Florida Sea Base News

CONFERENCE

Several members of the National Supply Division have been meeting at the Florida Sea Base for the last several days.  However, they have domiciled at Hawks Cay Resort and have had most of their meals off base.  Captain Rich Beliveau, Emily Sepeta and Mel Rynd took the group snorkeling yesterday. They wind was howling and the conditions on the reef we not conducive to snorkeling; zero visibility, large seas, wind driven surface current, etc.  After a miserable boat ride to the reef line, Captain Rich took the group to a bay-side snorkeling site called The Quarry.

SPRING STAFF

While Captain Rich was entertaining the National Supply Group, I continued working on the spring scuba staff hiring.  I have submitted information for most of the spring Letters of Employment for the scuba department to Cheryl Ferreri for processing.  I still need a couple of scuba instructors.  Hiring for all seasons is a very stressful time.  Since most of our potential staff members are college students and the school calendars vary so much it is very challenging to cover the entire season with an adequate number of qualified staff members.

2014 RESERVATIONS

The online reservation lottery for 2014 Florida Sea Base adventures will open on 15 January 2013 and close on 15 February 2013.  More information is available on the Florida Sea Base website at www.bsaseabase.org.  With that said, there are a few dates available for 2013 from crews who have cancelled their reservations.  And while thrips to the Florida Sea Base are not cheap, they do offer a rather liberal scholarship program.  So don’t be bashful about exploring this option.  There are dedicated funds to help provide the Florida Sea Base experience to all Scouts.

SUMMER STAFF

I have received several applications for summer scuba staff employment.  Please do not procrastinate; if you want to work here this summer you need to submit an application ASAP.

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

It was a LONG day yesterday.  I woke up with a headache and then spent almost 10 hours in training seminars.  Today’s schedule is somewhat better.  Captain Dennis Wyatt will join me this morning to walk the floor and I should get a chance to actually look at some of the show exhibits.  I have one class from 1000 to 1100.  Whenever I get finished, I will drive back to the Florida Sea Base (about a 6 hour drive).  I may sleep in a little Sunday morning so I may not get the post up as early as usual (maybe not at all).

This is my 700th post.  I know you are overwhelmed with attacks via phone, email, and social networking on a daily, even hourly basis.  I appreciate the time you find to read this blog.  I bear all expenses for this site and write it in my non-BSA time.  I started this site because of my frustration with our inability to bring you timely information as an organization.  I try to provide current information about the Florida Sea Base as openly as I can.  I get my hand slapped on occasion by FSB management for what I say.  As you read these posts, please keep in mind that this is NOT an official site of the Florida Sea Base or the Boy Scouts of America.  Some days it is simply ramblings from a tired old man.  Thank you for those who have become frequent visitors.  If you are new, and looking for supplemental information about the Florida Sea Base that you can’t find at www.bsaseabase.org, please use the search feature on this site to look for the information you need.  You can also go to the ABOUT page for a list of names and email addresses for  FSB department heads.  If you have a question about the Florida Sea Base and aren’t sure who to direct your question to, send it to me or click on COMMENTS and I will get it to the proper person.  The WEATHER page has information such as historic weather temperatures (including water temperatures).  The MEDICAL page has detailed information of particular interest to scuba participants.  Thanks for visiting this site.

Staffing wise, the summer of 2012 is going have some challenges.  Captain Dennis Wyatt and my right hand woman, Dr. Ellen Stites-Wyatt, are not planning on returning for the summer.  I will miss them professionally and personally.  They have taken a couple of summers off in the past (the Alaska years) and we have obviously survived.  Dr. Ellen carries the largest burden of any of the seasonal employees and her position is very challenging to fill.  But what I will miss most is hearing the two of them laughing their way through the difficult days.  They are incredible individuals and an unbelievable team.  We will get to work together during the spring and, knowing Dr. Ellen as I do, she will do all she can to leave us in good shape for the summer.  Also, Captain Carol Chapman, who is working very hard on her nursing degree, may not be able to work with us this summer due to her school commitments.  So I am loosing my two most experienced captains the same summer that I am adding another inspected vessel to our scuba fleet.  That is a three captain deficit.

Wednesday I briefly (like 10 seconds) crossed paths with PADI Course Director Gregg Johnson.  I think I last saw Gregg in 2001.  He now has a dive shop in Lancaster, Texas.  Yesterday I managed to catch up with Gregg for about 15 minutes on the show floor between classes.  Gregg was the Course Director for my IDC Staff Instructor course (SEVERAL years ago).  He’s an extremely competent scuba instructor.  If you happen to be in the Southwest Dallas area and looking for a dive shop or instructor I recommend him without reservation.  The name of his dive shop is Divers Isle Training Center.

At the end of my last class I was approached by another blast from the past, Captain Margarita Olson.  Captain Margarita is a PADI instructor and is teaching the PADI Open Water Diver course at the Florida Keys Community College in Key West this spring.  She is a former Florida Sea Base staff member but has been away for a few years.  We didn’t get to talk very long, but I am looking forward to maybe finding time in the near future to catch up.  I understand that she has had some incredible experiences since I last saw her.

I got the car partially packed last night.  I have to finish packing ASAP so I can get checked out, meet Captain Dennis, and get to my final class of the week before walking the floor for a few hours.  Whenever I get through, I have a six hour drive back to the Keys.

One of the first things I have to do when I get back to the base tonight is to fill the water tank on Escape.  Since the air conditioners haven’t been run in a month there is a decent chance that the sea water strainer or other components may need some attention.  Once I have water and air conditioning and a few essentials unloaded from the car, I should be able to get to bed.

Capt. Steve Willis
Heading for “the rock”

I added this part after originally signing off for the evening.  Dr. Master’s posted his blog later than I expected today so I thought he wasn’t going to post anything.  You can read his full report at http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1489.  I copied this part of his report.  PLEASE READ THE LAST SENTENCE. I take this as very good news.

Oil threat to the Keys uncertain
Satellite imagery from today’s pass of NASA’s Terra satellite and the European Envisat satellite were inconclusive as to the presence of oil in the Loop Current. It is likely that the oil has dispersed significantly over the 500-mile course it has taken from the site of the Deepwater Horizon blowout. I expect some oil is close to completing the full loop of the Loop Current and is now headed east towards the Keys, as depicted in the “Uncertainty” area in the latest NOAA 72-hour offshore trajectory forecast. If this estimate is correct, the Keys could see oil as early as Wednesday. However, this is not a sure thing. As I discussed in my post Wednesday, the Loop Current is very unstable right now, and is ready to cut off into a giant clockwise-rotating eddy, an event that occurs every 6 – 11 months. This event could occur today or tomorrow, in which case the ribbon of southwestward-moving oil would turn due west and then north, eventually winding up back near the site of the Deepwater Horizon blowout. Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecast Service has a nice discussion on the possibility of the Loop Current cutting off into a Loop Current Eddy, and they note in today’s discussion that there appears to be a developing eastward flow of water directly from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Florida Keys. Keep in mind, though, that during the first month that a Loop Current Eddy forms, it exchanges a considerable amount of water with the Loop Current. Even if a Loop Current Eddy forms today, I still expect we will see some oil make the turn eastward and flow past the Florida Keys by Wednesday. My guess is that the oil will be too thin and scattered to cause significant problems in the Keys, but there is great uncertainty on this.

Today was the first official day of staff training at the Brinton Environmental Center.  Staff training begins at 0730 tomorrow morning for staff members working at the Florida Sea Base.  Our first Sea Exploring crew arrives tomorrow as well.  The first Scuba Liveaboard crew arrives on Tuesday.  More Sea Exploring crews arrive on Thursday and Friday.  Coral Reef crews and more Scuba Liveaboard crews arrive Saturday.  It must be summer in the Florida Keys.

I couldn’t find much in the way of updates on the Deepwater Horizon blow-out today.  I also could not find a weather report indicating if the Loop Current has switched to a circular pattern or is still in it’s more “normal pattern”.  I’ve been hoping for a day off from the oil mess so today must be the day.  All continues to be well in the Keys.  Nothing is closed.  The Florida Sea Base is working full bore to be prepared to provide another excellent summer of high adventure programming for our participants.

My morning was focused on staff training elements.  This afternoon I have been working on summer scheduling.  I finally took a break.  My head was killing me and I couldn’t focus my eyes farther away than the computer monitor.  I’m going to take about an hour break, rest my eyes, listen to some music and force as much water as possible.  I’ll probably add a little more to today’s post later.

It is in fact later and here I am.  Captains Rich and Carol and I went to dinner with Captains Mike and Kelly who just returned from the Bahamas.  Capt. Mike runs S/V Ciao Bella and Capt. Kelly runs S/V Endeavour in the Tuesday Scuba Liveaboard programs during the summer.  They are GREAT and it’s a treat to have them back.

I’ve got to get to bed.  Staff training starts at 0730.  Woo Hoo!!!

Capt. Steve
Aboard S/V Escape

While we have yet ANOTHER front forecasted to hit tomorrow, today was a typical spring day at the Florida Sea Base; 70 degrees, sunny, with moderate winds from the east.  It was a great day to be outdoors.  Unfortunately for me, I was in the office much of the day working on summer scuba staff hiring (with much assistance from Capt. Alex).  However, we did get to spend a couple of hours outdoors putting new hinges on the back doors of my storage trailer.  Yeah!!!  Now I can get in and out of the trailer again.  The next phase is to remove EVERYTHING, sort it, dispose or sell as much as is prudent.  There are real antiques in there.  Not valuable antiques, just old junk type antiques.

Some of you may remember Matt Standal who worked here as a Divemaster.  I didn’t hear from Matt for a couple of years until recently.  I received an email from him.  I don’t think he will mind me sharing this part:

Steve, I have to say this:  After working as a Hawaii instructor for over a year, after cleaning 20 sets of gear day after day, after fighting for commission pay on snorkels and DPV scooter classes, after hawking dive photo CD’s for 20 bucks to pay my car insurance, after busting my hump to drive complaining tourists in a van through traffic jams on a tropical island, I can honestly say being a Dive Master at Sea Base was one of the best jobs I have ever had.

I received an earlier report of a similar nature from another of our Divemaster Academy graduates turned instructor, Sargon Smith.  He is currently working the the beautiful Virgin Islands.  He will be back at the Florida Sea Base soon and I think he is really looking forward to “the easy life” here.

For the current DMA graduates, I am VERY close to finalizing the hiring.  Today I notified a few who won’t be working with us this summer.  I should get to the others tomorrow or Wednesday.  So please stay tuned.  And let me explain for a minute.  As I said during the Divemaster Academy, I have several applications from returning staff members who did a great job last year.  There simply isn’t room for all of this year’s graduates.  So please don’t be down on yourself if I can’t find a spot for you this year.  This is very agonizing for me.  The bottom line is I have to do what is best for the program.

If you were hoping to work the spring season at the Florida Sea Base or Brinton Environmental Center and have not submitted an application, it may be too late.  Hiring for spring is pretty much done.  I don’t want to give you false hope, but if you want to try to get in an application for spring 2010, please fax it to Rob Kolb at 305-664-2039 IMMEDIATELY.  All scuba positions are filled.  I believe all of the sailing positions are filled but there MIGHT be an opening.  I am not sure about the galley and ranger departments.  They MAY have a spot or two still open.  I think Capt. Scott may be looking for one more Out Island Mate for spring.

If you are hoping to work at Florida Sea Base for the summer of 2010 and have not submitted an application, you need to do so immediately.  Again, the quickest way to get you application in is to fax it to Rob Kolb at 305-664-2039.  We are making good progress on our summer staff hiring.  We are receiving an unusually high number of applications.  The hiring managers, Capt. Rich (sailing), Capt. Scott (BEC), Capt. Keith (rangers), Chrystene (galley and Ships Store) and I (scuba) have been told that we can not just ignore the applications we often receive early from wannabe new staffers while waiting on late applications from a few procrastinating returners.  So whether you are a former staff member hoping to return for another season or a newbe applying for the first time, PLEASE get your applications in now.