Life aboard the Clementia II

The most commonly asked question of me in the last two months is “What’s next?”

Sadly I am not headed back to Antarctica as I had previously hoped. I have still heard nothing from PAE, one of the subcontractors, about the roughly 15 positions I applied for. So, I have opted for another adventure that would allow my boyfriend, Jon, and I to live together.

A little history… Jon and I met in Antarctica and started dating around Christmas time. We traveled together for two and half weeks after our contracts were up. Jon then returned to his normal job for the US Forest Service in Alaska and I returned to Sea Base for my usual scuba instructor position. I had some time off between seasons at Sea Base and visited Jon in Ketchikan in early May and then saw my parents in Vermont. I applied for about 20 different positions in Antarctica for two subcontractors. I interviewed for 2 positions with Gana A Yoo, which I was not hired for either. PAE still hasn’t contacted me, which has disappointed me greatly. Jon has been hired two positions and we talked for a long time about what to do. Should Jon go back to the Ice without me, how long should I wait to hear from PAE, should we wait and reapply next year in hopes of going back together. We decided wait to go back together.

So we started looking at options for employment and places to live. I had been working my second summer on the Schooner Conch Pearl with Captains Holley and Denny when they approached me and told me about the crew Denny runs in the fall and early winter repairing the docks at the Galleon Marina in downtown Key West. After several phone calls with Jon we agreed to work, Jon as Dock Maintenance and myself as a painter. Now the issue of where to live! Key West is an expensive little city. Again, Holley and Denny to the rescue! They suggested I contact a friend and Sea Base captain that had a boat, the Clementia II, that was sitting unused. So after checking the boat out and coming up with an agreement for living on the boat we were set up! 

Two weeks ago friends of mine, Laura and her boyfriend Capt Luke, helped me sail the Clementia II from Islamorada down to Key West. It took us about 13 hours of time underway. As part of the agreement to work on the docks we get free dockage, which in this town is huge! We will have to move for two big events, Fantasy Fest and Super Boat International Races that happen here in Key West in the fall, but Holley and Denny have very kindly offered their mooring which is about a mile away. So things are falling into place!

 

 

Clementia II

Clementia II is a 32 foot West Sail built in 1974. And yes it is for sale! It has sleeping space for 4(a large bed in the v-berth and two single beds in the salon), a head(toilet!) and a galley with refrigeration and a propane stove.

V-berth. Wooden insert connects the two sides to make one big sleeping space

The Head

The Head

Storage- Little closet and lots of drawers

Main Salon looking aft

Main Salon looking forward

Galley Port side

Galley Starboard side

Storage in the main salon

Fridge!

 The only real issue with the boat was the fridge wasn’t working but Denny came over and got it running and we are in the process of getting a new thermostat.

Clementia II at the dock in Key West

More pictures from the Islamorada to Key West trip and of the boat can be found at… https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.828450836169.2164256.44801562&type=1&l=069850d1ac

Half way there!

The middle of last week was the half way point in the summer for us aboard the Conch Pearl. So far we have had great crews! I am very much looking forward to lobstering! The last Wednesday and Thursday of July is lobster mini season. We will probably lobster for part of one of the two days. I enjoy the hunt! The sad part is that because so many other people enjoy the hunt and become possessed that several people are killed over the week that includes mini season. A sad but true reality.
Last year we had some great catches! 

We were chased off the reef again this afternoon due to thunder and lightning. I hope this isn't going to be a trend for the rest of the summer. It's getting old very quickly.
For those of you who may be wondering I haven't heard anything back from my applications with PAE to go back to Antarctica. I am still holding out hope that I will get a call or email from them. Jon and I want to go back again. In the mean time I'm enjoying every beautiful sunset I can!

It's that time of year again!

So I'm back at the Florida Sea Base again and I will be headed out on the Schooner Conch Pearl later this week. As with last year, I am trying to give the scouts and adults that will be on the boat with me as much information to make sure they can "Be Prepared." I am sending out my letter and packing list to all the adult leaders today and will be posting more information and updates as the summer goes on.

To my usual readers- I promise I will post something soon about what I've been up to and my trip to Alaska to see Jon and to Vermont to see my family. 

Hello Adult Leaders-

My name is Megan Ware. I will likely be one of your Sea Base Staff members for when you and your crew will be here on your scuba liveaboard trip.

Your crew number should be SLS####12A. Those numbers should be the two digit month and day of your arrival. This indicates you arrive for the Scuba Liveaboard program on a Saturday. If you received this email and are scheduled to arrive on a Friday or Tuesday(SLF####12A or SLT####12A), the information contained here is for a different boat.

Please read this closely and pass along info to the youth and parents.

There are some things that I feel you need to be aware of to help orient your scouts before they arrive here.

First, if you can arrange to arrive at Sea Base closer to 1pm that would be ideal as we have several hours of prep to do Saturday afternoon/evening so we can leave Sunday morning. I know for many of you your flights or transportation can't be changed at this point but if at all possible please work toward an earlier arrival time. Please let me know when you expect to arrive at Sea Base. Keep in mind it takes about 2 hours to drive from Fort Lauderdale Airport, and 1½ hours from Miami Airport. If you are delayed please call the Program Office at 305-664-5627.

You and your crew are expected to be able to tie some basic knots. These are: cleat hitch, clove hitch, bowline, and how to coil a line/rope. Please practice with your scouts and other adults! Everyone will work as deck crew and need to be able to tie these. This is also how we secure our dive gear so you will need to be able to tie a clove hitch over and over again. I will have lengths of rope and cleats to practice with because Capt Denny WILL be testing everyone!

Also, everyone will be working in the galley preparing and cleaning up from our meals. Capt Holley tries to ensure that we are sanitary because we are in a small space and germs travel quickly. So, please show your scouts (or ask your wife or mother) how to wash dishes in a sink with a dish drying rack and kitchen towel. They will be expected to wash dishes at every meal and if it isn't done well enough it will fall to the adult leaders. A scout in clean, thus this should be a vital skill to have in life.

Every buddy pair is expected to have a dive watch. To elaborate this is a waterproof watch that has some sort of timer (either stopwatch or bezel style) that is a vital piece of dive equipment whether at Sea Base or any other dive operation. This does not need to be a $100 item, a basic model from a Wal-Mart style store for about $20 that is rated to 60 ft+ will suit the needs of this adventure.

Finally we will need a youth crew leader and assistant youth crew leader. Please speak to the scouts about this and have 2 people designated for these by your arrival. It works better if these are experienced leaders.

The packing list provided for you by Sea Base likely has many things on it you don’t need as it is an umbrella list for many programs. Based on recommendations from previous crews I have put together this list…

First if you can pack in a soft sided bag because the locker(no lock provided, bring your own) to leave your suitcases in while on the boat isn't huge.
Sea Base provides everyone with a zippered bag to use for the week of their adventure.

As far as what to pack in that Sea Base bag...
2 pair of swim trunks
Towel
Sunscreen (not the spray kind) Atleast 8oz per person
Sea sickness pills (Sea Base recommends Bonine brand)
Hat, sunglasses with a strap to keep them on your head, maybe a buff or bandanna
Shorts and t shirt to sleep in and another set or to wear on land
A couple t shirts(or fishing shirts with built in UV protection) to wear on deck to keep the sun off or wear during the dive
Toiletries including shampoo/camp soap(we have fresh water on board), toothpaste, tooth brush, deodorant, Gold Bond, any medications you may take, etc
A headlamp/small flash light is nice for anchor/night watch
A book to read- we have some cards and board games on board.
A dive watch or dive computer with a time keeping function-atleast one per buddy pair
Log Book, Certification card, and some spending money for an ice cream or soda



All of the above items will go in a bag provided by Sea Base. The items below can be separate:
 
Sleeping stuff- I personally recommend bringing a pillow, sleeping mat/pad, light weight sleeping bag(or blanket) and a flat sheet. This will be enough to give you flexibility between sleeping on deck and below deck on the bunks. This can be separate from the bag of clothing.
Any dive or snorkel gear you may have is welcome and will be packed separate from the personal gear. I recommend purchasing a mask fin snorkel set on your own that fits well. Sea Base provides all of the equipment but it is the most basic model and some times it isn't the most comfortable or best fit. Any personal gear is used at your own risk, if it breaks we are not authorized to repair it. As well, if it is unsafe for you to use we will provide you with Sea Base equipment. Bring mask defog and any replacement clips or straps for your own personal gear incase something breaks. If you are going to use Sea Base fins, bring a spare pair of socks to wear with the fins to avoid blisters. We will issue you a mesh equipment bag for storing your dive gear on deck. Please don’t plan on using your own bag on the boat unless it is exactly like ours. There is limited space on deck.
Uniforms: According to tour permits you and the entire crew should be traveling in their Class A uniform. When you arrive we will have a crew photo taken in those uniforms. For the rest of the week the crew can attend flags in a matching Class B shirt, or on the Luau night a tropical shirt. The Class A shirts can be left at Sea Base while we are on the boat.
Spending money: This is up to you and the parents to decide on. The Sea Base Ship Store has many souvenir items as well as if a toiletry item is forgotten. One evening we will go back to the dock where we boarded the boat. We have provisions for that night to be able to eat on the boat BUT there is the option if the WHOLE crew wants to go out for dinner on their own dollar they can. Also we usually go on a walk to a nearby convenience store for ice creams and sodas again on the scouts’ dollar. Please communicate this to all the parents.
Electronics: The official Sea Base policy is no personal electronic devices. I agree with this policy while at Sea Base except in the case of adult leaders that need to get in touch with work or the emergency contacts(bring a list of these phone numbers). We have had several scouts onboard accidentally do entire dives with ipods, cell phones, and wallets in their swim shorts! There is a single outlet always on for all of us to share. I recommend once you arrive at Sea Base that the scouts power down everything and pack it away.
Cameras, both underwater and regular, are encouraged, just remember to recharge batteries we have to share the outlets.

If anyone has any dietary variations such as Kosher, vegan, peanut allergy, etc. please let us know ASAP!

For more info and pictures about the boat check out the website for the boat at schoonerconchpearl.com. There is a dedicated scouting page Captains Denny and Holley put together that is for Sea Base Participants. That website is: http://schoonerconchpearl.com/?page_id=48.

Last year I put together some information videos and links on my personal blog. That can be found at gonediving99.blogspot.com, search for: Adult Leader Info, Conch Pearl, Florida, and/or Sea Base. I may add more as the summer goes on.

Please reply by email to confirm receipt of this message. Please include the time you expect to arrive at Sea Base as well as your arrival date.

I look forward to meeting you all!

Megan Ware

The purpose of this email is to provide a little pre-trip information that is not in the ‘Official Florida Sea Base Participant’s Guide’ or information that may need clarification or correction. It is not a replacement for the official ‘Florida Sea Base Participant’s Guide’. It is a supplement. Please read the ‘Florida Sea Base Participant’s Guide’ thoroughly. The information contained here has been put together from input provided by crews that have been here before and is continually edited and updated. Additionally, there will be a detailed orientation on the evening of your arrival and another when you arrive at the boat.

How to Use a Marine Head

The Next Chapter!

So much to catch up on!

I had an amazing summer aboard the Schooner Conch Pearl sailing the waters of the Florida Keys. Capts Holley and Denny made my life easier and my belly happy! Thanks again for all the snacks and listening to me rant. And a special thanks to my "boyfriend" Hermes for spending quality time with me lounging on the deck.

After the last group left my mom arrived and I got to spend two nights on the Pearl before we headed north. We had planned to take the Amtrak car train but due to Hurricane Irene the train was canceled so we ended up just driving... and driving more. We had to alter our route to avoid the damaging path that Irene had taken. Due to the storm my dad was stuck in Chicago and was able to get a flight into Albany. We picked him up and did some rearranging and made it to Vermont.

I got my own storage unit and got myself arranged there. Dive gear maintenance completed.

My next adventure was driving with my mom and aunt to Madison, WI to watch my brother do an Ironman Triathlon. Two long days later we arrived. Saturday we spent shopping and enjoying the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Sunday was race day. This was a long day for us spectators but even longer for Ben. I think he was up at about 3 am after we got back from dinner at about 10 pm the night before. Then he did a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and finally a marathon, 26.2 mile run. 13 hours and 2 minutes later Ben crossed the finish line. We packed things up so we could drive back the next morning. Monday night we spent in London, Ontario and then on to Niagara Falls where we rode on the Maid of the Mist. We returned to Vermont on Wednesday and I headed off for two nights of babysitting. 

Now I have time to pack and get my things together for my next adventure... Antarctica. I have my tickets booked and training arranged in Colorado. I will be posting here about my Antarctic adventures. Check back to read on!

Troop 31 from PA Luau Rap!

Video Tour of the Conch Pearl Below Deck

Scuba Liveaboard FAQ

Q: Do we get dive computers?
A: Dive computers are not provided. The standard setup is a regulator set with depth gauge, pressure gauge, and compass. Most groups have their tables but because our dives are generally less than 30 ft for an hour or less no calculation of surface time is necessary. I would bring your table with your logbook.
Q: Part of out crew can arrive earlier than the rest. Would you advise them to do so since you ask us to arrive around 2?
A: I would actually recommend they not come early. We dont have any activities they can do. Its easier to do everyone at once.
Q: Do we need wetsuits?
A: The water temp as of June 19th is about 82-83 degrees. We haven't worn wetsuits yet this summer. A rash guard or dive skin might make your dives more comfortable.
Keep the questions coming!
Megan aboard the Conch Pearl

Liveaboard Photos

Thanks to Mark Rist, Adult leader from 2 weeks ago please follow this link to his photos of their adventure...
http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/2XCSwIvC/1/5156376

Florida Sea Base Scuba Liveaboard Packing List

Hello again adult leaders-

The current crew says the packing list that they were given isn't the most accurate list. So in light of that I have put together this list.

First if you can pack in a soft sided bag because the locker(no lock provided bring your own) to leave your suitcases in while on the boat isn't huge.

As far as what to pack in that bag...

2 pair of swim trunks
Towel
Sunscreen (not the spray kind)
Sea sickness pills (Bonine)
Hat, sunglasses, maybe a buff or bandanna
Shorts and t shirt to sleep in and wear on land for shore leave day
A couple t shirts(or fishing shirts with built in UV protection) to wear on deck to keep the sun off or wear during the dive
Toiletries including shampoo/camp soap(we have fresh water on board), toothpaste, tooth brush, deodorant, etc
A headlamp is nice for anchor/night watch.
A book to read- we have some cards and board games on board.

A dive watch or dive computer with a time keeping function-atleast one per buddy pair
All of the above items will go in a bag provided by Sea Base.

Sleeping stuff- light sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow and a flat sheet. This will give you flexibility to sleep on deck or down below on the mattresses. This can be separate from the bag of clothing.

The crew needs a first aid kit that will come on the boat. Also maybe a bottle of bug spray to share amongst the crew because some nights there isn't a breeze to carry the mosquitoes away.

Any dive or snorkel gear you may have is welcome and will be packed separate from the personal gear. I recommend purchasing a mask fin snorkel set on your own that fits well. Sea Base provides all of the equipment but it is the most basic model and some times it isn't the most comfortable or best fit.

Feel free to look at the Conch Pearl website. There is a special page for Scouts. It can be found at schoonerconchpearl.com

I plan to post all the info I have emailed and more on my personal blog which can be found at gonediving99.blogspot.com

See you all soon!


NOTE: I failed to included that a water bottle (Nalgene style) with a clip or carabiner. and to clarify the lock only needs to be one per crew.

Florida Sea Base Scuba Liveaboard Info

Hello Adult Leaders-

My name is Megan Ware. I will most likely be one of your Sea Base
Staff members for when you and your crew will be here on your scuba
liveaboard trip.
First off I believe Capt Denny has emailed you all. If you have
additional questions please feel free to ask me as well.

There are some things that I feel you need to be aware of or help
orient your scouts before they arrive here.

The first is if you can arrange to arrive at Sea Base closer to 1pm
than 4 pm that would be ideal as we have several hours of prep to do
Saturday afternoon/evening so we can leave Sunday morning. I know for
many of you your flights or transportation can't be changed at this
point but if at all possible please work toward an earlier arrival
time.

Your crew is expected to be able to tie some basic knots. Examples are
cleat hitch, bowline, sheet bend, and how to coil a line/rope. Please
practice with your scouts! Everyone will work as deck crew and need to
be able to tie these. I will have lengths of rope and cleats to
practice with because Capt Denny WILL be testing everyone!

Also, everyone will be working in the galley preparing and cleaning up
from our meals. Capt Holley tries to ensure that we are sanitary
because we are in a small space and germs travel quickly. So, please
show your scouts (or ask your wife or mother) how to wash dishes in a
sink with a dish rack and kitchen towel. They will be expected to wash
dishes at every meal and if it isn't done well enough it will fall to
the adult leaders. A scout in clean, thus this should be a vital skill
to have in life.

Every buddy pair is expected to have a dive watch. To elaborate this
is a waterproof watch that has some sort of timer (either stopwatch or
bezel style) that is a vital piece of dive equipment whether at Sea
Base or any other dive operation. This does not need to be a $100
item. A basic model from a Wal-Mart style store for about $15 that is
rated to 60 ft+.

I personally recommend bringing a pillow, sleeping mat, light weight
sleeping bag and a flat sheet. This will be enough to give you
flexibility between sleeping on deck and below deck on the bunks.

Finally we will need a youth crew leader and assistant youth crew
leader. Please speak to the scouts about this and have 2 people
designated for these by your arrival.

I plan to call each of you and confirm your have received this email.
I look forward to meeting you all!

Summary!

So lots to catch up on! I’ve been here working away at Sea Base since December. I was a conference mate for January, February, and half of March which means I did everything and anything for conferences and retreats. Many, many loads of laundry, cleaning bathrooms, making beds, preparing and serving food, boat mate for snorkel excursions… the list goes on.

March and April I was either scuba instructor or divemaster. So lots of classroom time and some cool ocean dives. We had some excitement when we were headed out on a night dive and ran aground. That was a first for me! It was a long night of struggling unsuccessfully to get the boat free. We transferred all the kids to another boat hoping that would help which it didn’t. Finally first thing in the morning the boat was able to be pulled free.

May brought the Tarpon Tournament, which is a huge fund raiser for us. There was a lot of preparation and for good reason. Base sparkled and we got lots of money! It was several long days but the reward at the end was worth it. Stephanie, Deanza and I went on a Carnival Cruise! We spent way too much money but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

When I got back from the cruise my mom was waiting in Fort Lauderdale and we spend 5 days together. We took a day trip out to the Dry Tortugas, visited the Turtle Hospital and other touristy stuff.

I then got drafted to go out on the Scuba Liveaboard Conch Pearl. Initially I was hesitant about whether I would enjoy it but Holley and Denny won me over! So my new home 5 nights a week is a bunk on the Conch Pearl.

I plan to post a fair amount of information relating to the Conch Pearl and the Florida Sea Base Scuba Liveaboard program. This will be focused on adult leaders that will be coming this summer but will service as a great reference for crews researching Sea Base and what program they want to do.

As a side note I will be posting my adventures because I recently accepted a position to work in Antarctica this winter(their summer)! Stay tuned!

Mayday Mayday Mayday... This is Scout About

So I'll start by saying that everyone is ok and no one got hurt.
It all started on Saturday morning the 25th of July 2009. I was getting ready to take my certification crew out on Scout About, a 26 foot Dusky, with Capt Ted with Divemaster Paul as my assistant. We checked the radar and decided to go to a site called Labyrinth. The ocean was literally like a lake, the water was so calm I could see my reflection perfectly. We did Open Water Training dive 1 which was just a tour and returned to the boat with no incident. We raced another Dusky back to base and got back with plenty of time to change our gear over before lunch. After lunch we met back at the boat at 12:45, did one last radar check and went out to a site called Pillars of Atlantis. The water was still calm but there was some thunderstorms in the distance. We did training dive 2 and when we came up the large black clouds were between us and land so we decided to take our time and let the storm pass. So we did a few surface skills and Capt Ted got a call on his cell from Capt Alex about the radar and which way we should go. We got back on the boat as the wind picked up and the storm started towards us. We pulled anchor and headed towards Tennessee Lighthouse. On the way the wind and waves picked up nothing out of the ordinary, the kids were laughing and having fun. Paul, Ted and I put our masks and snorkels on because of the waves splashing in but no big deal. There was a break in the storm and I pulled out my cell to check the radar and it wasn't looking good. We started going again and the waves increased in both frequency and intensity at first it was not bad, I had seen more water in a Dusky. Then Ted pulled out the bilge pump and I started pumping and the participants were using their water bottles and our staff mugs to bail the boat. Over several minutes the water level kept rising with more waves and we weren't making much headway. The boat was listing over to the starboard side and the waves just kept coming. I asked Capt Ted if we should put on lifejackets and he said yes. So I opened the hatches which were full of water and began pulling the jackets out and giving them to the kids. They all had them on and I looked back at Paul who was pointing at himself. I had one jacket left which was a child size and most of the foam appeared to be gone. I gave it to him and he put it on and then realized that there was one more adult sized on the deck of the boat. He put that one on. It turns out that one was for Ted and there was one more in the hatch that I didn't see. Within about a minute of everyone putting on the jackets the boat capsized. Paul's gear bag got caught in the propeller as we went over and we were floating. Gear everywhere. We huddled near the boat and started gathering some gear. Ted got the backpacks of the adult leaders, Paul's BCD and tank and mine as well. We sang a couple songs at first and then I started to use my Dive Alert Plus which is an airhorn attached to my gear. Between that and our waving signaling devices we got the attention of a fishing boat and we saw the Coast Guard go by in the distance. The fishing boat came and we got 4 or 5 of the scouts onto their boat and then Coast Guard boat came up. The rest of us were hauled up onto the CG boat and we transfered the kids from the fishing boat over. At that point two of the big dive boats from Sea Base were on the scene and helping to pick up floating gear. We were transfered over to one of the Sea Base dive boats because the CG got a call of another boat in the area needing help. We stayed in the area looking for gear and collecting floating items. The other dive boat put some divers in the water to pull out gear and electronics still on the boat. All of the tanks and BCDs were recovered and most of the snorkel gear but not all of it. Several pairs of sunglasses and some other small items including my cell phone were water logged or missing. One of our other boat captains works for Sea Tow as well and he came out and after a few attempts flipped the boat back over and it was towed back to base. The cost for Sea Tow to come out like that is about $7000. The motor on the boat isn't usable and the electronics are in various states of disrepair, the canvas top is ripped but the hull is fine. We had alot of paperwork to fill out and Ted, Paul and I had to get alcohol swabs and urine drug tests but all in all not too bad. I have a sweet bruise on my right thigh that is lots of pretty colors. Well, life goes on. It was a very interesting experience and I'm proud of my participants and how well they listened and we all worked together. Thank you to everyone for their love, support, and well wishes.

Scuba Certifications

So this is week 5 of my teaching scuba here at Sea Base and all is going well. This week my crew already watched all the videos before they came, finished the knowledge reviews, and learned how to use the dive tables so we are flying. Today we only have to do 3 pool dives which won't take long but I'll find stuff for them to do. It has been extremely hot with temps around 90 and the heat index regularly over 105. We haven't had the massive rain fall in a few weeks that caused flooding. No hurricanes yet(knock on wood!). I've met more friends and am having a blast. I think that I might take a week off from certifications and just Divemaster otherwise it's the same routine until mid August. Well, gotta go check to see if the dorms are clean then to the pool.

The Vandenberg Sinks!!

So a bunch of us from Sea Base were going to drive down to the Brinton Center and take the Scoutmaster to Key West to watch the Vandenberg sink but there were too many people from the Brinton Center so the boat was full. Instead we loaded up on the BSA Adventure(Newton) at 6 am and Capt Carol drove us down the ~3 1/2 hours to watch. It was a long ride but certainly memorable. We arrived about 9:30 and anchored just outside the 1 mile radius safety zone with our front row seats. We pulled out our cameras and binoculars to check it out and watched all the other boats there to watch as well as the planes and helicopters flying over head. At about 10:20am the first charge went off and she started to sink but just as it was going down the Key West Express drove right between us and the boat and totally blocked our view. We thought ok it will be out of the way in a minute and we'll still be able to see it as they predicted 3 minutes for it to sink. Well, by the time the huge Key West Express moved the boat was gone. 1 minute and 45 seconds and it was done. It was still neat to see but the gosh darn Key West Express was in the way!! There were tons of people yelling at the boat on the radio and evidently people were trying to throw things at it and shoot water at the boat because they were equally as mad about the view being blocked but evidently the Coast Guard came to their rescue. So it was neat to see, well what we could see of it, and I won't forget it.
Pictures on Facebook...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2070577&id=44801562&l=28f3bef598

Recap

The past few months have flown by. I left Club Med on Saturday May 2nd and flew to Burlington to stay with my brother and sister in law for a few days, drove to New Hampshire to get my things from my parents place, visit Helen and Phil and my grandmother, back to VT for a few more days then flew to Phoenix on Mothers Day to visit mom and dad for a few days. We went to the Desert Botanical Gardens and saw the glass exhibit by Chihuly, as well as had dinner with Anne and Shawn. Then on May 15th I flew to Miami and took the Keys Shuttle here to Sea Base. We had staff training for a week which included too many practice rescues to count and a few 20 minute dives. It's strange going from 60-130 foot dives to here where our absolute maximum is 60ft and most dives in the 20-30 foot range. I've been catching up with many old friends that are back for one more summer of fun in the Keys. Many have graduated from college and had real jobs or couldn't find a real job and are back at Sea Base. It's good to be back .