Yesterday marked the end of our summer employment with Odyssey Expeditions. Today we are happily back in St. Thomas. This morning was spent running around doing errands and the first stop of the day Independent Boat Yard to check on Winifred. It appears that she missed us while we were away, but the woodshop guys Jeff and Morgan say she behaved and didn’t need much looking after. The inside was a bit moldy, but nothing a few paper towels didn’t take care of.
Winifred in the yard
An inventory of our storage unit was also a priority today. Too bad we locked ourselves out of our own storage unit. Long story short hopefully they have some bolt cutters and we can get them to return or phone calls.
This evening we sit at Cabrita Condo listening to the sound of the waves lapping at the rocky shore with our feet up. The sound of a noisy dive compressor and teenagers stomping around the decks are fading into memories. We are enjoying the peace and quiet as we gear up for a week of hard work in the boatyard, which starts tomorrow. Tyvek suits, respirators, and safety goggles in the 90 degree heat, dirt, dust and the Caribbean sun, and a wooden boat built in 1956 are what we look forward to in the upcoming week. It is a labor of love! We are proud to own Winifred and can’t wait to see how great she looks at the end of her yard period. Not only boat yard tasks need to be completed but a mountain of other tasks must be done before we return to America next Friday. The ever growing and important list has made its way out of the notebook to the refrigerator so we can’t avoid looking at it. Its placement is also a good deterrent for unnecessary snacking The list is not nearly as long as it could be thanks to Kenny’s mom (Laurie) who spent a countless amount of time answering phones and emails while we were enjoying the sailing and diving of the BVI’s. Thanks so much Laurie!
Here are a few pictures from our working vacation.
Scuba Kenny
Stoplight Parrot fish
Joe's Cave West Dog Island
School of fish on the wreck of the Chicuzen
Kenny helped 30 students get their open water and advanced certificates this summer. Even though I was Captain I was able to log 45 dives and complete advanced and rescue diver courses. A busy and fun filled working vacation!
