got to the dive site Megan went in to do a conditions check and check on the jellyfish situation. As was mentioned yesterday, we have been having a real problem with moon jellies here in the Keys. Many of the old timers say they have never seen it so bad. Their sting is not deadly but in gives a good shock for a few minutes after stinging you.
Megan came back from her conditions check and gave to OK for the dive. I jumped in to watch the divers on my side on the boat. One at a time, watching for jellies, they jumped in and went back to the tag line. Once everyone was on the tag line we did one last buoyancy check and descended to the bottom. My group had one diver with ear clearing and mask issues so he went back to the boat. Once on the bottom we grouped up and started our led dive. The first dive is a led dive, where the divers take a tour with the dive instructors, Megan and myself (diverDave). The tour went very well; with everyone doing well enough for us to turn them loose on their own on the next dive. Getting back on the boat is the real challenge when there are lots of jellies. Everyone waits on the bottom, waiting for a ‘window of opportunity’ , then in pairs they surface and get back on the boat. Megan had a full body suit on so she blocked jellyfish from hitting the divers as then got on the ladder.
Everyone changed their tanks and most divers prepared for their second dive, a buddy dive. This is where they go off on their own, in buddy teams. I stayed on deck to watch the dive from the surface while Megan stayed in the water. The dive went well, with everyone making it back alive, despite the jellies.
We headed for the mooring, passing close to the ‘Sunset Festival’ that was going on in Mallory Square in Key West. Once moored we had a dinner of ‘crazy dream burgers’, so named because you have crazy dreams after eating them. Clean up went well then we had another orientation on anchor watch. Anchor watch consists of two crew members on a two hour watch throughout the night. Somewhere along the way I fell asleep.
The crew was up early and made it to flags at 07:45. Immediately after flags it was breakfast. We went to the head of the line because we still had to get into the pool and do the scuba skills review; something that would have normally been done the day before. We were behind schedule but had plans to make up the time.
So after breakfast it was off to the pools for the scuba review. Here the crew put on all of their scuba gear, hopped into the 10’ pool and went through a review of about 15 basic scuba skills. The crew did great and we were out of the pool in record time. We wrapped up the scuba gear into individual packages and headed over to the commissary to pack food and ice. Our drivers, Aaron and Dean, inventoried our food for us while we were in the pool which saved us more time. Thanks guys! We packed six large coolers with ice, loaded them and the food into the trailer and headed back to the scuba area to pack up everything else. In addition to the six coolers of ice, two coolers and numerous boxes of food there was also 28 scuba tanks, two weight crates and all of the scuba gear to go into the little trailer. It was full but it all fit. Lastly, all of the personal gear was packed into the back of the vans. We loaded up all of the crew and headed out for the 1 ½ hour drive to Stock Island. Stock Island is the island before Key West. It is where the Conch Pearl lives. It is too big to get into the Sea Base dock.
When we arrived at the marina we were greeted by Captains Denny and Holley. Because of road construction we could not park as close as usual so the crew really had their work cut out for them. Everything that had been packed into the trailer had to be moved to the Conch Pearl. It’s about a 75 yard walk with one set of six steps at the end. This was not an easy task considering it included the 28 scuba tanks and six large cooler packed with ice; but they did, without whining! (most crews have at least one whiner) Once everything was at the boat we loaded the food and ice, set up scuba gear, put away personal gear, had a detailed orientation by the Captains then had lunch. We were almost back on schedule so it would be two dives today! woo hoo!!!
We headed out into the little harbor, put up the mainsail and jib then headed out into the ocean. We sailed and motored to the dive site, Western Sambo ‘Haystacks’. On the way to the dive site Capt Denny gave another detailed orientation on how we would gear up and get into the water. When we got to the dive site Megan went in to do a conditions check and check on the jellyfish situation. As was mentioned yesterday, we have been having a real problem with moon jellies here in the Keys. Many of the old timers say they have never seen it so bad. Their sting is not deadly but in gives a good shock for a few minutes after stinging you.
Megan came back from her conditions check and gave to OK for the dive. I jumped in to watch the divers on my side on the boat. One at a time, watching for jellies, they jumped in and went back to the tag line. Once everyone was on the tag line we did one last buoyancy check and descended to the bottom. My group had one diver with ear clearing and mask issues so he went back to the boat. Once on the bottom we grouped up and started our led dive. The first dive is a led dive, where the divers take a tour with the dive instructors, Megan and myself (diverDave). The tour went very well; with everyone doing well enough for us to turn them loose on their own on the next dive. Getting back on the boat is the real challenge when there are lots of jellies. Everyone waits on the bottom, waiting for a ‘window of opportunity’ , then in pairs they surface and get back on the boat. Megan had a full body suit on so she blocked jellyfish from hitting the divers as then got on the ladder.
Everyone changed their tanks and most divers prepared for their second dive, a buddy dive. This is where they go off on their own, in buddy teams. I stayed on deck to watch the dive from the surface while Megan stayed in the water. The dive went well, with everyone making it back alive, despite the jellies.
We headed for the mooring, passing close to the ‘Sunset Festival’ that was going on in Mallory Square in Key West. Once moored we had a dinner of ‘crazy dream burgers’, so named because you have crazy dreams after eating them. Clean up went well then we had another orientation on anchor watch. Anchor watch consists of two crew members on a two hour watch throughout the night. Somewhere along the way I fell asleep.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
SLS082011A - day one saturday
Arrival day.
If you want to see pictures of the crew’s adventures check out www.schoonerconchpearl.com .
The crew arrived about 15:30, ready to go. Immediately after arriving they went through administrative check-in, met Megan and myself (diverDave) then had their picture taken. Next it was off to the sailing dorm to review the Participant Policies, review dive cards and get changed into bathing suits for the swim review. On the way to the swim review the crew was given a brief tour of the base.
The swim area was free of all but one lone jellyfish. This was a great relief to everyone. We have been having a real problem with moon jellyfish, especially out on the ocean; so bad that all night dives have been suspended until the situation improves.
After the swim review the crew was issued all of the scuba gear they will need for the next week. We carried all of the gear over to the scuba pools where it will be kept until tomorrow when we will get into the pool for a scuba review.
Flags was next at 17:45…a lot of energy, cheering announcements, the Keys Blessing and then dinner.
After dinner we had the first of two orientations. There will also be a detailed orientation when the crew gets to the boat tomorrow. When orientation was over the crew was free for the rest of the evening where they headed for the volleyball courts.
If you want to see pictures of the crew’s adventures check out www.schoonerconchpearl.com .
The crew arrived about 15:30, ready to go. Immediately after arriving they went through administrative check-in, met Megan and myself (diverDave) then had their picture taken. Next it was off to the sailing dorm to review the Participant Policies, review dive cards and get changed into bathing suits for the swim review. On the way to the swim review the crew was given a brief tour of the base.
The swim area was free of all but one lone jellyfish. This was a great relief to everyone. We have been having a real problem with moon jellyfish, especially out on the ocean; so bad that all night dives have been suspended until the situation improves.
After the swim review the crew was issued all of the scuba gear they will need for the next week. We carried all of the gear over to the scuba pools where it will be kept until tomorrow when we will get into the pool for a scuba review.
Flags was next at 17:45…a lot of energy, cheering announcements, the Keys Blessing and then dinner.
After dinner we had the first of two orientations. There will also be a detailed orientation when the crew gets to the boat tomorrow. When orientation was over the crew was free for the rest of the evening where they headed for the volleyball courts.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
SLS0813A - day six
Today is the last day on the water. Everyone is hoping for no jellies as this is the last chance to dive. The weather promises to cooperate so we’ll see.
Captain Denny had the crew up a little early. We had to go in to get fuel then get out to the dive site. When we left the fuel dock we put up all of the sails. There was a good wind blowing so sailing would be good. We didn’t see too many jellies in the water but it’s difficult when the water is a little rough. The boys liked riding on the bow, jumping up as the bow went up in the waves.
When we got to the dive site there still weren’t a lot of jellies to be seen but after we got into the water we found that they were a little further under the surface and harder to see. They still weren’t as thick as the past few dives. The conditions under the water were pretty nice; good visibility and just a little surge. The dive went well and everyone made it back on the boat without getting stung.
Today the crew sort of does the reverse of the day they arrived. While we were under way the crew was below deck re-packing everything they brought on board and then broke down their scuba units and packed them up. We also had lunch while under way. At the dock they unloaded all of the personal gear and scuba gear from the boat. Once the boat was empty they scrubbed the boat and cleaned below decks…leave it better than you found it! When the vans and trailer arrivde all of the personal gear and scuba gear was loaded and then it was back on the road for 1 ½ hours. On the drive we ran into some torrential rain. Back on base we washed all of the scuba gear and put it up to dry. It’s hard to get the gear to dry without the sun. The crew was now free for about two hours to unpack/re-pack and shower. We met again in the scuba area, returned and checked-in the scuba gear and then had a little meeting to review the trip, do some paperwork and hand out patches.
Next was Flags and Luau. Besides skits the crews played games at Luau then finished with dinner. After dinner they were free to do what they wanted.
Captain Denny had the crew up a little early. We had to go in to get fuel then get out to the dive site. When we left the fuel dock we put up all of the sails. There was a good wind blowing so sailing would be good. We didn’t see too many jellies in the water but it’s difficult when the water is a little rough. The boys liked riding on the bow, jumping up as the bow went up in the waves.
When we got to the dive site there still weren’t a lot of jellies to be seen but after we got into the water we found that they were a little further under the surface and harder to see. They still weren’t as thick as the past few dives. The conditions under the water were pretty nice; good visibility and just a little surge. The dive went well and everyone made it back on the boat without getting stung.
Today the crew sort of does the reverse of the day they arrived. While we were under way the crew was below deck re-packing everything they brought on board and then broke down their scuba units and packed them up. We also had lunch while under way. At the dock they unloaded all of the personal gear and scuba gear from the boat. Once the boat was empty they scrubbed the boat and cleaned below decks…leave it better than you found it! When the vans and trailer arrivde all of the personal gear and scuba gear was loaded and then it was back on the road for 1 ½ hours. On the drive we ran into some torrential rain. Back on base we washed all of the scuba gear and put it up to dry. It’s hard to get the gear to dry without the sun. The crew was now free for about two hours to unpack/re-pack and shower. We met again in the scuba area, returned and checked-in the scuba gear and then had a little meeting to review the trip, do some paperwork and hand out patches.
Next was Flags and Luau. Besides skits the crews played games at Luau then finished with dinner. After dinner they were free to do what they wanted.
Friday, August 19, 2011
SLS0813A - day five
Don’t forget…for pictures go to www.schoonerconchpearl.com .
The crew survived another adventurous night of sleeping in air conditioning with no anchor watch. ‘High Adventure, Baby’. Florida Sea Base is sometimes called the ‘Club Med’ of high adventure bases. We sleep, eat, dive, sleep, eat, dive, dive, sleep, eat, sleep. That’s a typical day. Today we’re heading out for another day of diving. Hopefully we’ll go west where we had almost no jellies last week.
One thing that’s nice out on the live-aboard is cutting the ties with the outside world. There’s no tv, no current newspapers and no news…except that which comes over the cell phones. Megan and I try to catch up when we return to the base on the weekend but we’re so busy that there’s little time for that too.
We had a cold breakfast then left the dock and started filling tanks. We needed to fill tanks because we used the full set for the night dive. We were headed west to Sand Key but took the ‘long way’ to give us the time needed to fill tanks. Along the way got to see a Coast Guard exercise where a helicopter picked up a person from a boat. When they were finished the helicopter ‘buzzed’ us. When we arrived at the dive site we tied up to the mooring ball and were immediately disappointed. Our friends the jellies were present and in large numbers, running deep too. Megan suited up in her Jaguar Shark outfit and hit the water to check things out. Her report was as we suspected…too many jellies to dive. I agreed from her assessment and the conditions from the surface. So it was lunch instead.
The main facility at Sea Base has suspended all night dives because of the jellies and some of the day dives are also being cancelled. It’s a problem of a magnitude that we haven’t had to deal with before.
After lunch we headed into the Conch Pearl mooring right in Key West Harbor. The crew spent the afternoon jumping into the water, spinning, flipping and doing ‘seal entries’. They kept at it for quite some time. Ah, the energy of youth. A couple of the adults took out the kayak too. During all of the jumping in another group started fishing, catching bait fish called Pinfish. We put a Pinfish on a big rod at night hoping to catch a bigger fish like a shark or barracuda.
Thursday night is steak night. When we catch lobsters it’s Surf N’ Turf. High Adventure Baby!
The crew survived another adventurous night of sleeping in air conditioning with no anchor watch. ‘High Adventure, Baby’. Florida Sea Base is sometimes called the ‘Club Med’ of high adventure bases. We sleep, eat, dive, sleep, eat, dive, dive, sleep, eat, sleep. That’s a typical day. Today we’re heading out for another day of diving. Hopefully we’ll go west where we had almost no jellies last week.
One thing that’s nice out on the live-aboard is cutting the ties with the outside world. There’s no tv, no current newspapers and no news…except that which comes over the cell phones. Megan and I try to catch up when we return to the base on the weekend but we’re so busy that there’s little time for that too.
We had a cold breakfast then left the dock and started filling tanks. We needed to fill tanks because we used the full set for the night dive. We were headed west to Sand Key but took the ‘long way’ to give us the time needed to fill tanks. Along the way got to see a Coast Guard exercise where a helicopter picked up a person from a boat. When they were finished the helicopter ‘buzzed’ us. When we arrived at the dive site we tied up to the mooring ball and were immediately disappointed. Our friends the jellies were present and in large numbers, running deep too. Megan suited up in her Jaguar Shark outfit and hit the water to check things out. Her report was as we suspected…too many jellies to dive. I agreed from her assessment and the conditions from the surface. So it was lunch instead.
The main facility at Sea Base has suspended all night dives because of the jellies and some of the day dives are also being cancelled. It’s a problem of a magnitude that we haven’t had to deal with before.
After lunch we headed into the Conch Pearl mooring right in Key West Harbor. The crew spent the afternoon jumping into the water, spinning, flipping and doing ‘seal entries’. They kept at it for quite some time. Ah, the energy of youth. A couple of the adults took out the kayak too. During all of the jumping in another group started fishing, catching bait fish called Pinfish. We put a Pinfish on a big rod at night hoping to catch a bigger fish like a shark or barracuda.
Thursday night is steak night. When we catch lobsters it’s Surf N’ Turf. High Adventure Baby!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
SLS081311A - day four
The crew had a great night’s sleep…they were on the dock with air conditioning and no anchor watch. They even got to sleep in a bit. We had a great cooked breakfast; chocolate chip pancakes, sausage and eggs. The sun was hot so everyone squeezed into the shade to eat.
We headed out after breakfast to go lobstering back at Pelican Shoals. The wind had come up a little so we put up the aft mainsail and the jib. This was the first time we had put up the sails so it was something new for the crew. With the wind came a little roll on the ocean. This was another first since it had been flat all week. By the time we arrived at Pelican Shoals the wind had died down again and the water had started to flatten out. The visibility was great and there were few jellies. It looked like great conditions for lobstering. The only thing missing were the lobsters. The area had been picked over so the only ‘bugs’ to be found were either undersized or egg bearing females. The crew still gave it their best effort and stayed at it for over an hour. Once on the boat all they wanted to do was get back off the boat…they started diving in off of the side doing flips and turns and swimming, using ‘jelly spotters’ to avoid the nasty creatures.
After lobstering we headed for our next dive site. We went via the deep water to do a little fishing, fill tanks and have lunch along the way. By now the sea had flattened out so the ride was once again smooth. We were headed for a site called Angelfish Alley; a name Denny, Holley and I came up with after diving it and see a lot of angelfish. Upon arrival we observed a little too much current for a comfortable dive so we moved on to Toppino’s Buoy. At Toppino’s there was no current and the visibility was the best it had been so far. The jellies were still around but nowhere as bad as prior days.
After the dive the crew had to decide on options for their night dive. They could stay out on the reef and deal with the jellies in the dark or go back to the dock and check out all of the creatures living in the walls of the marina. The choice was the marina, a bonus being another night on the dock with another night of air conditioning and no anchor watch. We headed back in to the dock, had a dinner of bratwurst and prepared for the night dive.
The preparations for the dive consisted of a briefing, issuing lights and splitting the crew into teams. The dive was led by Megan, Holley and Denny. I stayed on deck to keep an eye on things. There’s always at least one person on deck during every dive. The crew really enjoyed the dive, even though it freaked them out a bit. The big hit was the octopuses. Each group saw at least 5 of them.
The evening ended with everyone taking showers then bedding down for the night…in air conditioning.
A note on the tropical weather forecast. The are no storms expected during the rest of the trip. Invest 93L, an unnamed low, is headed for Mexico and will not affect us.
We headed out after breakfast to go lobstering back at Pelican Shoals. The wind had come up a little so we put up the aft mainsail and the jib. This was the first time we had put up the sails so it was something new for the crew. With the wind came a little roll on the ocean. This was another first since it had been flat all week. By the time we arrived at Pelican Shoals the wind had died down again and the water had started to flatten out. The visibility was great and there were few jellies. It looked like great conditions for lobstering. The only thing missing were the lobsters. The area had been picked over so the only ‘bugs’ to be found were either undersized or egg bearing females. The crew still gave it their best effort and stayed at it for over an hour. Once on the boat all they wanted to do was get back off the boat…they started diving in off of the side doing flips and turns and swimming, using ‘jelly spotters’ to avoid the nasty creatures.
After lobstering we headed for our next dive site. We went via the deep water to do a little fishing, fill tanks and have lunch along the way. By now the sea had flattened out so the ride was once again smooth. We were headed for a site called Angelfish Alley; a name Denny, Holley and I came up with after diving it and see a lot of angelfish. Upon arrival we observed a little too much current for a comfortable dive so we moved on to Toppino’s Buoy. At Toppino’s there was no current and the visibility was the best it had been so far. The jellies were still around but nowhere as bad as prior days.
After the dive the crew had to decide on options for their night dive. They could stay out on the reef and deal with the jellies in the dark or go back to the dock and check out all of the creatures living in the walls of the marina. The choice was the marina, a bonus being another night on the dock with another night of air conditioning and no anchor watch. We headed back in to the dock, had a dinner of bratwurst and prepared for the night dive.
The preparations for the dive consisted of a briefing, issuing lights and splitting the crew into teams. The dive was led by Megan, Holley and Denny. I stayed on deck to keep an eye on things. There’s always at least one person on deck during every dive. The crew really enjoyed the dive, even though it freaked them out a bit. The big hit was the octopuses. Each group saw at least 5 of them.
The evening ended with everyone taking showers then bedding down for the night…in air conditioning.
A note on the tropical weather forecast. The are no storms expected during the rest of the trip. Invest 93L, an unnamed low, is headed for Mexico and will not affect us.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
SLS081311A - day three
We had a good rain storm overnight. In fact it’s still raining as I write this at 05:00. The storms come and go here. Welcome to the Florida Keys in August. It can be raining hard on one side of the road and sunny on the other. It’s a good way to get the scuba gear washed. It’s also helping to keep the temperature down.
We’ve been dealing with an overpopulation of jellyfish here in the Keys. It’s mentioned quite predominantly in almost all of my posts. If you run into one directly it can give you quite a nasty sting. It’s hard to accurately convey the numbers we are seeing. On the third dive yesterday it took almost 15 minutes to get all of the divers back on board. We wait on the bottom for a ‘window of opportunity’ when a diver can get to the surface safely and up the ladder without getting stung; one diver at a time. If you wait on the surface it’s hard to avoid the jellies.
Tuesdays first dive was nice, Looe Key, with very few jellies. The visibility was better than other dives too. The crew are becoming better divers and before the week is out they may even be able to figure out where they are going and where they are, in relation to the boat.
Between dives we motor from site to site, filling the tanks along the way. The boys sometimes have trouble keeping occupied so as you might expect they make their own fun. This morning’s game was to see how many clothes pins they could stick on Megan without her knowing. After about 8 she let on that she knew all along what they were up to.
The second dive was at Pelican Shoals. It’s the site where we will be lobstering tomorrow. There were no jellies so a few of the boys decided to snorkel to check out the site while everyone else went diving. Navigation had improved greatly and no one ended up too far from the boat. When the divers returned to the boat so had the jellies…in mass. It was time to play dodge ‘em again to get back on the boat. The snorklers were ‘trapped’ up in the shallow water of the shoal and had to wait until the jellies thinned out before they could return to the boat.
After the dive we headed back into the dock where we had started, for our mid-week break. It was a day earlier than scheduled. We moved it around a bit depending on conditions. On the night of our mid-week break we are at the dock so the crew gets to take real showers, use real bathrooms, have Air Conditioning and there’s no anchor watch. They also usually take a walk up to the local store to get sodas and snacks. By the time they return it’s time to turn in for the night.
Don't forget to go to www.schoonerconchpearl.com for pictures.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
SLS081311A - day two
...don't forget to link to http://www.schoonerconchpearl.com/ for pictures of the crew's adventure!
Last night was a beautiful night for anchor watch…full moon. Unfortunately there was little to no breeze which made it stifling for sleeping, on deck or below. At least below deck the bunks all have fans. It was a leisurely wake-up to diverDave’s morning mix of music and to a breakfast of cereal and pop tarts. We eat a cold breakfast most mornings so that we can get going right away. We had been anchored at Key Lois (no monkeys sighted) and we headed off to Looe Key. Looe Key is a very well-known diving and snorkeling spot. On the way we went into deeper water so that we would have more time to fill the scuba tanks. The number of Jellyfish was unbelievable. We were trolling with two rods but hadn’t had any luck yet.
Looe Key was fairly crowded with snorkel boats, despite the number of jellyfish. We had no choice but to contend with them if we wanted to dive. Everyone had to wait for a window of opportunity to enter and exit the water. The boys called them ‘ninja jellys’ since they seemed to come from nowhere. After the dive we had our usual lunch of sandwiches, fruit and cookies. Always cookies.
We headed from Looe Key to Sombrero Key, again going offshore to have more time to fill tanks. This time both fishing rods lit up at the same time. We caught two very feisty bonita’s.
Sombrero had a good number of boats on it, along with a good number of jellyfish. Despite the jellys it was a good dive. Between dives we headed back offshore to fish while we filled more scuba tanks. This time Brian had a large dolphin on the line that launched itself into the air and broke the line. When we returned to Sombrero the jellys were everywhere. It was even worse at the end of the dive. It takes planning and agility to get back on the boat safely when there are large jellyfish everywhere. These guys should get the jellyfish avoidance specialty.
We headed into the anchorage under a beautiful evening sky. Once the anchor was down we brought out the Cuban Yo-Yos (handlines) to do a little fishing. The crew caught quite a number of small fish. One of the fish volunteered to go on the shark line for the overnight. We rig one rod with a fish and leave it out overnight in hopes of catching a shark. Last week we caught a 48” barracuda on the shark line. It was not a happy fish.
Last night was a beautiful night for anchor watch…full moon. Unfortunately there was little to no breeze which made it stifling for sleeping, on deck or below. At least below deck the bunks all have fans. It was a leisurely wake-up to diverDave’s morning mix of music and to a breakfast of cereal and pop tarts. We eat a cold breakfast most mornings so that we can get going right away. We had been anchored at Key Lois (no monkeys sighted) and we headed off to Looe Key. Looe Key is a very well-known diving and snorkeling spot. On the way we went into deeper water so that we would have more time to fill the scuba tanks. The number of Jellyfish was unbelievable. We were trolling with two rods but hadn’t had any luck yet.
Looe Key was fairly crowded with snorkel boats, despite the number of jellyfish. We had no choice but to contend with them if we wanted to dive. Everyone had to wait for a window of opportunity to enter and exit the water. The boys called them ‘ninja jellys’ since they seemed to come from nowhere. After the dive we had our usual lunch of sandwiches, fruit and cookies. Always cookies.
We headed from Looe Key to Sombrero Key, again going offshore to have more time to fill tanks. This time both fishing rods lit up at the same time. We caught two very feisty bonita’s.
Sombrero had a good number of boats on it, along with a good number of jellyfish. Despite the jellys it was a good dive. Between dives we headed back offshore to fish while we filled more scuba tanks. This time Brian had a large dolphin on the line that launched itself into the air and broke the line. When we returned to Sombrero the jellys were everywhere. It was even worse at the end of the dive. It takes planning and agility to get back on the boat safely when there are large jellyfish everywhere. These guys should get the jellyfish avoidance specialty.
We headed into the anchorage under a beautiful evening sky. Once the anchor was down we brought out the Cuban Yo-Yos (handlines) to do a little fishing. The crew caught quite a number of small fish. One of the fish volunteered to go on the shark line for the overnight. We rig one rod with a fish and leave it out overnight in hopes of catching a shark. Last week we caught a 48” barracuda on the shark line. It was not a happy fish.
Monday, August 15, 2011
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SLS081311A - day one
To see pictures of the trip go to http://www.schoonerconchpearl.com/ . Captain Holley posts pictures every day or two.
Sunday is the first full day for the Scuba Live-Aboard. They were awakened at 5am by the other crew that was sharing the San Francisco room with them. The other crew decided it was soooo important that they clean before they left, regardless of the noise they were making. It was put to a stop when they dragged out the vacuum cleaner.
The crew made it to flags at 07:45 ready to go. After flags it was breakfast then the real fun started. We met at the commissary at 09:00 to start the provisioning process. Some of the crew went inside to inventory and pack all of the food for the week. The rest of the crew was on ice duty. We take a lot of ice with us, 3 large coolers of block ice and three large coolers of cubed ice, and they are heavy. Once the trailer was filled with all of the food and ice we moved over to the scuba area. Here we loaded 14 scuba tanks, all of the scuba gear and all of the personal gear. The little trailer was getting quite full so we ended up putting some of the personal gear in the back of the vans. While this was going on a few of the crew went back to the dorms to finish cleaning.
With everything ready to go we loaded into the vans and headed out…’wheels up’ at 10:00…pretty good. The ride takes about 1 ½ hours so on the way we discussed the trip and even practiced knots. Captain Denny likes it when the scouts can tie at least a clove hitch. My van stopped along the way at Baby’s Coffee; the Southernmost Coffee Roaster in the US. They sell all kinds of coffee with funky names. One of my favorites is ‘Death by Coffee’. Megan’s van stopped at CVS. Stopping on the way to and from the boat is one of the few times we have a chance to get out as live-aboard instructors. We only have Saturday mornings off.
We arrived at the boat at 11:30…right on schedule! We were greeted by Captains Denny and Holley and then the fun began. Everything that was loaded into the trailer and vans had to be unloaded and carried to the boat to be stowed or set up on board. It’s about a 50 yd. walk, including a small set of steps. Everything was hauled to the boat, stowed or set-up and then we had an on-board orientation and lunch. Now the fun begins.
We headed out to the reef. It was a nice day; sunny, the sea was flat and there was a slight breeze. Then we arrive at the dive site…JELLYFISH…and lots of them. We’ve been dealing with this problem for weeks here in the Keys and the hope is we’ll get to a dive site without any or at least very few. Not this one. The first dive is a led dive where the divers follow an instructor around so that their skills can be assessed and so that they can get acclimated to diving in the ocean. This went well so the divers were able to be turned loose for the second dive…a buddy dive. Despite all of the jellyfish, both dives went well, with very few minor stings. By the end of the week they’ll be experts at dodging jellyfish. It’s like being in a frogger game.
After the dives we headed for Key Lois and ‘monkey island’. You’ll have to ask the boys about that. It was a beautiful ride with lots of flying fish exploding out of the water. We had dinner on the way; chicken patties, stuffing and corn. We arrived at the anchor site, dropped the hook and settled in for a very quiet night.
Sunday is the first full day for the Scuba Live-Aboard. They were awakened at 5am by the other crew that was sharing the San Francisco room with them. The other crew decided it was soooo important that they clean before they left, regardless of the noise they were making. It was put to a stop when they dragged out the vacuum cleaner.
The crew made it to flags at 07:45 ready to go. After flags it was breakfast then the real fun started. We met at the commissary at 09:00 to start the provisioning process. Some of the crew went inside to inventory and pack all of the food for the week. The rest of the crew was on ice duty. We take a lot of ice with us, 3 large coolers of block ice and three large coolers of cubed ice, and they are heavy. Once the trailer was filled with all of the food and ice we moved over to the scuba area. Here we loaded 14 scuba tanks, all of the scuba gear and all of the personal gear. The little trailer was getting quite full so we ended up putting some of the personal gear in the back of the vans. While this was going on a few of the crew went back to the dorms to finish cleaning.
With everything ready to go we loaded into the vans and headed out…’wheels up’ at 10:00…pretty good. The ride takes about 1 ½ hours so on the way we discussed the trip and even practiced knots. Captain Denny likes it when the scouts can tie at least a clove hitch. My van stopped along the way at Baby’s Coffee; the Southernmost Coffee Roaster in the US. They sell all kinds of coffee with funky names. One of my favorites is ‘Death by Coffee’. Megan’s van stopped at CVS. Stopping on the way to and from the boat is one of the few times we have a chance to get out as live-aboard instructors. We only have Saturday mornings off.
We arrived at the boat at 11:30…right on schedule! We were greeted by Captains Denny and Holley and then the fun began. Everything that was loaded into the trailer and vans had to be unloaded and carried to the boat to be stowed or set up on board. It’s about a 50 yd. walk, including a small set of steps. Everything was hauled to the boat, stowed or set-up and then we had an on-board orientation and lunch. Now the fun begins.
We headed out to the reef. It was a nice day; sunny, the sea was flat and there was a slight breeze. Then we arrive at the dive site…JELLYFISH…and lots of them. We’ve been dealing with this problem for weeks here in the Keys and the hope is we’ll get to a dive site without any or at least very few. Not this one. The first dive is a led dive where the divers follow an instructor around so that their skills can be assessed and so that they can get acclimated to diving in the ocean. This went well so the divers were able to be turned loose for the second dive…a buddy dive. Despite all of the jellyfish, both dives went well, with very few minor stings. By the end of the week they’ll be experts at dodging jellyfish. It’s like being in a frogger game.
After the dives we headed for Key Lois and ‘monkey island’. You’ll have to ask the boys about that. It was a beautiful ride with lots of flying fish exploding out of the water. We had dinner on the way; chicken patties, stuffing and corn. We arrived at the anchor site, dropped the hook and settled in for a very quiet night.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
SLS081311A arrives
The crew arrived at about 13:00. Tha's a little early but we prefer that they arrive earlier than the advertised time of 14:00 because we have a lot to accomplish. Administrative check-in went quickly, with very little paperwork to correct. Immediately after check-in we went and had our picture taken. This is done right after arrival, while crews usually still look their best. After photos the crew was moved into the sailing dorms, the San Francisco room. They changed into their bathings suits, had a quick review of Participant Policies and then headed off for the swim review.
We've been having a problem with moon jellyfish here in the Keys and our swim review area in the lagoon is no exception. We did our best to point out jellies and direct the swimmers around them but a few of the boys still got stung; bad enough to require treatment with vinegar.
Next we issued scuba gear to the crew, bcd's and regulators, then headed off to the scuba pools. We have two above ground pools here at FSB; a fout foot pool for training and a ten foot pool for scuba skills. The crew went through their skills review without any problems. They were out of the pool and had their scuba gear packed with enough time left over to take a shower before flags.
The crew attended flags, a real circus, and then went to dinner. After dinner we had a classroom orientation of the upcoming trip.
We've been having a problem with moon jellyfish here in the Keys and our swim review area in the lagoon is no exception. We did our best to point out jellies and direct the swimmers around them but a few of the boys still got stung; bad enough to require treatment with vinegar.
Next we issued scuba gear to the crew, bcd's and regulators, then headed off to the scuba pools. We have two above ground pools here at FSB; a fout foot pool for training and a ten foot pool for scuba skills. The crew went through their skills review without any problems. They were out of the pool and had their scuba gear packed with enough time left over to take a shower before flags.
The crew attended flags, a real circus, and then went to dinner. After dinner we had a classroom orientation of the upcoming trip.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
SLS080611A - day four
Wednesday was a fun day. We left Key Lois and had a cooked breakfast while under way. We were headed for Pelican Shoals, a favorite lobstering site. Lobstering is fun in the keys. The lobsters here are spiney lobsters...instead of claws they have boney whips coming out of the front of their heads. Although that may sound sedate they can move...fast...in reverse. We also catch them while snorkeling as using scuba for lobstering is against Florida Sea Base policy. The crew was having such a great time that they decided to continue lobstering rather than go for an afternoon dive. Everyone participated, including Denny, Holly, Megan and Dave and the total count was 21 lobsters. We'll have 'surf n' turf' on Thursday night; lobster and steaks.
Wendesday is also our mid-week break back at the marina where we started. Here everyone can get a shower and there's no anchor watch. The best part is we sleep in air conditioning! The crew opted to go out to dinner so they walked a few blocks to the Rusty Anchor. After dinner they took a walk to the local 'Stop and Rob' (local market) for some after dinner treats.
Wendesday is also our mid-week break back at the marina where we started. Here everyone can get a shower and there's no anchor watch. The best part is we sleep in air conditioning! The crew opted to go out to dinner so they walked a few blocks to the Rusty Anchor. After dinner they took a walk to the local 'Stop and Rob' (local market) for some after dinner treats.
SLS080611A - day three
Again, check out www.schoonerconchpearl.com for pictures:
Yesterday was a day where we had to invoke the FSB motto 'Semper Gumby' or 'always flexible'. We were going to have a nice, cooked breakfast. Unfortunately the water pump that supplies all of the fresh water had different plans. Fortunately Capt. Denny is always prepared. He replaced the pump in short time and the only impact was a cold breakfast instead of a hot breakfast. Since it's 83 degrees at 7am a hot breakfast wasn't missed much.
We pulled up the anchor and headed for Poncho's Fuel Dock in Marathon. There we refill the water tanks, refuel the boat, compressor and generator and dump trash. It also gives the crew a chance to get off of the boat for a few minutes and buy goodies at the store; soda, ice cream, etc.
After we finished at Poncho's we started filling tanks and headed back out to Sombrero Reef. The scuba tanks get refilled by a deisel powered compressor on the back of the boat. The weather was beautiful so there were alot of boats at Sombrero. The only impact this has on the divers is that they have to be hyper-aware of boat traffic. The diving at Sombrero was better than the day before, with improved visibility.
After the dive at Sombrero we headed back to Looe Key. We trolled for fish along the way and the crew caught several small tunas called tunys. We also filled more tanks. Tank filling is an almost constant process when we're moving from site to site. Looe Key was also filled with boats. Looe Key has about 20+ mooring balls for boats to tie up to and they were all full but one or two. Luckily one was clear next to a nice part of the reef. This dive was the best so far; seas were smooth, there was no current or surge and visibility was 40-50ft. We were also planning a night dive here so we advised the divers to take a good look around to familiarize themselves with the area around the boat. The dive was great and it ended with a large Golioth Grouper hanging around under the boat. It was almost as big as Ben.
We decided to stay at Looe Key for our night dive but best laid plans...semper gumby. A storm was forming over the Keys and was threatening to come our way. Again, summer in the Florida Keys. We packed everything up and headed in to the mooring. Better to be under way than sitting on a mooring during a storm. So much for a night dive that night! By the time we got to the mooring place next to Key Lois the storm had passed. We had made the right choice because it had been full of lightning.
Once we were anchored the crew immediately grabbed the cuban yoyos for more fishing while dinner was being prepared. Dinner was bratwurst and more Wahoo. They were very successful catching plenty of fish for the nightly shark line. This was also a success but not with a shark...they caught a rather large barracuda. It was not happy and Capt. Denny had a rough time wrangeling it into submission. Large barracuda have large, nasty teeth which deserve great respect and caution when handeling.
Yesterday was a day where we had to invoke the FSB motto 'Semper Gumby' or 'always flexible'. We were going to have a nice, cooked breakfast. Unfortunately the water pump that supplies all of the fresh water had different plans. Fortunately Capt. Denny is always prepared. He replaced the pump in short time and the only impact was a cold breakfast instead of a hot breakfast. Since it's 83 degrees at 7am a hot breakfast wasn't missed much.
We pulled up the anchor and headed for Poncho's Fuel Dock in Marathon. There we refill the water tanks, refuel the boat, compressor and generator and dump trash. It also gives the crew a chance to get off of the boat for a few minutes and buy goodies at the store; soda, ice cream, etc.
After we finished at Poncho's we started filling tanks and headed back out to Sombrero Reef. The scuba tanks get refilled by a deisel powered compressor on the back of the boat. The weather was beautiful so there were alot of boats at Sombrero. The only impact this has on the divers is that they have to be hyper-aware of boat traffic. The diving at Sombrero was better than the day before, with improved visibility.
After the dive at Sombrero we headed back to Looe Key. We trolled for fish along the way and the crew caught several small tunas called tunys. We also filled more tanks. Tank filling is an almost constant process when we're moving from site to site. Looe Key was also filled with boats. Looe Key has about 20+ mooring balls for boats to tie up to and they were all full but one or two. Luckily one was clear next to a nice part of the reef. This dive was the best so far; seas were smooth, there was no current or surge and visibility was 40-50ft. We were also planning a night dive here so we advised the divers to take a good look around to familiarize themselves with the area around the boat. The dive was great and it ended with a large Golioth Grouper hanging around under the boat. It was almost as big as Ben.
We decided to stay at Looe Key for our night dive but best laid plans...semper gumby. A storm was forming over the Keys and was threatening to come our way. Again, summer in the Florida Keys. We packed everything up and headed in to the mooring. Better to be under way than sitting on a mooring during a storm. So much for a night dive that night! By the time we got to the mooring place next to Key Lois the storm had passed. We had made the right choice because it had been full of lightning.
Once we were anchored the crew immediately grabbed the cuban yoyos for more fishing while dinner was being prepared. Dinner was bratwurst and more Wahoo. They were very successful catching plenty of fish for the nightly shark line. This was also a success but not with a shark...they caught a rather large barracuda. It was not happy and Capt. Denny had a rough time wrangeling it into submission. Large barracuda have large, nasty teeth which deserve great respect and caution when handeling.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
SLS080611A - day two
Yesterday started like most days. The crew woke slowly when the generator started at 07:30. Some early risers were already up along with the last anchor watch shift. We had a 'cold' breakfast; fruit, cereal, pop tarts, etc. We eat a cold breakfast because it is quick so that we can get going.
We motored down to our first dive spot, Looe Key. Looe Key is a very famous dive spot. (google Looe Key for more information). The visibility was better than the day before at Western Sambo so the divers really enjoyed it. The were sightings of all sorts of fish.
We left Looe key and headed for Sombrero Reef. When we are motoring from spot st spot we usually troll with one or two poles. This time it paid off. Phil caught a HUGH wahoo (which was delicious) and Kent caught a barracuda. Wait until you see the pictures! Check www.schoonerconchpearl.com for pics. Along the way a few storms started popping up around us. Welcome to summertime in the Florida Keys. Captain Denny does a great job of steering around the storm cells but we still got rained on for a bit.
When we arrived at Sombrero Reef it was still cloudy. There was only one boat there (usually there are quite a few) so we had our pick of mooring balls. Sombrero Key is my favorite place to dive in all of the Florida Keys. We did two dives here; one at each end of the reef. The visibility was not great, 15-20 ft. but it was still nice. Again there were lots of animals spotted including a turtle and some lionfish.
When the dives were finished everyone (well almost everyone) washed up using the hose/shower and settled in for the ride into the mooring. We dropped anchor off of Boot Key, right outside of Marathon FL. We were next to a super yacht. Megan looked it up on her cell phone and we found out it was worth almost 20 million. wow!
Once the anchor was dropped the crew started fishing for baitfish using 'cuban yoyos'. These are hoops with line wrapped around them that are used as hand lines. At first they didn't have much luck but then they caught a few. The baitfish is used to bait a shark line that is left out overnight. Dinner was next. Capt. Denny grilled the yahoo along with some chicken patties. We also had stuffing, corn and salad. We eat well on the Conch Pearl.
Dinner was a little late so the sun set soon after. The crew started staking claim to sleeping spots on the deck and soon turned in for the night.
We motored down to our first dive spot, Looe Key. Looe Key is a very famous dive spot. (google Looe Key for more information). The visibility was better than the day before at Western Sambo so the divers really enjoyed it. The were sightings of all sorts of fish.
We left Looe key and headed for Sombrero Reef. When we are motoring from spot st spot we usually troll with one or two poles. This time it paid off. Phil caught a HUGH wahoo (which was delicious) and Kent caught a barracuda. Wait until you see the pictures! Check www.schoonerconchpearl.com for pics. Along the way a few storms started popping up around us. Welcome to summertime in the Florida Keys. Captain Denny does a great job of steering around the storm cells but we still got rained on for a bit.
When we arrived at Sombrero Reef it was still cloudy. There was only one boat there (usually there are quite a few) so we had our pick of mooring balls. Sombrero Key is my favorite place to dive in all of the Florida Keys. We did two dives here; one at each end of the reef. The visibility was not great, 15-20 ft. but it was still nice. Again there were lots of animals spotted including a turtle and some lionfish.
When the dives were finished everyone (well almost everyone) washed up using the hose/shower and settled in for the ride into the mooring. We dropped anchor off of Boot Key, right outside of Marathon FL. We were next to a super yacht. Megan looked it up on her cell phone and we found out it was worth almost 20 million. wow!
Once the anchor was dropped the crew started fishing for baitfish using 'cuban yoyos'. These are hoops with line wrapped around them that are used as hand lines. At first they didn't have much luck but then they caught a few. The baitfish is used to bait a shark line that is left out overnight. Dinner was next. Capt. Denny grilled the yahoo along with some chicken patties. We also had stuffing, corn and salad. We eat well on the Conch Pearl.
Dinner was a little late so the sun set soon after. The crew started staking claim to sleeping spots on the deck and soon turned in for the night.
Monday, August 8, 2011
SLS080611A - day one
Sunday is considered day one, even though the crew arrives on Saturday. Sunday is our first full day. The day flowed along very well. The crew was up and had all of their personal gear packed before breakfast. This is a good sign. We attended 'flags' and then it was off for a breakfast of biscuits and gravy.
After breakfast we met at the commisary to take care of our food and ice. The crew had to pack six large coolers with ice (very heavy) and also had to inventory all of the food we would be taking along. There's alot of food for 14 people for a week. This was all loaded into a trailer and then the trailer moved over to the scuba area. Here the crew loaded 12 scuba tanks, all of their dive gear and their personal gear into the trailer. It's a small trailer and it was packed tight and heavy.
Finally it was time to depart. We all hopped into the two vans, one for youth, one for adults (their choice, not ours) and off we went. There's always a 'sigh of relief' whenever we finally leave FSB property and get on the road. The trip takes about and hour and a half to Stock Island, right outside of Key West, where the Conch Pearl is moored.
It's always a pleasure to arrive at the boat and be greeted by Captains Denny and Holley. Now it was time to unload the trailer and vans and haul all of the stuff down the dock, about 75 yards, to the boat. It was hot so this was a workout but everyone pitched in so it did not take long. The next step is to get everything on board and put away; the food, the scuba gear and personal gear.
With all of that done it was time to relax, go through the boat briefing and have lunch. Until the end of the trip, when the boat is unloaded, there is no more hard labor. Basically a normal day consists of...eat, dive, sleep, repeat.
We motored out to the reef to a site called Western Sambo, the Haystacks, for our first dives. The first dive is a lead dive where the crew follows the instructors around the reef. This is when the instructors get to work out any kinks and to assess the crew's abilities. Again, this went very well, except for Merry who had some weighting issues. The second dive is a 'buddy dive' where the divers are free to go off on their own with their buddies. All of the youth in the crew are under 15 so they are junior divers and must dive with an adult. The second dive also went well which is a relief to the instructors.
Once the dives were done the crew stowed thier scuba gear, rinsed off and changed into dry clothes. Rinsing off or showering is accomplished with a freshwater hose up on the forward deck. It isn't very refreshing because most of the hose is lying out in the sun. We had dinner, hamburgers (crazy dream burgers), and motored to our mooring for the night, Key Lois.
I fell asleep so I don't know what else happened...sorry.
After breakfast we met at the commisary to take care of our food and ice. The crew had to pack six large coolers with ice (very heavy) and also had to inventory all of the food we would be taking along. There's alot of food for 14 people for a week. This was all loaded into a trailer and then the trailer moved over to the scuba area. Here the crew loaded 12 scuba tanks, all of their dive gear and their personal gear into the trailer. It's a small trailer and it was packed tight and heavy.
Finally it was time to depart. We all hopped into the two vans, one for youth, one for adults (their choice, not ours) and off we went. There's always a 'sigh of relief' whenever we finally leave FSB property and get on the road. The trip takes about and hour and a half to Stock Island, right outside of Key West, where the Conch Pearl is moored.
It's always a pleasure to arrive at the boat and be greeted by Captains Denny and Holley. Now it was time to unload the trailer and vans and haul all of the stuff down the dock, about 75 yards, to the boat. It was hot so this was a workout but everyone pitched in so it did not take long. The next step is to get everything on board and put away; the food, the scuba gear and personal gear.
With all of that done it was time to relax, go through the boat briefing and have lunch. Until the end of the trip, when the boat is unloaded, there is no more hard labor. Basically a normal day consists of...eat, dive, sleep, repeat.
We motored out to the reef to a site called Western Sambo, the Haystacks, for our first dives. The first dive is a lead dive where the crew follows the instructors around the reef. This is when the instructors get to work out any kinks and to assess the crew's abilities. Again, this went very well, except for Merry who had some weighting issues. The second dive is a 'buddy dive' where the divers are free to go off on their own with their buddies. All of the youth in the crew are under 15 so they are junior divers and must dive with an adult. The second dive also went well which is a relief to the instructors.
Once the dives were done the crew stowed thier scuba gear, rinsed off and changed into dry clothes. Rinsing off or showering is accomplished with a freshwater hose up on the forward deck. It isn't very refreshing because most of the hose is lying out in the sun. We had dinner, hamburgers (crazy dream burgers), and motored to our mooring for the night, Key Lois.
I fell asleep so I don't know what else happened...sorry.
blogging the adventure
Hi, I'm diverDave, one of the two scuba live-aboard instructors for your crew's adventure. I will be trying to update this blog daily to keep everyone at home up to date on the happening here on board. I won't be posting pictures. Pictures can be seen on the schooner conch pearl website: http://www.schoonerconchpearl.com
where Captain Holley will beposting her pictures. Your crew is also taking lots of pictures.
If you like what I'm writing please comment. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in the comments.
YIS
Dave Ball
aka diverDave
where Captain Holley will beposting her pictures. Your crew is also taking lots of pictures.
If you like what I'm writing please comment. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in the comments.
YIS
Dave Ball
aka diverDave
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Two instructors, no waiting
The live-aboard program used to staff the Conch Pearl with two captains and one crew member; a divemaster/instructor. Because of changes in Coast Guard regulations we now have to have two crew members. This is a new thing for me. I have always worked as the lone instructor on board. I am very fortunate to be teamed up with Megan Ware...a very detail oriented, program focused instructor. So far working with her through crew check-in has gone very well. Having two instructors that are experienced with the program made things go quickly and smoothly, even with the few bumps we encountered with equipment at the pool.
I have had alot of input in the past in the development of the program. I have been working on the Conch Pearl since 2005... but Megan has taken it to a new level. Instead of running things off of the 'top of my head' she has developed a bunch of reference cards and signs to help direct the program. This standardization will help assure that all crews have the same chance for a great experience. Not that they didn't have a great time before...it just makes things a bit easier and removes some of the guesswork as to what has to be done.
I'm looking forward to a great three weeks and hope to keep up with Megan.
I have had alot of input in the past in the development of the program. I have been working on the Conch Pearl since 2005... but Megan has taken it to a new level. Instead of running things off of the 'top of my head' she has developed a bunch of reference cards and signs to help direct the program. This standardization will help assure that all crews have the same chance for a great experience. Not that they didn't have a great time before...it just makes things a bit easier and removes some of the guesswork as to what has to be done.
I'm looking forward to a great three weeks and hope to keep up with Megan.
SLS080611A Arrives
Yesterday was a hot, hot day. The kind if hot where the wind feels like someone has a hair dryer pointed at you. At least I like the heat so it wasn't that bad for me. The crew arrived early so they went 'across the street' to Habanos (spelling might be wrong) for lunch. We like it when the crews arrive a little early, as we have alot to accomplish, but not before the staff has lunch.
Check-in went well (except for a few missed signatures) then it was off to the dorms. The crew got settled in and changed into their bathing suits then it was off to the swim area for the swim review. The water is warm this time of year so it is not as refreshing as you might think. After the swim test we moved to the gear room to sign out any scuba equipment that the crew needed.
Now the fun begins. We moved over to the scuba area for the in-water skills check. Here the crew assembles their scuba gear and we get into the 10' pool for a scuba skills review. This was a little bumpy as we had a few equipment issues but these were worked out with a few substitutions. The skills check went very well, giving us a good feeling about the crew's abilities. Sometimes the skills check can be a real train wreck. We were running a little late so the crew went to dinner in their wet bathing suits; not an unusual occurance here at Florida Sea Base.
After dinner the crew went back to the dorms to get into dry clothes and then is was time for the classroom. Megan gave an orientation briefing which included a video on how to use the marine head. This was also an opportunity for us to answer any questions the crew may have still had. After the orientation it was free time then off to bed.
Check-in went well (except for a few missed signatures) then it was off to the dorms. The crew got settled in and changed into their bathing suits then it was off to the swim area for the swim review. The water is warm this time of year so it is not as refreshing as you might think. After the swim test we moved to the gear room to sign out any scuba equipment that the crew needed.
Now the fun begins. We moved over to the scuba area for the in-water skills check. Here the crew assembles their scuba gear and we get into the 10' pool for a scuba skills review. This was a little bumpy as we had a few equipment issues but these were worked out with a few substitutions. The skills check went very well, giving us a good feeling about the crew's abilities. Sometimes the skills check can be a real train wreck. We were running a little late so the crew went to dinner in their wet bathing suits; not an unusual occurance here at Florida Sea Base.
After dinner the crew went back to the dorms to get into dry clothes and then is was time for the classroom. Megan gave an orientation briefing which included a video on how to use the marine head. This was also an opportunity for us to answer any questions the crew may have still had. After the orientation it was free time then off to bed.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Ready to return...
I'm going to be returning to the Conch Pearl for the last three weeks of the regular summer season at Florida Sea Base. The end of the summer is a difficult time for FSB when it comes to staffing; some staff have been fired, some have been sick or injured and some leave before the end of the season for school. No matter the reason I help fill in at the end of the season. Of course there is a selfish component to it all as I really love being on the Conch Pearl.
There is a new twist...the Conch Pearl is now staffed with two instructor/divemasters due to a change in Coast Guard requirements. Seems like overkill and I can't wait to see how two instructors keep busy.
Anyway, the water is very warm (no wetsuit, yeah!), lobsters are in season (yum) and it's hot.
I still have to pack and go through my dive gear but those things are a labor of love.
Four days and counting.
There is a new twist...the Conch Pearl is now staffed with two instructor/divemasters due to a change in Coast Guard requirements. Seems like overkill and I can't wait to see how two instructors keep busy.
Anyway, the water is very warm (no wetsuit, yeah!), lobsters are in season (yum) and it's hot.
I still have to pack and go through my dive gear but those things are a labor of love.
Four days and counting.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Conch Pearl Vacation - Day 4
Yesterday was another slow start. This boat stuff really wears you out. We kept it simple with a breakfast of bagels. Denny also had a couple of small projects to take care before we could leave for the day's diving. It was a hot, sunny day needing plenty of sunscreen. We have a sun shade on the boat but it doesn't cover everywhere.
We had lunch and started out to the Vandenberg again. We couldn't believe the conditions when we got there. There was no current and the water was very clear! We were working on Alicia's Advanced Open Water Certification and this was her wreck dive. What a nice dive. Next we moved onto a site called Nine Foot Stake. It's only about 25 feet deep so it's a relaxing dive. We saw one lionfish (I didn't have my spear) and a very friendly Southern Stingray. Alicia used this dive for her Fish ID training dive. We did one more dive at Nine Foot Stake so that Alicia could finish her Advanced work by doing navigation skills. This finished the diving portion of her Advanced Open water. Once she finishes the bookwork she'll be done.
We finished off the dive day by motoring in during sunset and having a nice chicken dinner on deck.
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For anyone reading this blog. Please leave comments and let me know what you think.
Thanks
diverDave
Thanks
diverDave
Conch Pearl Vacation - Day 3
Yesterday was a slow start. Everyone used the opportunity to sleep in a bit, then we had a great breakfast of ham and cheese omelets. We were going to go diving so we had to get all of the equipment and tanks loaded and prepared.
We headed out to the reef. The water was a little green but the surface was very smooth and there was almost no wind. When we got to the reef we could see the bottom clearly...not too shabby. Heather took some pictures of fish. The picture is of a school of Sgt. Majors.
Next stop was the Vandenberg; a large wreck off of Key West. http://www.keywest.com/vandenberg There was absolutely no current and visibility was about 40 feet. We followed the mooring line down to the wreck then explored a bit. Like all tourists, everyone wanted their picture taken...in the radar dish. It's at about 80 feet. We completed the dive without incident (the way we like it) and headed back to the dock.
At the dock we had a great spaghetti dinner then headed into Key West to watch the Phillies game (they lost, boo) and have ice cream. After that it was back to the boat where everyone passed out.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Conch Pearl Vacation - Day 2
Yesterday was a big day for the Conch Pearl. Every five years they have a rather thorough inspection by the US Coast Guard for the renewal of their COI; Certificate of Inspection. Being an 'Inspected' vessel is very important. It certifies the safety of the vessel and qualification of captains and crew. I was the trained crew for this inspection which primarially involved performing a man overboard drill. I didn't do much else as Denny and Holley had to prove that they could handle the vessel themselves, just the two of them, from leaving the dock, putting up the sails, taking down the sails and docking. Needless to say, they did quite well and passed the inspection. Yeah!
Everyone got up early so that they could get off the vessel for the inspection...and they wanted to go to Key West for most of the day. http://www.keywesycity.com/
Barbara, Heather, Chris and Alicia spent most of the day shopping and doing the things most people do in KW. Heather, Chris and Alicia even went parasailing. 
They had a blast.
They had a blast.They returned to the boat with the usual souviniers; t-shirts. Key West has some of the most interesting and provocative t-shirts I have ever seen.
Barbara and Holley went food shopping while Chris, Alicia and I set up scuba gear. It's a chore setting up gear for five divers. We had a small bump in the road with the regulators but e overcame that.
Dinner was great...grilled pork chops. It's great sitting down to a nice meal with friends.
Heather, Chris and Alicia went back into KW while the rest of us relaxed with chocolate cake then it was off to bed...before the kids returned home.
What's this all got to do with diving....not much except today we go diving!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Conch Pearl Vacation - Day 1
Yesterday was the first day of our vacation aboard the Conch Pearl. http://www.schoonerconchpearl.com/ Barbara and I were already in the Keys, having worked the Tarpon Tournament at FSB the week before. We got up early to leave for the airport to pick up Chris and Alicia then Heather at Fort Lauderdale. It was an uneventful ride to the airport, something that isn't always the case on the roads around Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We arrived at the airport at just the right time to pick up Chris and Alicia. Heather's flight wasn't going to arrive for a few more hours so we went to the Hard Rock Casino. We settled in to mess around with the slots and right away Chris wins over $100. Nice start for vacation. We threw away a few more bucks (real big spenders) then headed to Johnny Rockets for milkshakes; yummy! We returned to the airport to pick up Heather then it was back to FSB to pack up the rest of the gear. On the way we stopped at Divers Direct, the diver's toy store, to pick up a few things. You can't go in there without buying something.
We stopped at FSB to pack up the rest of the gear that we needed for the trip. You would be suprised how much room is needed for five people's dive gear and personal gear. We had purchased a hitch receiver cargo carrier just for this and it was badly needed. We packed every inch available, including space between feet.
We left FSB and finished the last leg of our trip to Stock Island (Stock Rock). The drive was nice. The traffic wasn't too bad and the oceana and bay were beautiful. It was great arriving at our destination...we could get out of the car. We met Denny, Holley and Hermes the wonder dog and headed off to the Hogfish http://hogfishbar.com for dinner. It's one of my favorite places to eat here in the Keys. It's kind of 'earthy'.
After dinner we went back to the Conch Pearl and unloaded our stuff from the car. It was nice being on the boat again. It had only been a couple of weeks for me but almost a year for Barbara.
We stopped at FSB to pack up the rest of the gear that we needed for the trip. You would be suprised how much room is needed for five people's dive gear and personal gear. We had purchased a hitch receiver cargo carrier just for this and it was badly needed. We packed every inch available, including space between feet.
We left FSB and finished the last leg of our trip to Stock Island (Stock Rock). The drive was nice. The traffic wasn't too bad and the oceana and bay were beautiful. It was great arriving at our destination...we could get out of the car. We met Denny, Holley and Hermes the wonder dog and headed off to the Hogfish http://hogfishbar.com for dinner. It's one of my favorite places to eat here in the Keys. It's kind of 'earthy'.
After dinner we went back to the Conch Pearl and unloaded our stuff from the car. It was nice being on the boat again. It had only been a couple of weeks for me but almost a year for Barbara.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tarpon Tournament `11
It may seem strange to write about a Tarpon Tournament on a blog that is primarially about scuba diving but in this case it's very relevant. The majority of my diving is done through the BSA Florida High Adventure Sea Base in Islamorada, Florida. Every year they hold an invitational tarpon tournament where some very affluent folks come to fish for tarpon and have a good time. They are very generous when it comes to the Sea Base.
My wife Barbara and I have the job of managing the hospitality suite at the hotel where the anglers stay. It's not a bad job. We serve drinks to the anglers and their spouses for a few hours a day ( 7 yesterday) and get to stay in the suite.
This is our fourth year doing this and we've met some pretty nice people. They really have Scouting in their hearts.
My wife Barbara and I have the job of managing the hospitality suite at the hotel where the anglers stay. It's not a bad job. We serve drinks to the anglers and their spouses for a few hours a day ( 7 yesterday) and get to stay in the suite.
This is our fourth year doing this and we've met some pretty nice people. They really have Scouting in their hearts.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Working on the Conch Pearl
The Conch Pearl is the dive boat that I do my live-aboard diving on. It is a 57 foot, steel hulled, gaff rigged schooner. http://www.schoonerconchpearl.com/ I love the boat and the people that live on it. I have been on the boat for over six years. I love to work on the boat as I feel I'm contributing to the boat and its life.
Over the last two days I removed all of the rope lifelines and stripped and sanded the pin rails and belaying pins. They're ready for varnish but unfortunately I won't be able to get away to help today. We also went over the emergency procedures for the upcoming COI...big Coast Guard inspection. It should go very well as the CP is a tight ship...very ship shape. Denny is always repairing or improving things and Holley is in a never ending wrestling match with rust.
Over the last two days I removed all of the rope lifelines and stripped and sanded the pin rails and belaying pins. They're ready for varnish but unfortunately I won't be able to get away to help today. We also went over the emergency procedures for the upcoming COI...big Coast Guard inspection. It should go very well as the CP is a tight ship...very ship shape. Denny is always repairing or improving things and Holley is in a never ending wrestling match with rust.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
tanks, tanks, tanks...again
Scuba Tanks need alot of maintenance. For something that's extremely durable, alot goes into keeping them that way. They require inspections. Every year they have to be visually inspected; inside and out. Every five years they have to be hydro tested. Yesterday we had to prep 81 tanks for hydro and deliver them. That involves stripping labels, removing boots and removing valves. Then we had to load them and unload them from the truck and trailer. It's a good workout. Alex, Jess and I worked hard yesterday.
Friday, April 22, 2011
SLS041611A Good Friday, Earth Day, Last Day
Yesterday was Good Friday and Earth Day. I hope everyone remembered the meanings of the day.
The crew had a good last full day with Florida Sea Base. It was an early start leaving the mooring off of Key West in hopes of getting in one last dive. We started out as always, putting up the sails and heading out to the ocean. We started the compressor and began filling tanks. As we turned the corner in front of Fort Zachary Taylor the wind hit us hard. It wasn't long after we got into the wind that we decided that we would have to 'call' the dive. It was just too rough. The spray was coming over the bow so we had to slow down and take our time motoring back to the dock at Stock Island. Most of the crew used the time to pack their gear.
We arrived back at the dock and it was time to get to work. The crew off-loaded all of their gear then started a completed cleaning of the boat inside and out. The boat needed to be scrubbed down to remove all of the salt from the spray. After the boat was cleaned it was time for lunch. All of the leftovers from the week were brought out along with the usual lunch.
The Sea Base vans arrived on time to pick up the crew. We loaded up the trailer, said goodbye to the Conch Pearl and headed back to base.
On the way back we stopped at Baby's Coffee, the 'southern most' roaster of coffee in the Keys. Everyone went in and got something; coffee, soda and snacks. For the rest of the ride everone slept...at least I did.
Back at base we emptied the trailer, washed all of our gear and then the crew was free until 17:45 for flags. After a quick flags ceremony the crew went to Luau where they did the Raisin Bran song. A few other crews did skits then they all played Hawaiian Tug-O-War. It was brother against brother, son against father. After the games we had a Luau dinner.
After the dinner we retrieved all of the gear that we had washed and returned it to the scuba storage room. Now all of the work was done.
We sat down at the quarterdeck and did a Thorns and Roses to review the high points and low points of the trip. It seems there was a common theme of anchor watch as a low point. As each crew member went I handed them their Florida Sea Base Patch.
A few hours later, 1AM, we met again for breakfast and to load their transportation home.
I hope you all enjoyed your time in 'the Keeeeeeeeeeys'.
The crew had a good last full day with Florida Sea Base. It was an early start leaving the mooring off of Key West in hopes of getting in one last dive. We started out as always, putting up the sails and heading out to the ocean. We started the compressor and began filling tanks. As we turned the corner in front of Fort Zachary Taylor the wind hit us hard. It wasn't long after we got into the wind that we decided that we would have to 'call' the dive. It was just too rough. The spray was coming over the bow so we had to slow down and take our time motoring back to the dock at Stock Island. Most of the crew used the time to pack their gear.
We arrived back at the dock and it was time to get to work. The crew off-loaded all of their gear then started a completed cleaning of the boat inside and out. The boat needed to be scrubbed down to remove all of the salt from the spray. After the boat was cleaned it was time for lunch. All of the leftovers from the week were brought out along with the usual lunch.
The Sea Base vans arrived on time to pick up the crew. We loaded up the trailer, said goodbye to the Conch Pearl and headed back to base.
On the way back we stopped at Baby's Coffee, the 'southern most' roaster of coffee in the Keys. Everyone went in and got something; coffee, soda and snacks. For the rest of the ride everone slept...at least I did.
Back at base we emptied the trailer, washed all of our gear and then the crew was free until 17:45 for flags. After a quick flags ceremony the crew went to Luau where they did the Raisin Bran song. A few other crews did skits then they all played Hawaiian Tug-O-War. It was brother against brother, son against father. After the games we had a Luau dinner.
After the dinner we retrieved all of the gear that we had washed and returned it to the scuba storage room. Now all of the work was done.
We sat down at the quarterdeck and did a Thorns and Roses to review the high points and low points of the trip. It seems there was a common theme of anchor watch as a low point. As each crew member went I handed them their Florida Sea Base Patch.
A few hours later, 1AM, we met again for breakfast and to load their transportation home.
I hope you all enjoyed your time in 'the Keeeeeeeeeeys'.
SLS041611A Windy Day
Yesterday was a fairly windy day. We were still on the dock at Stock Island so the crew got to sleep in a little and had a cooked breakfast. We are protected from the wind at the dock so we rely on the information from 'conditions buoys' out in the ocean to get accurate conditions. From the dock we can also see the flag at the power plant and it was standing straight out; 20 knots or so. There were a few chores to do before we could leave the dock. The boys had to finish some laundry, clean up breakfast, put away the power cords and clean up their stuff.
We left the dock, put up the sails and headed out until the ocean. It was windy and a little bumpy. We had to refill scuba tanks so we went out into the Gulf Stream to do a little blue water fishing. Trolling is a passive activity where you wait and wait and wait for a fish to hit. We caught a few 'grass bass' but that was it. Some of the boys spent this time studying, especially Zach. Some spent the time sleeping.We had lunch and headed in to Western Dry 
Rocks to dive. It's the most western site that we dive. The names of sites in this area aren't that creative. I did a conditions check. The surface was rough, there was some pretty good surge and visibility was only about 15 feet. Everyone got in and did the dive.
Rocks to dive. It's the most western site that we dive. The names of sites in this area aren't that creative. I did a conditions check. The surface was rough, there was some pretty good surge and visibility was only about 15 feet. Everyone got in and did the dive. After the dive we moved on to Sand Key. The visibility was so poor that we passed up the site and moved on to Eastern Dry Rocks (I told you the names weren't that creative). The visibility was better here. The condition check reported that the surge was leas and the visibily was about 20 feet; a little better. Abunch of the scouts saw a large Nurse Shark. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_shark Overall it was a pretty good dive. I even found a large pile of chain that I had been searching for during the past few dives at this site.
After the dive the crew raised the sails again and we headed for the mooring behind Key West. While passing the corner at Key West the wind was really ripping. When we got into the harbor the sails were taken down and we motored to the mooring. Once on the mooring the boys started fishing with Cuban Yo-Yos again. Lots of pinfish were caught and a grunt or two. One of the pinfish was used as bait on the shark line, which we put out at night. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pinfish .
We watched a wonderful sunset and had a late dinner of spaghetti. The boys were really wound up, this being the last night on board but they eventuelly went to sleep.
Tomorrow is the last day on board.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Writing the blog
I started this blog to help me remember my crews and trips and to give the folks at home a chance to keep up with the activities of the crew. I usually get up very early (05:00) so it gives me a little me time to write the blog, check my e-mail, and do whatever it is people do on the computer. I turn the top of the fridge/freezer into a mini office; uncomfortable but functional. I only get about two hours before people get up and breakfast gets started.
I really enjoy it, especially when people leave comments. I also like followers. My hope is to have at least 10 folloewrs. I would feel like a successful blogger if I reached 10.
I really enjoy it, especially when people leave comments. I also like followers. My hope is to have at least 10 folloewrs. I would feel like a successful blogger if I reached 10.
SLS041611A nice dive day
Yesterday was an average, nice dive day. We woke up to have a relaxed, cooked breakfast. We usually have a quick, cold breakfast so that we can get up and go quickly but we had a litt
le extra time. After breakfast we weighed anchor and headed off for Looe Key. The winds were up and it was a bit 'sporty' but it was a nice day. We filled all of the scuba tanks, changed out the empties and napped. We fill the scuba tanks on the back deck of the Conch Pearl using a diesel powered compressor. It's a bit noisy but a necessary evil as it it the life blood of the dive program. The water was beautiful on the way which gave us hopes of great dive conditions. When we arrived at Looe Key we weren't disappointed; the water looked the best it had all week. I jumped in to do a conditions check. The conditions check is when the Divemaster jumps in to check the dive conditions; depth, surge, current and visibility. I was very happy to report visibility of about 50-60 feet!
le extra time. After breakfast we weighed anchor and headed off for Looe Key. The winds were up and it was a bit 'sporty' but it was a nice day. We filled all of the scuba tanks, changed out the empties and napped. We fill the scuba tanks on the back deck of the Conch Pearl using a diesel powered compressor. It's a bit noisy but a necessary evil as it it the life blood of the dive program. The water was beautiful on the way which gave us hopes of great dive conditions. When we arrived at Looe Key we weren't disappointed; the water looked the best it had all week. I jumped in to do a conditions check. The conditions check is when the Divemaster jumps in to check the dive conditions; depth, surge, current and visibility. I was very happy to report visibility of about 50-60 feet!The dive was great. The crew saw all kinds of animals. We saw rays, sharks and lots of Golioth Groupers, which are very large fish, turtles and lionfish. We moved the 
boat to a different mooring ball and did our second dive. It was more of the same, a great dive. After the dives we headed back to Stock Island, the dock where we started. We were going in for our mid-week break.
boat to a different mooring ball and did our second dive. It was more of the same, a great dive. After the dives we headed back to Stock Island, the dock where we started. We were going in for our mid-week break. Both the legs from Boot Key to Looe Key and Looe Key to Stock Island take several hours. On the way we fish, eat and nap. The napping is a necessity as everyone gets tired from diving, being on a boat, being in the sun and anchor watch and because we can. We fished along the way and several fish were caught. Some of the boys also took the opportunity to jump into the pilot house to drive the boat for awhile.
We arrived at the dock at Stock Island (sometimes called Stock Rock) ready to get off of the boat. The crews enjoy being on the boat but they also enjoy getting off the boat during the mid-week break. The big deal with the mid-week break is they get to use real
toilets, take real showers, they have A/C in the cabin and there's no anchor watch. They also take a walk to the local convenience store for ice cream and sodas. In addition it's steak night! This high adventure stuff is really tough.
We had a visitor for dinner too. Kyle Moran, a Florida Sea Base staffer dropped by to say hi. Kyle works as a sea exploring mate; another job that keeps the staffer out at sea during the week,like me.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
SLS041611A Anchor Watch
The Conch Pearl is a USCG inspected vessel. That is no easy feat and certifies the Conch Pearl as a very stable and safely outfitted vessel. A requirement for imspected vessels carrying paid passengers is to have an anchor watch. On our adventures that involves two hours shifts from 19:30 to 07:30. There are two people on the shift, to make sure no one falls asleep. Most people read, especially the boys that have homework to do. It hasn't been too bad at night because of the full moon. It's very tiring for the crew as they lose two hours of sleep every night. Of course they make up for it during the day, between dives.
It's a necessary evil but there have been times when it was needed. We've seen dragging boats,, closely approaching boats,, incoming bad weather and even someone yelling for help from the mangroves.
It's a necessary evil but there have been times when it was needed. We've seen dragging boats,, closely approaching boats,, incoming bad weather and even someone yelling for help from the mangroves.
SLS041611A Photo Day
Yesterday was the big day. We had the PADI photo team on board with us doing a photo shoot of the boys in action, on the boat and underwater. We're not quite sure what the photos are for. We woke up early and started the compressor immediately to fill the scuba tanks we would need for the day. The boat crew refills the scuba tanks using a diesel compressor that is on the back deck of the boat. We spent the night 'on the hook' (anchored) outside of Marathon at Boot Key so it was going to be a short trip in to Poncho's Fuel Dock to pick up the photo crew. We had a quick cold breakfast and off we went.
When we arrived at the dock the four folks from the photo crew were already waiting for us along with a member of BSA National staff. We loaded up with people and fuel and headed out to Sombrero Reef. http://www.divespots.com/scuba/spotID-36/view.divespot We put out the fishing rods on the way out and it didn't take long before Caleb caught a mackeral.It took us about 45 minutes to get out to the reef. The winds had increased during the night so conditions on the surface were a bit 'sporty'. On the way out the photographer was b
usy snapping pics of the boys. The conditions looked great. We did our briefing, along with directions from the photographer, then 'a diving we did go!' The surface was a little 'sporty' but below the water was fairly clear and there was no current. We went on a lead dive with the photographer and two assistants with another snorkeling above. The boys seemed to be naturals at being photographed. They loved it as well as the photographer. After the first dive we had lunch, watched the BSA National representative get sick then prepared for the next dive. It was immediately obvious that the visibility wasn't as good on the second dive. We followed the same routine this dive except something was different. On this dive the boys were hamming it up! They lost their innocent edge in front of the camera and were posing and behaving to get the photographer's attention.
usy snapping pics of the boys. The conditions looked great. We did our briefing, along with directions from the photographer, then 'a diving we did go!' The surface was a little 'sporty' but below the water was fairly clear and there was no current. We went on a lead dive with the photographer and two assistants with another snorkeling above. The boys seemed to be naturals at being photographed. They loved it as well as the photographer. After the first dive we had lunch, watched the BSA National representative get sick then prepared for the next dive. It was immediately obvious that the visibility wasn't as good on the second dive. We followed the same routine this dive except something was different. On this dive the boys were hamming it up! They lost their innocent edge in front of the camera and were posing and behaving to get the photographer's attention. After the dive we returned to the boat for the trip back to Ponchos. On the way back in the photographer stayed busy shooting more 
pics of the boys. When we reached the dock we off-loaded the photo team and then everyone got off to go into the store for ice cream and sodas. We had to wait for the tide to come in as the channel was quite shallow and were scraping bottom on the way in.
pics of the boys. When we reached the dock we off-loaded the photo team and then everyone got off to go into the store for ice cream and sodas. We had to wait for the tide to come in as the channel was quite shallow and were scraping bottom on the way in. Once the tide came in a little we headed back out to the anchor spot.
We dropped the anchor and the crew began fishing immediately. To fish while anchored we use Cuban Yo-Yos and chicken for bait. http://www.palmbaybaitandtackle.com/products/cubanyoyo.htm 
Richard was the first boy to catch a fish...a real monster. After that everyone that was fishing seem to catch a fish or two. We use one of the fish as bait on a shark line that we put out at night. Some nights we're lucky and catch a small shark. Not last night.
Everyone will be getting up in an hour or two and I'm out of material. I hope you're enjoying the blog. If you are, please leave a comment.
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