Flying solo tonight at the Dinghy Dock Bar.

@hewittdelhon is the Marine Park Ranger for the SXM Nature Foundation.

Today I got a message from him, “Do you want to go on patrol today?”

Oh hell yes.

I was imagining something akin to a law enforcement ride along.

#nope

They put me to work immediately. There’s apparently a rule that there have to be two people on the surface when they dive and their usual volunteers couldn’t make it so Delhon thought, “I wonder what Yermo is doing.”

There is an MPA (Marine Protected Area) that is a popular dive spot. The moorings there need to be inspected regularly so this is one of his many tasks.

After a fast very bumpy and wet ride we arrived at the mooring. I was /soaked/.

“Yermo, you are surface support.”

Umm, what? 😳

I got a quick overview of what my duties were and they suited up. I have forgotten the other diver’s name. The tanks are very heavy so she asked me to help her put it on, something I have never done.

Then down they went.

Emma, an intern from the Netherlands, and I patiently sat in these big rolling waves while the divers did their work.

They came up after 40 minutes on the dot and said they had been swimming around two reef sharks. (I’m sure @poockmckenzy would approve. )

I’m not much a vacation guy. I don’t enjoy tourist traps or sight seeing. But I am all over seeing into lives I know little about and I’m always curious to learn something new.

This was really cool and made my day.

#work
#scuba
#patrol
#sayyes
#sailing
#sailingadventure

I am sitting off shore on a powerboat serving as surface support for two divers.

We dropped anchor next to this unusual looking aluminum boat.

And we're still trying to find a place to anchor. We started dragging. The lagoon is quite crowded and Mark's usual spot is taken.

Fourth times a charm?

We are now attempting to anchor in the lagoon. I piloted us in through the drawbridge channel which is always a littpe stressful. We ran aground at our first anchoring attempt and ended up too tight on our second. Now on our third attempt it feels like we are aground again.

Well that's something I never thought I would hear. Mark has left to drop off laundry and buy some parts. If he isn't back by 11:15 we are to raise anchor and move the boat into the lagoon.

Everyone has gone to bed. I am sitting alone in the cockpit listening to the wind and drinking some scotch.

Good evening at the dinghy dock bar seeing Delhon, Terry, Dana, Rebecca, and Sophie.

STCW certification Standards of Training Certification and Watch Keeping.

Heading to the Dinghy Dock Bar.

There are these two guys in a small boat diving for conk.

We arrived in Sint Maarten 45 or so minutes ago. It was a challenging sail with squalls, wind gusts, and short period waves.

I spent and hour or so at the wheel. I am out of practice.

Jackie's first kill.

Jackie's first kill. We just passed the catamaran she's been chasing for a while.