Captain's Blog: 8-10-16

Well this trip is nothing short of surprises....!!  We decided to make our way 10 miles out to the Thunderbolt - a wreck defined as "The Jewel of Marathon".  Well, this particular jewel has buoys for mooring (as many wrecks do), only come to find out they are submerged 15' underwater.... WTF is that all about.....!!??!!  After an hour of back and forth, trolling, searching with the sonar, and someone on the bow - no luck in finding either the buoy or any indication that the ship even exists - sonar was FLAT!

A BEAUTIFUL RUN OUT!!!...

We finally decide that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, and that it is time to scrub this effort and go elsewhere.  We make our way to "The Gap", a nearby reef formation that drops from 60' depth to 80' depth.  Jonathan and Will make the dive.  They return with 1 bug and a few hogfish to add to Jonathan's collection.  All in all, not a total loss.  Bruce and I decide we aren't feeling it and we make our way inward to "Coffins Patch" reef - a shallow and picturesque dive.  Bruce and I gear up and prepare to dive.  With perfect weather conditions, Jonathan decides to launch the drone - expecting some great shots of us under water.  Well - that was the idea at least.  About 30 seconds into his flight, he lost control of one of the attitude rotors and the drone ran off on him.  He attempted his best to regain control, but unfortunately we were all witnesses to an unfortunate catastrophe as she continued to walk out on him until he lost all control and she dropped sideways into the ocean.  I ripped off my gear, threw it onto the swim platform and scurried to the bridge to fire up the engines and raise the anchor.  Bruce remained on the platfrom (gear fully dawned).  We motored to the approx location we thought she dropped in (approx 100 yards off our stern) - commence rescue operations!!!  Bruce dove in.  I set my anchor, chucked my gear in the water and was putting it on while going down....  Bruce tracked East, I tracked west, and Will snorkeled the radius of the boat.....  Bruce successfully recovered the drone - no CLUE how he managed that one!!!!!!!?????!!!!!

Operation "Drone Recovery"

Back to the dock - "let's not press our luck" and end this day before something else happens.....

Spaghetti Dinner on the dock and another beautiful Sunset at Faro Blanco