Latitudes With Attitude, Chapter 11
Sunday, June 25 Miami International Airport
We’re on the last leg of the Troop 701 2006 Coral Reef Sailing High Adventure trip, sitting in Miami International Airport awaiting our flight back to Cleveland. It’s only 6:30 p.m. and the flight’s not until 8:30, but the guys have had enough and just want to chill. They’re currently sitting on the floor playing a card game called “Butt.”
Our final day aboard the Wyvern was a lot of fun. The dive at New Found Harbor Keys reef was great. My dive buddy Faith and I kept alive our habit of being the first buddy pair into the water and the last one out.
Highlights of yesterday’s dive included the largest lobster on the trip (it looked like it was three feet across from tentacle tip to tentacle tip), some type of urchin that was deep reddish brown with 8-10” spines, another puffy fish—found hiding in a coral formation—barracuda, tarpon, a huge variety of other fish and the granddaddy of all conch. I found a weathered conch shell that had to be 18” long and weigh 7-8 lbs. Capt. Charlie said it was probably a horse conch, examples of which he had seen previously on that reef.
After the dive, we sailed to Bahia Honda State Park, where we took a short walk to view Flagler’s Folly, a railroad bridge built in the early years of the 20th century. Capt. Charlie said Henry Flagler was determined to build a railroad that would last forever, and it has lasted nearly 100 years thus far, although it’s no longer in use. What’s different about this bridge is that a roadway was constructed atop the railroad trestle. By today’s standards it looks narrow and unsafe, but must have been a modern marvel in its day.
Later we sailed back to Boot Key Harbor and Faro Blanco Marina, where Phyllis Atha met us at the dock. We arrived too late in the day to pick up rental cars, so the crew pitched in to clean the boat, offload trash and pack up personal gear.
The captain ordered pizzas and pop for all, following which crew members took leisurely showers and walked up to US 1, where they employed flush toilets and bought refreshments. The bathhouse at Faro Blanco Marina had been in deplorable condition, so the guys felt it was worth the half-mile walk up to the convenience store on US 1.
Back on the boat, Mike led a reflection on the trip and its highlights. The guys all said they had enjoyed themselves, including the snorkeling, which surprised me to some extent given the short time most of them were in the water on each dive.
Other highlights were the time spent sailing and the fellowship they enjoyed while on a very relaxed schedule.
The biggest negative was their reaction to Key West, mostly in terms of not having enough money to do everything they wanted. Spaz, in particular, said he wished he had known to bring more money—and he was the kid who ordered a steak and shrimp dinner as his first meal upon arrival last Saturday!
During the reflection, I said how pleased I had been that the crew worked so well as a team all week, particularly when it came to the sailing and boat handling. By the end of the week, they all knew how to handle the sails, lines, winches and windlass, as well as navigating and taking turns at the helm.
Once Mike finished the formal part of his reflection, the guys continued to reminisce about things they had enjoyed. After another five minutes or so, Brian suggested playing cards, so the bubble of the reflection was finally burst and everyone’s attention turned again to having fun.
During the night, we had one more thunderstorm, which drenched the guys sleeping on deck and in the cockpit. Once again, several of the crew members reorganized the bunks in the middle of the night, moving duffel bags to clear space to sleep. The storm continued through most of the night and led into a grey, drizzly dawn.
Shortly after dawn, Capt. Charlie, Faith and I took a cab to Marathon Airport to rent our cars, returning to the Wyvern with breakfast. We loaded gear into the cars, cleaned up the last things on the boat and said our goodbyes to Capt. Charlie.
A smooth departure wasn’t in the cards, though, as I heard Matt call out: “Mr. Wollet, the car has a flat tire.” Sure enough, the right rear tire was completely flat. Matt, Todd and Spaz took charge immediately, working together in the rain to change the tire in minutes. Once again, we said our goodbyes to the captain and were finally on our way. After a quick stop at Marathon Airport to exchange cars, we headed northeast up the Overseas Highway for Miami.
Our first destination was the Dolphin Mall, where we rented a lane without any wait and did our traditional extreme bowling. Spaz had the highest score at 147. Brian had 108, Todd had 100, Greg had 110, Mike and Faith each had 83, Matt can’t remember his score, nor can I mine—although I think it was in the mid- 70s.
Following bowling, we went to a fancy Brazilian steak restaurant, where the guys were amazed the fixed-price menu included all the meat they cared to eat. Garlic sirloin seemed to be the favorite, followed by flank steak, filet mignon and sliced sirloin. Bacon-wrapped chicken was marginal, as were the lamb chops. Preceding the entrees was a salad buffet and a selection of desserts also was included. Several of the crew ordered a la carte desserts as well before surrendering.
A walk through the mall enable everyone’s lunch to settle and gave the guys one last chance to hang out without the adults around. We all met up again about 4:30 p.m. at an FYE store and I gave them the option of driving through Miami Beach or going early to the airport. Exhausted, they chose the airport.
It’s now approaching 7:30, so we only have an hour until our flight. The guys are all going to Starbucks. Faith and I are at the gate with our gear, and I’m getting a bit tired, so it seems like an appropriate time to close this final chapter of the journal. The parents will meet us at Cleveland Hopkins and our adventure will officially end just a couple of hours from now.
We’re on the last leg of the Troop 701 2006 Coral Reef Sailing High Adventure trip, sitting in Miami International Airport awaiting our flight back to Cleveland. It’s only 6:30 p.m. and the flight’s not until 8:30, but the guys have had enough and just want to chill. They’re currently sitting on the floor playing a card game called “Butt.”
Our final day aboard the Wyvern was a lot of fun. The dive at New Found Harbor Keys reef was great. My dive buddy Faith and I kept alive our habit of being the first buddy pair into the water and the last one out.
Highlights of yesterday’s dive included the largest lobster on the trip (it looked like it was three feet across from tentacle tip to tentacle tip), some type of urchin that was deep reddish brown with 8-10” spines, another puffy fish—found hiding in a coral formation—barracuda, tarpon, a huge variety of other fish and the granddaddy of all conch. I found a weathered conch shell that had to be 18” long and weigh 7-8 lbs. Capt. Charlie said it was probably a horse conch, examples of which he had seen previously on that reef.
After the dive, we sailed to Bahia Honda State Park, where we took a short walk to view Flagler’s Folly, a railroad bridge built in the early years of the 20th century. Capt. Charlie said Henry Flagler was determined to build a railroad that would last forever, and it has lasted nearly 100 years thus far, although it’s no longer in use. What’s different about this bridge is that a roadway was constructed atop the railroad trestle. By today’s standards it looks narrow and unsafe, but must have been a modern marvel in its day.
Later we sailed back to Boot Key Harbor and Faro Blanco Marina, where Phyllis Atha met us at the dock. We arrived too late in the day to pick up rental cars, so the crew pitched in to clean the boat, offload trash and pack up personal gear.
The captain ordered pizzas and pop for all, following which crew members took leisurely showers and walked up to US 1, where they employed flush toilets and bought refreshments. The bathhouse at Faro Blanco Marina had been in deplorable condition, so the guys felt it was worth the half-mile walk up to the convenience store on US 1.
Back on the boat, Mike led a reflection on the trip and its highlights. The guys all said they had enjoyed themselves, including the snorkeling, which surprised me to some extent given the short time most of them were in the water on each dive.
Other highlights were the time spent sailing and the fellowship they enjoyed while on a very relaxed schedule.
The biggest negative was their reaction to Key West, mostly in terms of not having enough money to do everything they wanted. Spaz, in particular, said he wished he had known to bring more money—and he was the kid who ordered a steak and shrimp dinner as his first meal upon arrival last Saturday!
During the reflection, I said how pleased I had been that the crew worked so well as a team all week, particularly when it came to the sailing and boat handling. By the end of the week, they all knew how to handle the sails, lines, winches and windlass, as well as navigating and taking turns at the helm.
Once Mike finished the formal part of his reflection, the guys continued to reminisce about things they had enjoyed. After another five minutes or so, Brian suggested playing cards, so the bubble of the reflection was finally burst and everyone’s attention turned again to having fun.
During the night, we had one more thunderstorm, which drenched the guys sleeping on deck and in the cockpit. Once again, several of the crew members reorganized the bunks in the middle of the night, moving duffel bags to clear space to sleep. The storm continued through most of the night and led into a grey, drizzly dawn.
Shortly after dawn, Capt. Charlie, Faith and I took a cab to Marathon Airport to rent our cars, returning to the Wyvern with breakfast. We loaded gear into the cars, cleaned up the last things on the boat and said our goodbyes to Capt. Charlie.
A smooth departure wasn’t in the cards, though, as I heard Matt call out: “Mr. Wollet, the car has a flat tire.” Sure enough, the right rear tire was completely flat. Matt, Todd and Spaz took charge immediately, working together in the rain to change the tire in minutes. Once again, we said our goodbyes to the captain and were finally on our way. After a quick stop at Marathon Airport to exchange cars, we headed northeast up the Overseas Highway for Miami.
Our first destination was the Dolphin Mall, where we rented a lane without any wait and did our traditional extreme bowling. Spaz had the highest score at 147. Brian had 108, Todd had 100, Greg had 110, Mike and Faith each had 83, Matt can’t remember his score, nor can I mine—although I think it was in the mid- 70s.
Following bowling, we went to a fancy Brazilian steak restaurant, where the guys were amazed the fixed-price menu included all the meat they cared to eat. Garlic sirloin seemed to be the favorite, followed by flank steak, filet mignon and sliced sirloin. Bacon-wrapped chicken was marginal, as were the lamb chops. Preceding the entrees was a salad buffet and a selection of desserts also was included. Several of the crew ordered a la carte desserts as well before surrendering.
A walk through the mall enable everyone’s lunch to settle and gave the guys one last chance to hang out without the adults around. We all met up again about 4:30 p.m. at an FYE store and I gave them the option of driving through Miami Beach or going early to the airport. Exhausted, they chose the airport.
It’s now approaching 7:30, so we only have an hour until our flight. The guys are all going to Starbucks. Faith and I are at the gate with our gear, and I’m getting a bit tired, so it seems like an appropriate time to close this final chapter of the journal. The parents will meet us at Cleveland Hopkins and our adventure will officially end just a couple of hours from now.
posted by Joe Wollet at 8:55 AM
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