Spend a week on a boat with a group and you’re bound to leave with one…

A nickname!

As we set sail for our final two days, we realized that everyone on our boat was slowly earning one!

There were two who came with nicknames already…

“Kimo”, which means Jim, was earned while on a vacation to Hawaii by you guessed it, Jim. There was “Moi”, which I was told means “nap”. The person who earned that moniker had the ability to take a nap on a moment’s notice and as we found out, pretty much any spot on the boat!

There was also “Rainman”, not only because this scout had “aced” his recent ACT test (yes, that’s true), but more importantly, in the event of rain, he carefully wrapped himself in protective gear before going to sleep on the deck of the boat, hence, the name!

We also had “Shark Bait” and “Tubes”, which were handed out based on the love of fishing for sharks by the former (maybe his height played a role too) and the ability to stay on a tube while being pulled by a high-powered boat and driven by a counselor determined to toss him by the latter!

There was “Dumps”, which was richly earned following a late evening encounter with a troublesome toilet. (An event that is second only to the sinking of the Titantic, in terms of maritime disasters!)

“Ox”, John Candy’s character from the movie, “Stripes” was given to a young man that will anchor our football line this coming fall. “Win A Dream Date With Ox” from the closing moments of the movie was something that we must have repeated a thousand times and for some strange reason, never got old!

That leaves yours truly!

For my ability to get our boat moving faster than anyone else on our return trip from Marathon, I earned the nickname, “Knots”!

7.6 knots to exact!

All of those names were a direct result of the fun we were having on this trip!

It was the type of trip where you forget what day and time it was!

Even more importantly, you could care less!

We saved the best snorkel dives for the last two days.

We hit a couple of coral reefs on the ocean and they were simply beautiful! Dispite a close encounter with an errant speed boat that buzzed us at one spot, the dives were fantastic! The beauty of the reefs and the fish really put into perspective the ongoing battle with the oil spill.

For our last night on the water, we tied up to another of our troop’s boats to enjoy their company and swap stories for a couple of hours. Around 10:00 PM, we untied and anchored a short distance away from their boat. The following morning, our captain broke out the water guns for our guys and we did a “sneak” attack on the other boat before we sailed off!

On the way back to Sea Base, we anchored and swam to an island, rich with area history, for a self-guided tour.

Following lunch, we made the final leg of the trip and were back at the dock by 2:00 PM.

Time to unload and clean the boat!

Unfortunately for us, it was also the hottest weather we had experienced since we had arrived! There was very little cloud cover or breeze and the temps were well into the nineties! Within a half hour, we removed all of our gear from the boat and cleaned the boat from bow to stern and inside and out!

We were the perfect example of teamwork!

Then it was time for a shower!

I don’t think a cold shower has ever felt better! I didn’t even mind that it seemed that the shower stall was moving from side to side!

There was a “luau” for our final evening at camp. We wore matching Hawaiian shirts, did the limbo, performed a skit, which we came up with that morning and had a very nice meal.

There was one last chance to spend some money in the trading post on some souvenirs, then it was “lights out” in the bunkhouse style room we all stayed in.

Morning came and we found ourselves back where we had started…

Waiting for a late bus, which was to take us to the Miami airport!

Good news for us…

Our driver wasn’t “Tony”!

The bus was about an hour and a half late, but we still had plenty of time to make our flight. Following some anxious moments with luggage, a name foul-up and a scout attempting to take liquid thru security, we were on the plane and headed back to Minneapolis!

We arrived home safe and sound along with memories of a trip of a lifetime!

As my son enters his senior year of high school and soon begins a new chapter in his life, it will be a trip that I will always cherish!

But wait!

My summer of high adventure continues!

I am leaving this weekend for another Boy Scout trip with my other son to Wyoming. We will be backpacking in the Big Horn Mountains and if all goes as planned, making it to the top of Cloud Peak, which is slightly over 13,000 feet!

Our troop is also taking part in an evening ceremony at Mount Rushmore on our return trip.

Stay tuned!

“Things I Learned While At Sea”…

*Going to the bathroom on a boat can be a great workout! (Just ask my son)

*If you are going to spend a week on crowded boat, get a “colorful” and very caring captain. Thanks Captain Gerard!

*Oh those sailing terms! Okay, I already knew bow and stern, but I could never keep straight “port”, which means left and “starboard”, which means right, I do now! I also learned about “apparent wind”, “true wind” and “leeway”. There was, “jib’, “jibe”, “tack” and “trim” and of course the “mainsail”! I also had a geat refresher course in tying a “clove hitch” knot!

*Hold onto BOTH ends of the dive flag rope when securing it! I learned this one the good, old fashioned way, by experience! On the bright side, a scout got the opportunity to go up the mast in a hoist and retrieve my mistake. Thanks again, Shark Bait!