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.
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