Florida Sea Base News

Capt. Rich and I were at the 07:30 staff meeting.  Capt. Alex Bergstedt, Matt McClure and Dom Alesandrini did a great job of keeping the lid on the boiling caldron while we were gone.  Thanks guys, and thanks to all of the staff members for doing your jobs competently and following Capt. Rich’s #1 rule – Don’t be Stupid!

Tomorrow we will refocus on our annual camp “visitation”.  This used to be called an inspection but I guess some bureaucrat thought visitation sounded less threatening.  It is what it is.  A bunch of folks are going to arrive at the Florida Sea Base on Wednesday to audit our procedures.  The actual inspection, I mean visitation, is on Thursday.  This is a one day event (it could easily be a day and a half or two days) that requires the inspectors to split into three teams, two at the Florida Sea Base and one at the Brinton Environmental Center.  Friday morning they will make a report.  This will be my 11th “visitation” at the Florida Sea Base.  It is always hard to have a team of people come in and do their best to find some type of deficiency.  One year one of the inspectors was displeased because one of our signs read something like “No Unauthorized Personnel” but was supposed to read “Authorized Personnel Only”.  So we went across the street to the hardware store, bought the proper sign and put it in place.

I  was hoping to find more info on the Deepwater Horizon debacle to report on today but in all honesty I am still dragging and simply haven’t made time to catch myself up.  I am very interested in any news any of you can provide with references so I can take a look.  Just click on the comment button and type away.  I will try to do a better job and have some information to post tomorrow.  The bottom line for right now is the Keys – including the Florida Sea Base – are oil free and open for business.  Sometimes you just have to take things one day at a time.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

Captains Rich, Carol, Tom and I had a very productive day in Slidell, LA today preparing the BSA Centennial Eagle for delivery to the Florida Sea Base.  We started at 0800 and it is 2250 local time.  Captains Carol and Tom are at the grocery store.  We are trying very hard to be on the water by 0900 tomorrow morning.  Therefore, it is unlikely that I will be able to make a new post on Thursday or Friday.  Saturday is a maybe.  I will post again as soon as I can.  Tomorrow we will be “east bound and down, loaded up and truckin’”.  If you’re familiar with the Smokey & the Bandit movies, you’ll recognize the quote.

I did not get the details, but when I called home my wife said the news had reported that the oil from the Deepwater Horizon blow-out was getting very close to the Florida Panhandle.  That is still several hundred miles from the Florida Sea Base and the winds and currents are not favorable for moving any oil from the panhandle of Florida to the Florida Keys.  I will give you a better update when I can.

Capt. Steve

The Florida Sea Base is now in the capable hands of Capt. Alex Bergstedt, Scuba Commissioner, Matt McClure, Sailing Commissioner, and Dominic Alesandrini, Dockmaster.  Captains Rich, Carol and I left the Florida Sea Base early this morning and have arrived in Slidell.  Capt.  Tom Faralli met us here.  But the day didn’t go quite as planned and there are some issues to be resolved.

We left the Florida Sea Base at 0630 this morning for what is normally a two hour drive to the Miami International Airport.  Our flight was scheduled to leave at 1035.  No worries.  We arrived at MIA at 1030.  BIG worries.  The only good news was that the departure had been postponed for 15 minutes due to the bad weather.  We had a bag that had to be checked due to the contents.  As many of you know, I have a crippled leg.  So the decision was made that  Captains Rich and Carol would run for the gate with their carry-ons and I would take the checked bag and catch the next flight.  Captains Rich and Carol were successful and BARELY caught the flight.  I stood in line for an hour and a half to get booked on the next flight and check the bag.  Thirty minutes later I was through security and at the gate.  But the flight did not leave for another four hours.

Captains Rich and Carol went to Newton to check on the status of the BSA Centennial Eagle.  The boat has still not been sea trialed by the US Coast Guard or the representatives from John Deere (required for the engine warranties).  So that will happen tomorrow morning if we are lucky.  Adding to our woes is the weather forecast (50% chance of thunderstorms tomorrow).  And finally, we are concerned that some of our route may be closed because the prevailing winds are pushing the oil from Deepwater Horizon towards Mobile, Alabama.  Oh yeah, on top of all of that, we need to return to the Florida Sea Base ASAP because we have our annual national camp inspection next week.

I have been watching the local news while preparing this post.  The oil spewing from the Deepwater Horizon site is killing this part of the world.  It is unexcusable.

I will post a report tomorrow if we aren’t able to get underway.  If you don’t here from me, it means we are on the water headed for the Keys.

Capt. Steve

Today is Memorial Day, please take a moment to reflect on the the soldiers who have fought and given their lives to protect the American way of life.  If you happen to see a soldier today, make an effort to tell them “thank you.”  And if you know a relative of a soldier thank them too.  They also sacrifice and suffer.  They deserve your thanks.

There seems to be no significant update to the Deepwater Horizon blow-out.  Winds should remain relatively light next week pushing the oil on-shore and possibly east as far as the Alabama / Florida border.  The off-shore oil stills appears to be caught in the Loop Current Eddy and posing no threat to the Florida Keys or the Florida Sea Base for the immediate future.  It may be MONTHS now before BP can shut this well down.  Current estimates suggest more than a million gallons of oil may be released through this one well by 01 August 2010.  I am not educated enough to find words to express my feelings.  This is simply unbelievable, incomprehensible, and criminal.  I appreciate all of the benefits of oil.  But the safety regulations have to be enforced and the safety devices have to be tested periodically for functionality.

On happier news, Captains Rich, Carol and I will be departing at 0630 tomorrow morning for Slidell, LA to take delivery of the Florida Sea Base’s third Newton 46 Dive Special, the BSA Centennial Eagle.  I have some housekeeping and packing left to do.  This is not a convenient time for us.  The boat was supposed to be ready before now.  Oh well.  It looks like we have a good weather forecast for the delivery.  That means a lot.

I’m not sure if I will be taking a laptop or not.  Even if I do, there will be a few days that I can’t post anything.  I will do my best to post whenever I can.  Thanks for your continued support.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

Today was the final official day of staff training for the scuba staff at the Florida Sea Base.  The morning was spent on handling and filling scuba tanks.  The afternoon was spent with a question and answer session with the Florida Sea Base health advisor.  All of the scuba staff had very good questions for the doctor and I think they were impressed with his explanations.

We also had one Scuba Liveaboard crew and four Coral Reef Sailing crews arrive.  Sargon Smith will be the Scuba Instructor for the Scuba Liveaboard crew which will be aboard Schooner Conch Pearl with Captains Denny and Holly.  I did not get a copy of the Coral Reef schedule this morning so I apologize for not being able to list the personnel assigned to those crews.  One Sea Exploring crew returned today and had their luau tonight.  They will head for home tomorrow morning.

I took compressor filters and a replacement compressor fill hose to the Tuesday Scuba Liveaboard crew who are out on S/V Endeavour and S/V Ciao Bella.  Captains Mike and Kelly were in good spirits and reported that the water conditions are like a swimming pool; 81 degrees and calm seas.  I also spoke with Scuba Instructor Meghann Michalski who says she is having a BLAST.

The top filling at the Deepwater Horizon site has officially been declared unsuccessful.  BP is working on another attempt to cap the well.  The ONLY good news that I can offer is that the Florida Sea Base and the Florida Keys remain oil free.  The water here is incredibly clear for this time of year.  The tourists are literally PACKED into the Keys for the Memorial Day weekend.  If you are arriving in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach airports and driving down to the Florida Sea Base or Brinton Environment Center on Saturday or Sunday, I suggest you add at least an hour to you predicted drive time.

We pray for the flow of oil to be stopped soon and the quickest recovery possible for the areas that have been affected by this disaster.  I do not wish this tragedy on anyone.  I thank God for sparing the Florida Keys for so long.

It is WAY past my bedtime and I have a staff meeting at 0730.  More news tomorrow.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

Today was day six of summer staff training at the Florida Sea Base.  We had the pleasure of hosting the staff from the Brinton Environmental Center who joined us for a day of administration related training.  We also had folks present from the Community Blood Bank.  I did not get an official count but we are certain that at least 35 staff members donated blood today.  Lori Dekker from Keys Consortium was also here to drug test staff members who are required by law to belong to a random drug testing program.  The US Coast Guard requires testing for all captains, mates and other personnel working on the water.

The Loop Current eddy that I have referred to a few times is finally starting to develope.  There is a full report on Dr. Jeff Masters’ Wunderblog.  This eddy should be good news for the Florida Keys and the Florida Sea Base but not such good news for the folks along the Louisiana, Alabama and Florida Panhandle coastal areas.  BP is continuing with the “top kill” process.

I have homework tonight.  I have to teach a class in HazMat tomorrow for the scuba staff.  The US Department of Transportation considers a container holding 40 psi or higher pressure to be a hazardous material.  Since all of our scuba staff are likely to fill scuba and transport scuba tanks during their employment at the Florida Sea Base, thye must receive training.  I have never taught this subject before so, as I said, I have some homework to do tonight.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

We have now completed five days of staff training at the Florida Sea Base.  The scuba staff learned about scuba equipment care and maintenance this morning, went diving and practiced rescues this afternoon, and reviewed PADI paperwork and policies this evening.

Capt. Rich held the second round of Captains Training for the captains involved in the Coral Reef Sailing, Eco Adventure, Sea Exploring and Scuba Liveaboard programs today.

I managed to find two hours to work on the air conditioning on my boat today.  The raw water strainer (where the sea water is pulled in to be pumped through the a/c) was almost totally clogged with seaweed and the water lines that go through the a/c system were clogged with algae.  Both of the problems are common.  The air conditioners on boats use sea water to remove the heat from the air instead of using air like your home a/c does.  So sea water is pulled into the air conditioner, circulates through some copper tubing to absorb heat and then pumps overboard in a constant cycle.  The incoming water gos through a strainer to remove grass, mud and other debris.  (There was a tiny crab living in the strainer.  I set him free.)  The warm water circulating through the tubing encourages algae to grow and that clogs up the pipes.  That reduces the amount of water flow and that makes the a/c less efficient.  The unit is working better this evening.  It was 90 degrees in the boat before I serviced the a/c.

The good news regarding the Gulf oil mess is that the top filling is still in progress and has not been declared a failure yet.  The bad news is that a new leak may have been discovered.  The BEST news is that the Florida Keys remain unaffected and are open for business.

The revised hurricane forecast is out.  NOAA is forecasting 14 – 23 named storms, 8 – 14 hurricanes, and 3 – 7 major hurricanes.  This is classified as a hyperactive season.  If the forecast is correct, this summer will be more active than the summer of 2005 – the worst on record.  Just because we might have a busy hurricane season does not mean any of the storms will affect the Florida Sea Base.  I don’t want to wish bad things on anybody so let’s just hope the forecast doesn’t come to fruition.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

Today was day four of summer staff training at the Florida Sea Base.  About half the day was driver’s education.  We use 1 ton, 12 passanger vans at the Florida Sea Base and most of our staff members have very limited, if any, experience with this size vehicle.  The sailing staff spent much of the remainder of the day becoming familiar with crew check-in procedures and all of the facilities on the base.  The scuba staff attended boat mate training and learned knots essential to their job (cleat hitch, bowline, clove hitch and 2 half hitches).  The scuba staff are on a night dive tonight.  I am working on paperwork for the annual BSA camp inspection.

BP started the process of “top filling” the Deepwater Horizon well.  They were not able to start until about 1400 (2:00 p.m.) and I have not been able to find any report on how it’s going.  Most authorities, even BP officials, give this process a low chance of success.  If they are unsuccessful, it will be months at best before the next phase is anywhere near completion.  On top of everything else, there is now concern about a VERY active hurricane season interrupting any attempts to stop the oil flow.  Here’s a concerning article from msnbc.  William Gray, the world’s foremost hurricane forecaster, is calling for an even more active season than 2005, which is currently the most active season on record.  I cannot find any reports on forecasted effects on the Florida Keys.  But so far, so good.  There is no Deepwater Horizon oil reported in the Florida Keys.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

Today was day three of summer staff training at the Florida Sea Base.  The sailing staff worked on small boat sailing and tubing.  The scuba staff went diving and practiced more rescue scenarios.  The water was swimming pool clear.

We completed dives at Independence Reef, Long Key Ledge and The Pillars of Atlantis.  I got to dive on the second and third sites.  Here is a short video showing Capt. Alex Bergstedt leading the rescue scenarios from the boat we use for the Scuba Certification crews.

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The first Scuba Liveaboard crew has arrived and made preparations to depart on their vessels tomorrow by doing an equipment shakedown, swim reviews, and scuba skills review.  Meghann Michalski is leading this group.

Capt. Alex Bergstedt, Sargon Smith and I taught the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty Course to 12 of our staff members this evening.  So it is again well past my bedtime.  The scuba staff will b on base until after dinner tomorrow.  Then they will get to go out for a night dive.

I couldn’t find much news about the Deepwater Horizon disaster today.  Tomorrow they are scheduled to try the “top filling” procedure to shut down the flow of oil.  Let’s all pray that they are successful.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

The weather and sea conditions continue in our favor.  The Florida Sea Base has crews arriving daily and there has been NO impact on our normal programs from the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.  The Florida Keys remain open in all aspects; there are no beach closures, waterway closures or fishing closures.  We are operating as usual.  The first potential storm of the season is expected to stay well north of us.  All is good.  Here is a chart of the area closed to fishing.  You can see that is it hundreds of miles from the Florida Sea Base.  Fish Close Map-5-21  I saw a report on the Weather Channel this evening.  BP is planning to begin the top filling process tomorrow morning.  They think they will know if it is going to seal the well or not by tomorrow evening.

Today was day two of staff training at the Florida Sea Base.  The diving staff worked on swim reviews, scuba skill reviews and snorkeling this morning.  This afternoon was spent on the reefs giving staff members new to the Florida Sea Base an opportunity to become familiar with their new “office” and giving all of the dive staff the opportunity to practice rescue scenarios.  We will do rescue scenarios at every opportunity for the next several days.

I got to go scuba diving myself today, with the staff.  I don’t get this opportunity very often anymore so it was a real treat.

This evening we held a refresher course on the proper use of medical oxygen during diving emergencies.

The sailing staff practiced small boat sailing this morning and worked on swimming and snorkeling skills this afternoon.

I hope you had a great day.

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape