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!
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| 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.
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| V-berth. Wooden insert connects the two sides to make one big sleeping space |
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| The Head |
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| The Head |
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| Storage- Little closet and lots of drawers |
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| Main Salon looking aft |
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| Main Salon looking forward |
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| Galley Port side |
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| Galley Starboard side |
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| Storage in the main salon |
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| 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.
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| 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
