Amen Brother Darren, it did seem a little more than coincidence that ALL the variables of the weekend fell in our favor to an extreme. I can't seem to quit thanking Scott, Joseph and Tim for everything they did to put this together for us. The fact that each of them has thanked US for coming speaks volumes about their character. The same character was present in everyone who was there too, again seeming a little more than coincidental. I have a lot of pics to post, and a lot to say, so I'm going for a marathon post here.
Anyone who read RGecy's comment about the Garrett finding the most treasure...it is indeed a fact. And while the Garrett was a great detector, one must not rule out the fact that Robert has a freakin' silver sniffer built into his nose!
He could dang sure find the coins, and I learned a lot just from watching him and listening to Scott and Joseph. I won't say anymore for fear that he'll get the big head, but he is pretty good at what he does. Between the hints and tips I got from him, Scott, and Joseph, I was bringing up a coin a hole on the last few dives. I bet Brad would attest to the same, we both listened intently and increased our finds exponentially (him more than me by the end I think).
I went into this as green as a guy could be in both seamanship and treasure hunting, and came out feeling like a deck hand with a nose for treasure who had just made 12 new lifelong buds. You just can't ask for more than that! I haven't exactly had an easy road for the last few months, but this weekend will forever be how I remember this point in my life.
OK, enough of the sentimental BS, you guys know who you are and where you stand in my book...now lets get to the pictures!
I got in after dark Friday night, and Joseph came over and picked me up on the beach. I spent the evening getting to know Joseph and Tim, but we all turned in early. The next morning, I got up just before sunrise, had a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich that rivaled anything I'd had previously (did we mention that Tim could cook!). I went down to hit the head, and this is the site that greeted me over the bow...I knew right then that this would be a weekend to remember.
Shortly therafter, Scott pulled up in the SeaHunter with the rest of the gang. The boys came on board to greet me and share the tales of the day before while Scott stayed and secured the SeaHunter. He had the decency to salute me with a cup of coffee and say hello before he made it onboard the Bravo.
Some shots of the gang getting aquainted:
When we said we had good viz, we really weren't kidding. The water here was 32 feet according to the sounder, and as you can see the rocks are completly visible even before the sun was overhead.
Skip and Darren discuss our position relative to the honey holes from the day before...Jospeh always managed to put us on the coins....even though this is an old worked out site....I'm rolling on the floor laughing at my own last comment.
The excitement starts to build as everyone prepares to explore the hole. I'd say maybe 1 in 5 or 6 holes came up empty, with several others yielding 4 or more coins per hole.
Skip getting the Excaliber up nder the ledges and down in between the rocks.
Robert trying out Scott's hookah and probably sniffing out another coin.
Tom shows up (he's not a morning person
) and anchors next to the SeaHunter.
Dick and Pete discuss who looks better in a Speedo, and whether the "no white after labor day" rule applies to swimwear
Tom looks over the mornings finds and wishes he'd gotten up earlier...NOT! In due respect to Tom, he was out late with his lovely wife...and let's just say he had a few, so sleeping in was permitted...THIS time.
Who would have thought 12 pics in a post wouldn't be enough! Big thanks to Marc for the new pic system, it rocks, and it got here just in time for the best thread in a while!
To Be Continued....
