I am Home!

Thank you Marc,
My husband and I have a sail boat and you guys boarded us out on the south side of Santa Cruz Island two years ago.  Just a practice run and we were the only souls sitting out there in Oct.. We were slipped in Ventura for the longest time, then about 1-1/2 years ago we sailed to Catalina from Ventura.  No wind and it took us over 16 hours and of course over 16 hours to get back.  So we had a lot of time to talk about where we had the boat slipped.  My passion is scuba diving.  The picture of the Garibaldi is one that I took out at Emerald Bay in Catalina. So we decided that if we moved the boat to San Pedro we could be just 3 hours out of Catalina.  Within 3 weeks, we had moved. The area is not near as nice as Ventura but the diving in Catalina is incredible. One of my goals in my weight loss journey is to be able to get back on the boat without needing help of handing all my gear up to my husband. It has kept me from feeling comfortable to go out on a charter boat.  Because some of the charter boats go places where we are not comfortable leaving our 31 ft Hunter, there is a whole new world of diving that I am looking forward to exploring!
Teri

Wow... someone speaks my language! .... Hunter... such a well built boat indeed... one of my tours was as a Manufacturers Inspector, and Hunter has a great reputation.... never got to do an actual inspection of a Hunter, but being a boarding officer for 14 years I sure have been on a few... let alone crawling all over them at boat shows.

I am a Divemaster, and dove Catalina and all the other islands for over 30 years... I could probably draw an underwater map from memory of the whole island... Try Johnsons Rock at the west end... beautiful dive... I camped all the time at Goat Harbor and sometimes on the backside at Little Harbor. Off season we would often hit Eagle Reef at night... lots of bugs, but too many boats during the summer...

Glad you have started this journey.... you are gonna do great!

Marc,

I just love diving.  My son and I have dove Eagle Reef, but not during lobster season.  There were lobsters all over the place. He cuaght some and immediatly let them go. He was visiting for the summer and just had to see that he could catch them. I don't get there very often as it is another place my husband is not willing to leave the boat unattended.  He is very cautious, but we have never had a problem, so there is something to say for that.  I can spend days out at Indian rock off of Emerald Bay.  I have seen lots of leopard sharks and horned sharks there as weel as an assortment of Rays. I will put Johnsons Rock on the list. I plan to do San Miguel Island in my lifetime as well.  We finally gave up on taking the boat out there though.  You just can't find a weekend where it is safe to take the Hunter there.  That will be a dive boat trip.  In fact the trip we made to Catalina was an aborted San Miguel Trip.  We were taking 4Th of July week and the water was just too rough out there so we changed plans and sailed to Catalina.  It is amazing all that there is to see there. I have hoop netted for lobster near Avalon.  We caught lots of bugs and a 5 pounder last year. The fight that a five pounder has is incredible.  My husband was down in the galley and I was calling, I need some help here.  He said oh you are fine.  I responded, no you better come out here. I was afraid to try and get up, that I would loose this big guy.  He was dinner for both of us for more than two nights. (pre surgery!)

What a great life to have gotten to live.  My oldest boy (23) is delivering sailboats for a living.  I am envious and also glad he is getting such a great opportunity.  He has been to Tahiti, Greece, and several runs to Cabo and back.  He loves the water!

So, it is great to have an inside tip for dive sites!  Thanks for the info.

Teri

Well... we have a win-win situation! .... I need a job, and am a licensed Captain with a 100 ton Masters license with tow endorsement, so talk to your son! .... then I can be your Captain/Divemaster and we can go wherever you want and wont have to worry about the boat! .... as long as you get enough lobster for all of us.... and since we have both had the surgery that should be pretty easy

I miss my home sometimes... born and raised in Newport Beach, stationed at Alamitos Bay and Long Beach and San Pedro... I was the Offshore Operations Manager for Vessel Assist in Costa Mesa... I hear they are owned by B.O.A.T. US now.... sold boats for Action Marine Center in Burbank... then Castaic for a little while until they went belly up... twice I have taught for Sea School in Florida... teaching the Masters course and also the 6 Pac and towing...

..... and here I am in Georgia! ?????

I have the most wonderful wife a man could ever hope for... and her parents are simply the greatest, so I leave my nautical roots on hold willingly... and I think one of these days.... maybe... if the job market doesn't change soon here I may have to make a move... so far no luck at all finding employment here...

I used to Captain the Mr. Chips out of Ventura... know that boat?... and the Jacks Full was an Auxiliarist that worked for me at Channel Islands.... owner Jack Sandell...

Good grief... I am reading all of this now and wondering what the hell am I doing here????

..... I am being the best husband I can be to the best wife in the world...

Ah well... if God wants me back on the water I am sure He will lead me there... like I used to tell my young sailors who I was in charge of in the Coast Guard .... "I have wrung more sal****er out of my socks than most have driven a boat over"

Marc,
I meant to tell you, I love the penguin video!
Teri

Teri, welcome home and welcome to the bench. It has comfy seats don't you agree? I have never found it to be uncomfortable. \

I am so glad that things are going well for you. It just keeps getting easier and easier now. The worst part is over and now it is just a wonderful and sometimes bumpy ride. But bumps aren't all that bad sometimes. It is wild that is for darn sure.

The best of luck to you and may life only bring good things to you always.

Thank you Brenda,
I am so excited.  And I am so shocked at how normal I feel. My incision sites are still sore and I don't bend really well, but I know that will improve.  I got nauseous at the hospital on the pain meds but except for that unpleasant experience (which had them delay liquids a day), my new pouch has tolerated everything I have given it so far. I really expected to feel worse, so I am doing quite well. I am like a kid at Christmas, can't wait to have these pound fall off! Thank you for your support and good words.
Teri

Congratulations Teri on your successful surgery! Glad to hear you are doing so well so quickly. I can see you smiling in your words. I'll continue to pray for you thru your first few weeks.
Best to you,
Alice

Alice,
You are right.  I am very happy and doing quite well.  I feel very fortunate and look forward to all that life has ahead for me! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Teri

Congratulations, Teri !  Things will get better and better.....

And congraulations to JoAnn, too....

You girls are doing great !  Sip and walk and sip and walk and don't push yourselves.

Shelia