Florida Sea Base News

CELEBRITIES

Chip Kasper, Senior Marine Weather Forecaster for the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Key West, Florida stopped by the Florida Sea Base yesterday.  Chip does an outstanding job of sending emails to individuals throughout the Keys when severe or unusual weather systems are a threat.  His dedication is GREATLY appreciated.  And his dedication goes far beyond “office hours”.  He has sent emails and taken phone calls from home and even on vacation.  Chip has a genuine passion for weather forecasting and protecting his constituents.

Paul Noack, Chair of the BSA National Aquatics Task Force and member of the BSA national Health and Safety Committee (plus several more) also stopped by on vacation.  Pat is a TIRELESS volunteer.  It is a privilege to watch him work.

GIGANTIC NAUTICAL FLEA MARKET

The Upper Keys Rotary Gigantic Nautical Flea Market is being held this weekend in Islamorada.  In the beginning, the Florida Sea Base played a huge part in this annual event; donating staff members for hours of manual labor, golf carts/mules, ice chests, kitchen supplies and more.  Over time, the spring season at the Florida Sea Base has become busier and the Gigantic Flea Market has grown to the point that our resources are not as needed.  However, our General Manager, Captain Paul Beal, is a member of the Upper Keys Rotary and will spend hours upon hours in service at this event.

SCUBA

The Scuba Adventure crew logged two more dives today under less than ideal conditions.  They have matured immeasurably as divers this week.  They will complete their final dive this morning.  The Scuba Liveaboard crew will return from the Conch Pearl today.

SAILING

S/V Misty Shoals returned from a week of sailing with members of the Philmont Staff Association.  The Sea Exploring crew from the Schooner Jolly II Rover also returned to the Florida Sea Base to end their week.

WEATHER

Breezy, very warm (80s) and a slight chance of showers are forecasted for the Florida Sea Base.  I am concerned about the Daytona 500 which is scheduled to run on Sunday with Danica Patrick on the pole.  (Hmmm, I’m not sure that sounds right.)  Anyway, they have a 50-60% chance of showers for race time.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape

Today is my son’s and daughter-in-law’s 11th anniversary.  Have a blessed day kiddos.

I had some challenges (mainly due to exhaustion) on yesterday’s post with the links to various forms.  I THINK I have corrected the issues.  I apologize for any inconvenience.

Thursday was pretty busy about the Florida Sea Base; one Sea Exploring crew and three Coral Reef Sailing crews returned to base and attended the closing “luau” ceremony.  Another Coral Reef Sailing crew was on base for their shore-leave day.  The Scuba Certification crew completed their PADI Open Water Diver certification.

I spent about an hour assisting with the Instructor Development Course yesterday and about three and a half hours studying for Saturday’s Standards and Procedures test.  Captain Rich Beliveau participated in a conference call (that seemed to last for hours) with the US Coast Guard, lawyers, ASTM, and industry leaders who are trying to promulgate standards for parasailing.  Persons already in the industry are trying to keep the rules loose enough that they can stay in business.  Others are trying to make an encyclopedia of micro-managment “what if” rules, including requiring onboard chart plotters with XM weather access.  (My concern about the last requirement is it may get transferred to all sailing vessels if it gets “approved” at this level – an expensive proposition.)

Dr. Ellen had 92 scuba medical related emails yesterday.  If you have questions about the required paperwork, PLEASE read my 23 February 2012 post.  Also, if you are attending the Florida Sea Base as a Scuba Certification crew, PLEASE, PLEASE have everyone in your crew read the PADI Open Water Diver manual that was sent to you and COMPLETE THE KNOWLEDGE REVIEW AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER.  If you don’t, you will be sitting in the classroom reading instead of diving on a gorgeous reef.

Chip Kasper, Senior Marine Weather Forecaster, from the National Weather Service in Key West is scheduled to stop by this morning.  He sent an email saying he was going to be in the neighborhood (more about that in the next paragraph) and had some NWS “products” he thought might benefit the safe operation of the Florida Sea Base.  Chip is very aware of our dependence on weather and our efforts to diligently track it and give appropriate directions to as many as 40 boats that may be on the water at any given time during the summer carrying very precious cargo – your children.  One of my concerns is whether the Florida Sea Base internet connection is strong enough to display the intense graphics of some of the NWS products.  [SIDE BAR:  The Florida Sea Base is located in a geographically "remote" area.  We have marginal internet connect at best.  The service is so poor that I subscribe to an "air card" at my own expense to allow me to support this blog and monitor weather while I am out of the office.]

The reason Mr. Kasper will be “in the neighborhood” is because he will be manning a booth at the 16th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market at Founders Park in Islamorada this weekend.  I may actually miss the flea market this year due to my Course Director exams.

If you are fortunate enough to be enjoying snow today, please be safe.

The Weather Channel

At 0630 we are experiencing 74º, clear skies and gentle breezes.  We will survive.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape 

Our last round of crews for this week will be departing today.  The Sea Exploring schooner Jolly II Rover, and the Coral Reef Sailing boats Juan Cadiz, Spindrift, Midnight Dragon, Chanticleer, Jewel of Athena, and Island Woman all returned to dock and discharged their crews yesterday afternoon.  The seasonal program staff will have the remainder of the day (once the crews leave) off and tomorrow off.  They have been working for 10 days straight.

I am going to try to go to the “Gigantic Nautical Flea Market” in Islamorada this morning.  The annual event is sponsored by the Upper Keys Rotary Club.  I spoke with Capt. Martin Ivy during dinner.  He said he went to the flea market today and it doesn’t sound like they will have much, if anything, that I’m interested in.  But you never know what you might spot at a flea market.  There is another annual nautical flea market held in Dania Beach (adjacent to Fort Lauderdale) in a few weeks.  It usually has more boat stuff.  The Islamorada event leans towards fishing and crafts.

There’s a 10% chance of rain today.  Otherwise, it will be partly cloudy, 82º and gentle breezes.  Perfect for getting sunburned at a shadeless flea market.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

The Upper Keys Rotary Club 15th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market was held this weekend in Islamorada.  The proceeds go to local Keys youth for scholarships.  It is ALWAYS a mad house.  The event is a huge success every year.  The Flea Market is held at Founder’s Park in Islamorada.  While it’s only 14 miles from the Florida Sea Base, it took just over an hour to make the drive today.  While I had a short list of items I was hoping to find at bargain prices, I essentially struck out.  I found a fishing rod similar to what I wanted.  It was used and they were only asking $5.00.  But the guides looked very stressed and I decided it wasn’t worth it.  I saw a few folks I know; Captain Martin Ivy, Pamela Anderson (owner of Treasure Harbor Marine), and Diane Wischmeire (wife of the esteemed Capt. Joe Wishmeire).  Local recording “star” Capt. Sam Crutchfield was there selling his CDs.  There were dresses, jewelry, nick-nacks, home decorations, a fiberglass replica cannon that looked so real I should have bought it.  Oh yeah, and there was some boat stuff too.  My wife bought a dress.  I bought a cheese burger and bottled water.  The weather was superb – about 70 degrees, clear skies and a trace of wind.  Someone should have been selling sunscreen.

No crews arrive at the Florida Sea Base tomorrow so I will probably take the staff out for a relaxing day of sun, scuba and snorkeling.  Well, a half day at least.

The weather was overcast but almost windless today.  The computer guys from Dallas, Ray and Scott, put in a full day.  The new server is up and running; Capt. Rich and I have new computers; and I think all of the other computers associated with the Program Department (Office Manager’s computer, Scuba Commissioner’s computer and at least three laptops used for scuba and sailing training programs) were all refurbished.

No new crews arrived today but we did have Coral Reef Sailing crews return from their week of sailing.  Several of us are going to the Upper Keys Rotary Club 15th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market tomorrow to look for “deals”.  (Paul Beal, our General Manager and local Rotarian, will be there flipping burgers all day.)  My personal quest is for halyards and a water maker; but part of the fun of a flea market is you never know what you’re going to find.  I could use a ship’s clock and maybe some fishing gear too.  We will see.

It’s developing into another wonderful weather day at the Florida Sea Base.  We started out at about 54 degrees this morning with a bit of wind.  The wind is dying down and the temperature should make it to at least 65 with clear skies.

The first four Coral Reef Sailing crews that started their adventure on Saturday will be returning to the dock at about 1400 (2 p.m.).  They will move from their boat to the dorms, clean the boats for the next crews, prepare a skit for tonight’s luau and begin their packing and other preparations to head home.  Some won’t want to go home.  So I always tell them they don’t have to go HOME, but they can’t stay here.  Our third set of Coral Reef crews returned to the dock this morning for their “fun day” of small boat sailing, tubing, kayaking and volleyball.  We still haven’t had any scuba crews for the 2010 spring season, but they will start arriving in March.

Ray Macaluso and Scott Waters from the National ISD Office are working hard in the Florida Sea Base Admin building.  They are installing a new server which (hopefully) will help our connection speed on the internet as well as with email and local server access.

The Upper Keys Rotary Club 15th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market (what a title) is being held in Islamorada this weekend; 0800 – 1700 Saturday and 0900 – 1500 Sunday.  I hope to attend on Saturday so I’ll report the details then.  For now I’ll just say that it’s always a huge success and all of the proceeds go to local youth for scholarships.