Florida Sea Base News

Sunday was very quiet at the Florida Sea Base.  The University of Miami shark group caught, tagged and released 8 sharks today (6 nurse sharks, 1 sharp nosed shark, and 1 hammerhead).  This afternoon/evening the Center for Professional Development (BSA National Office) had folks checking in for Professional Development Level 2 and People Management Level 1 training.  When I left the office Sargon Smith was meeting the arrivals and showing them to their rooms.

Capt. Rich is the proud owner of a new bicycle.  He and Capt. Carol are riding about 35 miles in two hours per day.

Our weather was very nice yesterday.  Today we are shooting for a high of 75-77.  The water temperature on our reefs has dropped to 69º.  That’s about where it bottoms out so we should see a slow warming trend starting very soon.  Here is our forecast for the coming week.  If you hurry, there may be space available for you to book a crew for spring 2012 at the Florida Sea Base.

NWS Forecast for: Marathon FL
Issued by: National Weather Service Key West, FL

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. East wind around 10 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. East wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. East wind between 10 and 15 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southeast wind around 15 mph.
Wednesday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy and breezy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

I spent much of the day in the office, primarily working on summer staff hiring.  We have an excess of Divemaster applicants for this summer.  If all goes well, all or most of our Dive Boat Mates will be Divemasters instead of Rescue Divers and the Scuba Mates will be Rescue Divers or Divemasters.  That gives us a lot more flexibility and will allow us to rotate personnel between assignments.  The down side is I don’t have enough Scuba Instructor applications yet.  But there is time and I have not reached panic mode yet.

Yeah Monday!

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

Chrystene Matthews-Speed had her going away party last night at the Safari Lounge.  There was a large turnout.  Dustin said they would stop by the base on Monday before actually departing for Amarillo.

Problems continue with the dive boat that Capt. Rich and crew are trying to deliver to Belize.  They got the boat to the Florida Sea Base on Saturday evening and yesterday Capt. Rich and Capt. Dennis took it back to Fort Lauderdale for repair.

It was pretty quiet around base yesterday.  The University of Miami shark group was out tagging sharks but I did not get any report on their degree of success.  They had a very nice day weather wise.  It was sunny, calm winds and about 66 degrees.  It should be quite a bit warmer today, somewhere between 70 and 75.

That’s all I have this morning.  Enjoy your Sunday.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

When I went to bed last night I turned off the alarm and made plans to sleep in this morning.  That lasted until 04:20.  I woke up, spent about 30 minutes trying to go back to sleep and here I am at 04:50.

I left before breakfast yesterday morning and did not get back to the Florida Sea Base until after dinner last night.  I did not intend to be gone near that long but I ran into several glitches.  The good news was, thanks to my trusty iPhone, I was able to make and receive several business calls and reply to most of my emails.  I am overly connected.  It gets more and more difficult to “switch off” every year.  I doesn’t matter if you’re sleeping, eating or pooping, the electronic leash is always tugging on you.

Our weather was sunny, cool and windy yesterday.  It is supposed to be warmer (near 70) today and the wind has already diminished significantly.  Maybe that’s why I’m having trouble falling back asleep; the boat’s too still.

Captains Rich, Dennis and Alan made it from Fort Lauderdale to the Florida Sea Base with their delivery yesterday.  However, there are still issues with the boat.  The starboard prop or shaft is vibrating.  Capt. Rich hopes to have the boat hauled in Marathon today, the shaft and prop pulled, transported to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, trued, returned to Marathon, reinstalled and aligned by Tuesday evening.  If all of that can be accomplished the trio will depart Wednesday morning for Belize.

Whether by boat with Capt. Rich or by car, I have to go to Marathon latter today.  I had to order a new battery for my truck through NAPA and I need to pick it up today.  I think there is something I have to pick up at West Marine as well but I can’t remember what it is right now.  Captains Dennis and Alan are headed home today and will be on standby for the next leg of the delivery.

The going away party for Chrystene Matthews-Speed is scheduled for 18:00 today at the Caloosa Cove Resort’s Safari Lounge.  I wish her the best in Amarillo.  We will miss her around here.

I hope you have a good weekend.  Stay warm.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

As promised, we started the day yesterday with a three hour Team Meeting.  There is nothing earth shattering to report; just the routine month after month stuff.  We are doing very well financially and will have a record setting attendance in 2011.  The 2012 lottery is also doing well and it looks like next year will be super busy as well.  We have essentially hit our maximum capacity.  From now on it will be a function of maintaining full registration.

The rest of my day was spent on equally boring office chores.  I did get to make an emergency run to Marathon for some boat parts.  I spoke with Capt. Rich and the delivery team made it from Merritt Island to Fort Lauderdale yesterday.  At that point the team ran into some more issues but they’re still optimistic they will make it to the Florida Sea Base today.

It was about 10 degrees cooler yesterday than the day before.  Today is supposed to be about the same as yesterday and then it should start climbing back into the 70s on Saturday.  (It’s about 57 this morning and we should hit the upper 60s this afternoon.  The windy is rather brisk this morning but are supposed to calm down a bit this afternoon.)

I am headed to Miami early this morning to check in with my fat doctor and tend to some errands.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

We are through with the rain, but now comes the chilly temperatures behind the front.  We hit 74º yesterday afternoon.  Our low this morning was 58 and we are expecting a high near 67 today.

As frequently happens with boat deliveries, Capt. Rich, Capt. Dennis and Capt. Alan did NOT depart yesterday as scheduled.  Capt. Rich was optimistic that they would get underway this morning.  Capt. Keith Douglass is out of town for a few days on FSB business.  Those of us who are still here are having a Team Meeting this morning.  Topics of discussion will include budget (always), spring program, facilities projects and capital expenditures and the Tarpon Tournament.  Is anyone still awake?

Our PADI Regional Manager, Mike Kurczewski, and Kristin Valette, PADI’s Director of Marketing and Communication, stopped by the base yesterday.  Kristin is planning on bringing a camera crew down in March or April to take some footage for a yet undisclosed marketing opportunity.  I will let you know more when I know more.

Chrystene Matthews-Speed’s tour of duty is quickly coming to an end.  She has less than a week left and then she and hubby Dustin will be returning to Amarillo, Texas to start a new chapter in their lives.  We don’t have a replacement for Chrystene yet, but my unofficial understanding is the field has been narrowed to just one or two applicants.

Good news for those of you with iTunes accounts who may be searching for some wholesome, clean, Scout appropriate, family style comedy.  Tim Hawkins’ CDs are now available for download.  You can also do a search on Tim Hawkins on You Tube if you want to see and hear some of his work before you buy a CD.  He’s a very funny comedian who will appeal to the whole family.  If you do not participate in iTunes, you can still purchase his CDs and DVDs from www.timhawkins.net.

That’s all I have this morning (other than some gas but I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that).  Have a great day.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

“To Protect and Serve” is a common slogan of law enforcement agencies across the US.  The Los Angeles Police Department is credited with being the first non-military law enforcement agency to adopt this motto.  As some of you know, I served as a Texas Peace Officer for 26 years before coming to the Florida Sea Base.  Obviously the local Miami news has focused on the death of two Miami-Dade officers on 20 January 2011.  Then, on the day of their burial (24 January), two St. Petersburg, Florida officers were slain.  The year is off to a rough start for US police officers.  Here is a link to all officers killed in the line of duty for 2011: http://www.odmp.org/year.php.  Most people interact with the police in predominantly negative situations; traffic citations, traffic accidents, as victims of crimes, as arrestees, being notified of a death in the family, etc.  I don’t in any way mean to get on a soap box.  But in 26 years I worked with hundreds of officers.  A few of them should not have been cops.  But the vast majority were like the 14 officers who have died in line of duty so far this year.  Almost every single one of them is willing to give their life to protect others.  ”Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” – Matthew 5:9.

We had a strong cold front come through last night.  We have a 60% chance of rain today but we are still forecasted to hit 74º this afternoon.

Moving our way.

Captain Rich Beliveau, Capt. Dennis Wyatt and Capt. Alan Robinson went to Merritt Island, Florida last night to deliver a boat from there to the Florida Sea Base and then on to Belize.  They will have unpleasant weather conditions to deal with today.  It should serve as a sea trial of sorts to give them an idea of how the boat will handle if they encounter bad weather between Florida and Belize.

Everything was pretty quiet around base yesterday.  Today’s productivity may be effected by the weather.  I may have to declare a mandatory nap time for all staff.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

This is a very important announcement for participants and staff members of the Florida Sea Base. It is almost impossible to get to the Florida Sea Base without traveling on some part of the Florida Turnpike System.  In the past, you had two options when traveling on the toll roads; you could pay cash (which involved a higher fee) or you could buy a device (transponder) called a SunPass that allowed you to pay in advance and travel through the toll booths without stopping (this option also allowed a discount).

EFFECTIVE 18 FEBRUARY 2011 THERE WILL NO LONGER BE A CASH OPTION ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE SYSTEM. You will have two options; the SunPass or Toll-by-Plate.  If you don’t have a SunPass, the cameras will record your vehicle license plate and you will be mailed a bill.  While a given toll may be as low as 25¢, their will be a $2.50 per month service charge for Toll-by-Plate charges.  I suspect the rental car agencies are going to require you to pay an additional fee for a SunPass at the time of the rental to avoid an influx of Toll-by-Plate charges.  If you plan to drive down in your personal vehicle, you may want to invest in a SunPass.  If so, buy one in advance.  They take a MINIMUM of 24 hours to activate.  So if you wait until you get to Florida to buy a SunPass, it won’t do you much good until your trip back home.  You can get much more information on the SunPass website.

It was a pleasure to meet Dale and Gail Coyne yesterday.  They were very nice and good sports about going for a boat ride under less than ideal conditions.  I invited them back when we have a base load of kids and they were very agreeable.

Our weather is a little yucky and is forecasted to get a little worse tomorrow.  We are still doing better than most of the country.  We are experiencing some light rain and we expect a high near 79.

That’s all I have for today.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

Today will be very interesting at the Florida Sea Base.  If you are not aware, IndyCar team owner, Dale Coyne, is a major supporter of the BSA and even displays the BSA logo on his car.   Mr. Coyne, who has formed an alliance with the BSA, and some folks from the National Office will be visiting us today.

Click on photo to enlarge.

We also have two prestigious groups coming to the Florida Sea Base for training; the Society for Ortho-Bionomy and the National Marine Sanctuaries Superintendents.  As I said, it should be an interesting day.

We have a slight chance (10%) of rain and a forecasted high of 73º today.  The wind should be out of the east at 10 to 15 knots, just shy of requiring a small craft advisory.  Capt. Rich is scheduled to take Mr. Coyne and company on a boat ride aboard BSA Centennial Eagle, our newest Newton 46′ Dive Special.  It may be a little bumpy if we go on the ocean side, but not too bad.

I hope your team won yesterday.  It’s interesting that the Steelers and Packers have nearly identical trim on their jerseys.  Yellow is my favorite color.  Both the colored and the white jerseys of each team has yellow trim.  Back in the day I was a Cowboys fan (I no longer consider myself a fan of any particular team).  The Cowboys enjoyed a pretty serious rivalry with the Packers back then.  I think by default I’ll have to root for the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

The local news is on while I’m writing this.  They just announced that Miami is the fourth “rudest” city in the US.  They rank very high in this category every year.  Personally, I feel sorry for the folks in Los Angeles, New York,  and Philadelphia.  I have never been to any of those cities.  But it is hard to image people being more rude than they are in Miami.  I would nominate Miami as the rudest city in the world.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

I wasn’t going to post anything this morning because I was off base all day yesterday and don’t have any Florida Sea Base “news” to report.  But I decided to comment on our weather.  We bottomed out at 50º.  At 08:18 we have totally cloudless skies and the wind has mercifully shifted from the west to the north and has laid down significantly.  We are forecasted to hit 65 this afternoon.  It’s a bit uncomfortable for those of us living here, but the snowbirds should be enjoying the day and we’re probably do better than most of you.  Hopefully the Bears / Packers game will live up to all the hype.  I’m sure I’ll make time to watch at least some of the game.

Stay warm.  Stay safe.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

Summer staff applications will be distributed on MONDAY by Rob Kolb, Director of Program (and coordinator of seasonal staff applications).  IF YOU WANT TO WORK AT THE FLORIDA SEA BASE THIS SUMMER, FAX AN APPLICATION ASAP TO ROB KOLB AT 305-664-2039. Capt. Rich Beliveau (sailing), Capt. Scott Martin (BEC), and I (scuba) have been charged with completing our summer staff hiring by the end of March.  If you snooze you may miss out.  I do NOT participate in Facebook.  If you are a former staff member and happen to be Facebook buddies with some more of the former staff members, you might do them a favor by letting them know they need to submit an application IMMEDIATELY if they want to work here this summer.

We enjoyed a high temperature yesterday of 83º.  We had a few short periods of very light rain; just enough to settle the dust and raise the humidity.  Today will be about 10 degrees cooler with a 30% chance of rain.  We are at 70º now (06:52) and the temperature should slowly fall all day.  Tonight is forecasted to drop to near 50 with a high tomorrow of just 67.  The difference between today’s high and tonight’s low is about 20 degrees.  It is rare for us to have that much of a temperature change in just 12 hours.  Our normal temperature range is 5 to 10 degrees in a day.  That is due in large part to the water surrounding us; it keeps the temperatures more stable.

Capt. Rich is headed to Fort Lauderdale very early this morning to do some boat work with Capt. Bruce Payette and I am headed to Aventura, Miami and Homestead in just a few minutes.  It’s always nice to get “off the rock” and I have a long do list to keep me busy.  Among other chores, I have an appointment with the fat doctor.  I have been stressed out about this for the past several days.  I feel like I have hit a plateau and I’m concerned that I have lost very little if any weight this week.  If that’s the case, I’m hoping the doctor can give me a strategy to get under this hump.

Fort Worth Police Detective TJ Doyle and I were unofficial partners for several years.  The question is, how can a civilian recognize a meth lab?  The answer…

Click on photo to enlarge.

I probably won’t post anything tomorrow since I’ll be gone all day today (plus it may be too cold to get out of bed tomorrow morning).  I hope you have a great weekend.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape