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The company advertises Camping At Sea, but my post-Marine Corps camping has always included large tents and nearby full service privies. I received some great suggestions from others on how to make the best of my first Blackbeards, and they really helped a lot. See those here I had my wide bottom coffee cup, my carpenters clips, my cushion, and added one of my own a camping pad in addition to on the bunk pad. But for anyone who would like a few views short of praise, Ill offer some here.
Its a fine operation and a fine value, but they do seem to exaggerate their claims: Twice the fun, half the cost, and a few others. (Exaggerations in advertising, imagine that?)
(1) Its not all that cheap if youre not close. Miami can be a costly plane ticket from some locations, and the prudent traveler will arrive a day early and overnight in a local hotel to ensure being there in time to trouble shoot delayed bags and make the port before the boat sails.
(2) The cabins arent just crowded; theyre cramped. We had four men in the forward cabin bunks, with no room for a duffle, except I had one, which spent nights filling the floor and days in my bunk. Any naps I caught involved cuddling my duffle, and we shared a tiny, hand-crank head with four ladies. We had clothing hung everywhere on the escape hatch ladder, on the fire extinguisher, everywhere. Eight of the twenty seven or eight onboard could sit at the dining table at a time.
(3) They promised me plenty of coffee and hot chocolate, but they just failed that one. There was coffee every breakfast, but no spare supplies, and only after the chef raided a sister boat in port did we have hot chocolate for three days.
(4) Unlike the California live aboards Ive enjoyed, wet suits are not allowed in the galley. I asked the chef if I was dry enough, and he noted that I was, but I got booted anyway. I dont like removing my suit between dives, but it took over two hours for the solitary compressor to fill tanks anyway.
(5) They were very causal about confirming everyone was on board before moving. The boats have On & Off boards for each passenger to move name tags, but that was a joke. Mostly they went by tank counts and causal dockside head counts.
(6) There is no sun shade or wind break on the deck nada!
(7) And Ill hit some other details
Day 0:
I made Miami from Lubbock on Xmas day after completing family functions, even though the air travel system was still backed up from winter storms earlier in the week and Delta was operating with major computer outages that had completely shut down their Comair subsidiary with repercussions on their whole system. Got all my bags to my hotel just fine for the night, so that big step was done.
Day 1:
Another SB member had been visiting friends nearby and met me at my airport hotel after returning her rental car, so we were fine for the scheduled noon boarding and 3pm sailing, but we know how wind can change divers plans. Yep, 25 to 35 knots kept us in port until the next day. Caca happens. Most of us went shopping at the adjacent mall. She needed a towel and we found a Bahaman flag beach towel in one shop. She was not surprised that Id researched and recognized the ensign, as she knows me to be pretty hyphenated.
Its fortunate for some that we were delayed leaving, as many planned to arrive around noon sailing day, only to straggle in thru supper time, one other SB lady from Seattle without a single checked bag. We took her for a run thru the mall, I found a good deal on a couple pair of Reef shoes, we were well fed, and a few of us closed down the Daiquiri Bar.
Day 2:
We did finally make a run for it at daybreak, and it was only moderately rough until we hit the Gulf Stream. Then the adventure turned into an endurance challenge, with most toughing it out above with 12-15 foot waves that occasionally covered the little tub. A few of us just took our sedating antihistamines and slept the crossing off in our racks. We did make private Cat Cay to clear Bahaman immigrations & customs by evening, and as it was the holiday season perhaps, we were invited to visit the little country club type bar a first for all the years that Blackbeards has been visiting. Maybe ten of us did avail ourselves of the nice bar, and I was so taken by the local bartenders hospitality that even tho Id only had one $6 drink, I presented him with an extra $5 with my thanks as I left. First time Id ever had an away barkeep shake my hand; it was a nice exchange.
Day 3:
We would have made an early morning dive, but a six month pregnant passenger had skipped the crossing, opting for a puddle jumper plane in. Good that she didnt make the crossing, but what was she doing in this group anyway? I guess she and her physician had agreed? She didnt make it anyway.
After 72 hours of traveling, I finally got in the water. It was my first time to dive with this particular lady buddy, but things went well until I used my slate to ask if she knew where the boat was? I thought she said she didnt, but I could have misunderstood her black gloved signals. (Gloves on a reef dive?) Possibly not knowing she knew a better way, I started leading. Male vs. Female may have happened along the way, but while I didnt find the drift line, we surfaced 40 yards away for a leisurely back kick in. She was pissed about something, tho, and I was quickly dismissed from diving with her again, ever?
I was nearly geared up for the second dive when I saw the first divers coming back aboard crying about viz and current. Skipped that one. We made another run into Bimini to pick up the special lady, and some then made the third dive for the day, but I just wrote the afternoon off as a loss. With the delay for special pickup incurred, this late afternoon dive turned into a surprise night dive with some not carrying lights. The lady who fired me earlier in the day went out with a DM lady customer, and the pair was barely seen a mile down current as the sun was setting. It took a while for the chase boat to find them in the dark, but they survived. I was really looking forward to being vindicated for bringing her back only 40 yards from the boat earlier in the day, but that didnt happen. Coming back 40 yards away with me was unforgivable, but coming up a mile away and moving away rapidly at sundown with another gal was fine. ??????????????
Day 4:
The sun rose! I got pictures. It shined most of the day, and it seemed like the Camp Grenada syndrome was breaking up.
The morning dive was okay, but the current was just too much. I fought it for the entire dive and still came up too far a swim in. My first time to be picked up by a chase boat, and guess who was already in it when they got to me? Thats right. The same.
The second morning dive went much better. I felt alarmed when I saw our future momma at thirty feet, but again her call. Never said a word. The afternoon dive was also nice, but with the air compressor time required, the fourth planned was to be the night dive. I wasnt feeling 100% at this point and had some questions still about the whole situation, so I skipped it.
Day 5:
I awoke during the night to chills and shivers, thinking our All-Or-Not AC must be zooming only to see my three cabin mates uncovered in the heat of an uncooled cabin. Wrong dream Reset. Made the first dive of the mornings to 130 feet on a wall, cautious of the down currents having been experienced in the past at this site to the loss of one customer and one captain in the twenty odd year operation of the company, but my only problem was feeling chilled in 75F water in a suit Ive worn comfortably to 65F?
Back on deck and ungeared, it hit me hard, and I was in bed sick until further notice. Word got to he crew that they had an ill customer below after a deep wall dive and I soon had both captains with me. I assured them that while I understood their concerns, I was certainly not bent. My computer had remained in Green for the whole dive, I did my deep stop, slow ascent, safety stop, and clicked off two more Green notches in the water. As well hydrated on sports drink as I was, no chance, just sick!
Later in the day, it occurred to me that I might be a threat to the health of the boat, and when one of the skippers came to check on me I offered to be set ashore in Bimini with my trip insurance. He didnt see a need for that, thanked me for my offer, and I toughed it out.
Its a fine operation and a fine value, but they do seem to exaggerate their claims: Twice the fun, half the cost, and a few others. (Exaggerations in advertising, imagine that?)
(1) Its not all that cheap if youre not close. Miami can be a costly plane ticket from some locations, and the prudent traveler will arrive a day early and overnight in a local hotel to ensure being there in time to trouble shoot delayed bags and make the port before the boat sails.
(2) The cabins arent just crowded; theyre cramped. We had four men in the forward cabin bunks, with no room for a duffle, except I had one, which spent nights filling the floor and days in my bunk. Any naps I caught involved cuddling my duffle, and we shared a tiny, hand-crank head with four ladies. We had clothing hung everywhere on the escape hatch ladder, on the fire extinguisher, everywhere. Eight of the twenty seven or eight onboard could sit at the dining table at a time.
(3) They promised me plenty of coffee and hot chocolate, but they just failed that one. There was coffee every breakfast, but no spare supplies, and only after the chef raided a sister boat in port did we have hot chocolate for three days.
(4) Unlike the California live aboards Ive enjoyed, wet suits are not allowed in the galley. I asked the chef if I was dry enough, and he noted that I was, but I got booted anyway. I dont like removing my suit between dives, but it took over two hours for the solitary compressor to fill tanks anyway.
(5) They were very causal about confirming everyone was on board before moving. The boats have On & Off boards for each passenger to move name tags, but that was a joke. Mostly they went by tank counts and causal dockside head counts.
(6) There is no sun shade or wind break on the deck nada!
(7) And Ill hit some other details
Day 0:
I made Miami from Lubbock on Xmas day after completing family functions, even though the air travel system was still backed up from winter storms earlier in the week and Delta was operating with major computer outages that had completely shut down their Comair subsidiary with repercussions on their whole system. Got all my bags to my hotel just fine for the night, so that big step was done.
Day 1:
Another SB member had been visiting friends nearby and met me at my airport hotel after returning her rental car, so we were fine for the scheduled noon boarding and 3pm sailing, but we know how wind can change divers plans. Yep, 25 to 35 knots kept us in port until the next day. Caca happens. Most of us went shopping at the adjacent mall. She needed a towel and we found a Bahaman flag beach towel in one shop. She was not surprised that Id researched and recognized the ensign, as she knows me to be pretty hyphenated.
Its fortunate for some that we were delayed leaving, as many planned to arrive around noon sailing day, only to straggle in thru supper time, one other SB lady from Seattle without a single checked bag. We took her for a run thru the mall, I found a good deal on a couple pair of Reef shoes, we were well fed, and a few of us closed down the Daiquiri Bar.
Day 2:
We did finally make a run for it at daybreak, and it was only moderately rough until we hit the Gulf Stream. Then the adventure turned into an endurance challenge, with most toughing it out above with 12-15 foot waves that occasionally covered the little tub. A few of us just took our sedating antihistamines and slept the crossing off in our racks. We did make private Cat Cay to clear Bahaman immigrations & customs by evening, and as it was the holiday season perhaps, we were invited to visit the little country club type bar a first for all the years that Blackbeards has been visiting. Maybe ten of us did avail ourselves of the nice bar, and I was so taken by the local bartenders hospitality that even tho Id only had one $6 drink, I presented him with an extra $5 with my thanks as I left. First time Id ever had an away barkeep shake my hand; it was a nice exchange.
Day 3:
We would have made an early morning dive, but a six month pregnant passenger had skipped the crossing, opting for a puddle jumper plane in. Good that she didnt make the crossing, but what was she doing in this group anyway? I guess she and her physician had agreed? She didnt make it anyway.
After 72 hours of traveling, I finally got in the water. It was my first time to dive with this particular lady buddy, but things went well until I used my slate to ask if she knew where the boat was? I thought she said she didnt, but I could have misunderstood her black gloved signals. (Gloves on a reef dive?) Possibly not knowing she knew a better way, I started leading. Male vs. Female may have happened along the way, but while I didnt find the drift line, we surfaced 40 yards away for a leisurely back kick in. She was pissed about something, tho, and I was quickly dismissed from diving with her again, ever?
I was nearly geared up for the second dive when I saw the first divers coming back aboard crying about viz and current. Skipped that one. We made another run into Bimini to pick up the special lady, and some then made the third dive for the day, but I just wrote the afternoon off as a loss. With the delay for special pickup incurred, this late afternoon dive turned into a surprise night dive with some not carrying lights. The lady who fired me earlier in the day went out with a DM lady customer, and the pair was barely seen a mile down current as the sun was setting. It took a while for the chase boat to find them in the dark, but they survived. I was really looking forward to being vindicated for bringing her back only 40 yards from the boat earlier in the day, but that didnt happen. Coming back 40 yards away with me was unforgivable, but coming up a mile away and moving away rapidly at sundown with another gal was fine. ??????????????
Day 4:
The sun rose! I got pictures. It shined most of the day, and it seemed like the Camp Grenada syndrome was breaking up.
The morning dive was okay, but the current was just too much. I fought it for the entire dive and still came up too far a swim in. My first time to be picked up by a chase boat, and guess who was already in it when they got to me? Thats right. The same.
The second morning dive went much better. I felt alarmed when I saw our future momma at thirty feet, but again her call. Never said a word. The afternoon dive was also nice, but with the air compressor time required, the fourth planned was to be the night dive. I wasnt feeling 100% at this point and had some questions still about the whole situation, so I skipped it.
Day 5:
I awoke during the night to chills and shivers, thinking our All-Or-Not AC must be zooming only to see my three cabin mates uncovered in the heat of an uncooled cabin. Wrong dream Reset. Made the first dive of the mornings to 130 feet on a wall, cautious of the down currents having been experienced in the past at this site to the loss of one customer and one captain in the twenty odd year operation of the company, but my only problem was feeling chilled in 75F water in a suit Ive worn comfortably to 65F?
Back on deck and ungeared, it hit me hard, and I was in bed sick until further notice. Word got to he crew that they had an ill customer below after a deep wall dive and I soon had both captains with me. I assured them that while I understood their concerns, I was certainly not bent. My computer had remained in Green for the whole dive, I did my deep stop, slow ascent, safety stop, and clicked off two more Green notches in the water. As well hydrated on sports drink as I was, no chance, just sick!
Later in the day, it occurred to me that I might be a threat to the health of the boat, and when one of the skippers came to check on me I offered to be set ashore in Bimini with my trip insurance. He didnt see a need for that, thanked me for my offer, and I toughed it out.
