Long Distance- I forgot to click post!

I wrote this post a while ago and must've forgotten to click "post!" Oops! Oh well! I hope you enjoy even if it is a little late! 

After the Spring season at Sea Base was officially over I went on a trip to the other side of the country. Almost as far away from Florida as I could get, and for a very good reason! Jon and I hadn’t seen each other in over two months since parting ways after our travels on the way home from Antarctica, but I was able to get a ticket to Ketchikan, AK for a visit. For 6 days we enjoyed relaxing, hiking, and staying in a cabin while it rained and rained. Ketchikan is a very rainy place, so this wasn’t totally unexpected. The last day and a half I was there it cleared up nicely and the sun warmed us up and dried things out.

Jon has been in Ketchikan for a few summers now working for the U.S. Forest Service on trails in the area. When we were planning my visit Jon came up with the idea of taking a ferry to the neighboring island of Prince of Wales and go camping. Jon had never been there and was keen to check it out. We booked a cabin on the water that was run by the Forest Service group for the island called Twelve Mile Arm Cabin. Jon met several members of that group a few weeks before I arrived during some joint training. They alerted him to the fact that many of the roads are closed due to snow! So we changed our schedule to shorten our trip by one night based on their information.

The cabin was in great shape, built in 2007, and had four or five skylights, which Jon expected to leak, based on the cabins in his district, but they didn’t! There was enough room to sleep 6, a wood stove, table and benches and a nice covered porch. The outhouse was just steps beyond the wood shed. The view was beautiful and we enjoyed watching the tides change (about 20 feet!) and looking for wildlife. We read and went for walks around the cabin. Jon chopped wood for the fire and taught me about the different types of trees. We saw lots of Sitka Black Tail Deer (they need to learn to run away from cars!) and a couple eagles and a tree with an eagle’s nest in it, but luckily no bear.

We came back from Prince of Wales on Saturday and had some of Jon’s friends and co-workers over for dinner. Jon made his beet salad that I love and his friends brought all kinds of stuff! We enjoyed several kinds of salmon, pickled sea asparagus, devil’s club tea, elk meat, sausages, and lots more. The rest of my time in Ketchikan was spent going on short hikes, hanging out at the beach just down the road from the place Jon is renting, and going to the local dive shop to look at snorkel gear for Jon’s upcoming PADI Open Water Class.

Also Capt Dennis Wyatt(Author of Bald Man in the sea and the Balder Man in the Sea) recommended I go to Knudson Cove. I had written down the name so I wouldn’t forget it and then I misplaced the paper! So Jon was taking me to a local diner/food cart just up the road from where he lived and it just so happened to be in the very cove! I recognized the name on the signs when we were driving there. We walked around and I took some pictures while our food was being made. Beautiful spot! I hope if I get to go back to Ketchikan to go kayaking in the cove. Thanks for the tip Dennis!

Jon was a great host and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales Island. He made breakfast for me every day and cooked when we didn’t go out to eat. What a guy!

After my time in Ketchikan I flew to Vermont to visit my parents for a few days before heading back to Florida for work. I got to visit some friends and family as well as help on some projects around my parents place. As always I wish I had more time to spend with them.

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!

Over night shark line hit!

Just got a bonnet head shark! Angler: Colin Keele on his 16th birthday

Back on board the Schooner Conch Pearl

Feels great to be back on the boat. With Troop 626 from Spring, Texas.
Youth Crew Leader Jeremy relaxing while we fish. Heading towards Sombrero Lighthouse.

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.