2005 SEABASE SAILING ADVENTURE
BSA TROOP 312
Reported by Tony Bebber, ASM
Crew A: Stephen Harmon (Crew Leader), Mark Bebber, Kyle Bedenbaugh, Chip Bowman, Kevin
Kennedy, John Rusnak, Tony Bebber, Phil Rusnak.
Crew B: Dylan Richards (Crew Leader), Evon Chandler, Hunter Soltis, Ty Yeoman, Philip Zion,
Varner Richards, Tom Yeoman, Craig Zion.
Friday, 6/10/05
We met at the Episcopal Church of St. Simon and St. Jude at 7:30am and all were present by 8:00am.
A vigorous game of Frisbee erupted while we waited with at least two trips to the roof of the church to
retrieve the lost Frisbee (thanks to roofing crew for the loan of their ladders). After some quick
announcements and congratulations to new Eagle Scout Stephen Harmon, Chaplains Aide Ty Yeoman
provided a quick prayer. And we were off by 8:13am with Mr. Rusnak in the lead followed by Mr.
Richards’ van, and Mr. Zion’s van.
We stopped in about an hour for a quick break and again at the Georgia state line. Then we stopped for
a bag lunch at a rest area near Brunswick, GA. Mr. Bebber provided a criss-cross word puzzle from
Puzzlemaker.com that had nautical and Seabase terms (most provided in a handout on Tuesday night).
Most scouts reported success in completing the puzzle with only a few problems (I spelled snorkel
wrong in the puzzle!).
At Daytona, we took a detour over to the beach for a drive on the beach. It was cloudy and a little
windy with good waves, so young men didn’t see the young ladies they had hoped for. Most had never
ridden on the beach before so the 40 minute detour was interesting. A short while down the road, the
lead car pulled off the road on a donut hunt. After about 8 miles, we found a Dunkin Donut store and
stopped. Most made a donut and/or coffee purchase and used the restroom.
We also stopped by the Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach for Mr. Rusnak to redeem his “credit” from
a previous purchase. Others bought some souvenirs. After that, we headed to Steak and Shake for
supper. We went to Patrick Air Force Base about 9:00pm and the drivers had to check in with IDs,
vehicle registration, and insurance. Patrick is home to the 45th Space Wing of the US Air Force. There
was concern by Mr. Yeoman that we “may have trouble finding the lodging in the dark, what with
bushes being in the way and all.” After finding the “Space Coast Inn” on base, we checked in and
scouts and scouters were divied up into seven apartments each with 2-3 bedrooms, kitchen, bath, TV,
etc. Pretty nice for $30 per night. THANKS MR. YEOMAN!! All were instructed in taking care of
the property and staying in rooms. We were in rooms by 10pm and a wake up call was set for 7 am.
Saturday, 6/11/05
Some of us were up before the 7 am wake up call. The shower and shave was a welcome addition for
a scout trip, not to mention a real bed. Adults enjoyed the coffee maker too. Rain was prevalent due to
the tropical storm passing the west coast of FL. We loaded at 8 am and headed to checkout. They
suggested we could get discount tickets to Kennedy Space Center at the Shoppette on base. It was
closed till 9am so we went around to Burger King (on base) for breakfast and also found low priced
gas next door. Back at the Shoppette, it was decided that the rain would take the fun out of visiting
Kennedy Space Center, so by 9:30am we were off on our way to Homestead – and hopefully to find
some other things to do on the way as the rain clears. Crossing the Indian River Bridge, we saw our
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first dolphins feeding in the river. Along the highway, we saw a number of dead armadillos and even a
coyote.
Down in Ft. Lauderdale, we left the highway again for another side trip to Mr. Rusnak’s “best pizza in
the world” – Doughboys Pizza. According to Phil, it was “to die for.” Everyone enjoyed it and told
Mr. Rusnak –“yes it was the best pizza in the world.” We also stopped at a dive shop to pick up some
dive boots for the Yeomans. We saw some cruise ships in harbor and toured the Ft. Lauderdale beach
area before arriving back at the interstate. We decided to head on to the FL Turnpike and avoid I-95
through downtown Miami. Tolls equaled $4 or $5.
We arrived at Homestead Air Reserve Base around 4:45pm, home of the 482nd Fighter Wing – “the
Makos.” While checking in, the Frisbee was lost over the fence at the quarters (at least it wasn’t
outside the base!). Kyle went up on the wall and then was asked to come in. Mr. Yeoman asked a big
airman to give Kyle a hard time about climbing on the wall. Shortly after that, Mark came climbing
back over the wall as we moved the vehicles. He didn’t have it either, but it was recovered after dinner.
After getting settled in our individual (one bed) motel type rooms, we met back at the cars for dinner.
It was decided to find something to do before dinner. We drove over to US Hwy. 1 and then south a
ways. We found a bait shop to explore and a dive shop. Mr. Zion and I decided to check out a local
seafood place – the Keys Seafood House. The prices were a little high but the manager saw our
Seabase shirts and offered a 10% discount and no sales tax. We brought the crew back and had a great
feast. We returned to our lodging and turned in. A few were called down for running down the
hallway outside the motel.
Sunday 6/12/05
We had decided to meet at 8:30am to load the vehicles and be in Class A’s for a chapel service on base
that the sign said would be at 8:45. By 8:50 no one else came and Ty Yeoman said a prayer for our
continued safe travel. As Mr. Yeoman checked us out of base lodging, Mr. Zion worked on his van’s
air conditioning that was failing. We decided to go to IHOP for breakfast anyway since the other two
cars were waiting. Everyone ate a good breakfast (brunch) and we were ready to go by 10 am. After
some testing, the AC began working and got us to our next stop in Islamorada at the Offshore World
Store (part of Bass Pro Shops).
After several purchases we took off and pulled into Seabase parking lot at 12:45 pm. They were
expecting us and whisked us away for a fast paced afternoon. Mr. Rusnak and several adults checked
in and our Mates for the Day (Adam and Nick) started getting the crews to move gear from the
vehicles. They divided the two crews into A and B. They soon told us we were leaving that afternoon
(not spending the night as expected and explained in the Seabase information) and urged us to get
moving. After a short tour of the base, we repacked our gear into small net duffle bags provide by
Seabase. Some gear obviously had to stay behind. The two crews did things at different times but went
through the same motions at some point. Crew A changed into bathing suits, applied sunscreen, picked
up snorkel gear, and headed for the water for our 100 yard swim test and snorkel class. There were a
few minor problems with gear (a pfd that wouldn’t hold air) but pieces were traded for better ones.
We then got to shower and move our gear to the boat. Capt. Ted Bezanis reminded us that the Island
Woman was his “home” and to take care of it. It was a 41-foot Coronado sloop. He divided us into
two crews of four – above deck and below deck. We would switch after Key West. After a short tour
of the boat and instruction on using the “head,” we began loading gear and the below deck crew went
to get ice and our food supplies. Once that was stowed, it was time for an update for the two adult
leaders who attended a special meeting, and time for our group picture.
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We then had a country-fried steak dinner at the Seabase galley and explored the base store and other
areas. We went up to the end of the dock to our boat and waited for the Miss Jerry (our other crew) to
load its provisions. We were off by 7:30pm, sailing into the beautiful sunset, and following our other
crew out of the small harbor. Four sailboats left within a few minutes of each other. After sailing
under the US Hwy 1 bridge south of Lower Matacumbe Key, we found a good anchorage for the night.
Capt. Ted showed us his autopilot, GPS, and other high tech sailing gear. Kevin led us in our evening
devotionals and the watch was set due to the wind that had come up on the Atlantic side of the bridge.
We used one person in two hour shifts. Preparations were made for bed – on deck and around the
helm.
I stood second watch, 10pm – 12 mid. The stars were magnificent with a quarter moon, a good breeze,
and barely a cloud in the sky. WHAT A NIGHT! Many watch standers, reported multiple falling stars.
I heard a pair of dolphins come up and blow nearby but couldn’t see them. I caught up on my notes for
45 minutes and the next hour was long – sleep was waiting.
Monday, 6/13/05
We woke up about 6:30am to a beautiful day. We had a quick breakfast of cereal, oranges, and granola
bars. We got underway with power and eventually set the jib. We had a following wind which made it
difficult to sail. Stephen, John, and Mr. Rusnak tried fishing and we saw several groups of dolphins
and a flight of flying fish (20–30 in a group, flying for 50 – 100 feet).
We snorkeled Coffins Patch and saw a number of fish. The reef didn’t look too healthy. We then
motorsailed a long while (and fished). At some point, sandwich material was passed up from the
below deck crew for everyone to make sandwiches on their own.
We snorkeled Munson Rock about 4:30pm. Stephen found a nice Gerber knife before most of us were
off the boat. Later he found a nickel – real thin, couldn’t see the date, but it was a Jefferson nickel so
not extremely old. More fish. We saw orange fish, blue fish, yellow fish, and new fish. John and
Kevin say a ray. Good site.
We passed Newfound Harbor Resort and saw the old wooden Chris Craft motorboat they use to
transport guests to the private island. We anchored near Munson Island and began dinner. We cooked
filet mignon on the grill, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, ranch dressing, lemonade, and chocolate
pudding. It was an excellent feast. After cleaning up, the anchor watch was set. Chaplain’s Aide
Kevin Kennedy did another devotional reading and prayer, and everyone turned in.
Tuesday, 6/14/05 (Flag Day)
We got up at 6:30am (daylight) because we were planning to leave by 7:30. Gear was stowed, clothes
changed, and a light breakfast passed out again – cereal, pop tarts, OJ, milk, and granola bars. After
retrieving the anchor, we motored out of the anchorage area and began motorsailing southwest again.
Mr. Rusnak and Stephen fished some more while others rested. Capt. Ted put on some Jimmy Buffet
music to get us in a Key West mood. I understand from the Miss Jerry crew that they were awakened
most days with “Good Morning Vietnam!!!” We saw a nurse shark lazily feeding near the surface and
a few more groups of flying fish. We motorsailed again and passed the naval air station, seeing two
fighter jets landing. It was Flag Day and I got a picture of Kevin in his American flag bathing suit
standing next to the Island Woman’s flag.
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As we approached Key West, we lowered the sail and followed Miss Jerry in. We saw a couple of big
cruise ships. One was docked at the old Navy base where The Heritage of Miami docked on my last
Seabase adventure. Evidently, the Navy sold out to private development. Our marina was quite
complicated and we squeezed into a berth next to Miss Jerry and Moonshadow (another Seabase boat).
After some minor cleanup of the boat (we should have done more), we grabbed our stuff and headed
for the shower and restrooms. All felt better for a few minutes before coming back into the humidity.
The two crews huddled under some shade before heading into the town. Crew B (now known as the
G-men) had already had lunch before docking so Crew A took a short trip to Burger King. Crew A
decided to visit shops in the downtown and not waste time or money on museums. Crew B visited the
Pirate Museum and the Wrecker Museum. Most of our group saw the Southernmost Point in the US
and the O mile marker on US Highway 1. Crew A sent a post car to Mr. Wallace from the Key West
post office.
Crew A thought we were to meet Crew B at about 4:00pm at PTs, a good place to eat recommended by
Capt. Ted and the Seabase handbook. We showed up by 4:20pm and Ty and Mr. Yeoman arrived
around 5:00. The boys played pool while waiting. After a while the others showed up and ate too.
Obviously, there was a failure to communicate. After dinner, we went back by the marina to leave
purchases and get more film. Then we went to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration. We saw a
guy named John jump through a hoop over a girl on a bike. And the “silver statue” (he was gold when
we saw him earlier in the day) was there. He did move occasionally. Then we saw a girl and guy do
their “flaming poi” dance – flaming balls on strings that they twirled around to a drumbeat. Looks
dangerous – and hot. And we saw a guy get out of a straightjacket and chains while hanging upside
down. He got loose in less than 6 minutes, as promised. These were interesting characters that help
Key West “celebrate living through another day” and make a living though tourist’s donations in their
buckets. Some of our crews returned to the marina early for a dip in the pool. The rest returned in time
for the 10:00 curfew.
Wednesday, 6/15/05
We awoke slowly since the Captain had the air conditioning on because of the electricity at the dock
and he allowed us to sleep below deck. It was quite comfortable since a few volunteered to stay on
deck. We had to move a lot of gear back to the v-berth (forward cabin) and by 7:00am we were mostly
up. Some went to take a final shower and use a flush toilet at the marina – while we had one. A large
tarpon was hanging around the dock seeking left over bait or unwanted fish. Others in the crew began
breakfast of sausage and eggs, with rolls. We cooked on the Captain’s propane stove, about like the
one’s we camp with. It was good but had to be cooked in shifts since the pans were small. Mr.
Rusnak acquired four boxes of Dunkin Donuts from somewhere that we snacked on for two days –
mmm.. We cleaned up, stowed gear, unhooked hoses and power from the dock and cast off. Some
tricky maneuvering got us out of the marina and we were soon motoring away from Key West.
After leaving the harbor, we put up the mainsail going toward Pelican Shoal and fished a while too.
Still no luck. Approaching Pelican Shoal, Miss Jerry had a “man overboard drill.” Mr. Zion jumped in
the water (fell or was pushed?) so the crew could practice pointing and marking the spot. After he was
picked up, we anchored at Pelican Shoal to snorkel. Pelican Shoal had a small sand bar sticking up
above the water with hundreds of birds on it, elbow to elbow. Under water, we saw a 20 foot sailboat
hull, upside down and cracked up. Lobsters and small fish were peeking out from under it. There was
lots of grass and sand but several different fish we hadn’t seen on reefs. Several found live and dead
conchs, seabiscuits, and some sea stars. Mr. Rusnak took pictures of new Eagle Scout Stephen with
“Congratulations” signs sent by his family. After retrieving the anchor, we motored to blue water
(more than 100 feet deep) so we could sail back. We saw many flying fish.
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In the blue water, we thought we caught a fish one time, but it turned out to be sea grass again. After
motoring east about 9 miles out, we turned into the wind to raise the mainsail and jib. We were “free”
of the motor. The Captain enjoyed it as did we. Most went to the foredeck to sit in the shade and
catch the salt spray. It was exciting, quiet, and smooth, but short-lived. The Miss Jerry stopped along
the way so the crew could join the “100 foot deep swim club.” We took the sails down to follow Miss
Jerry again to Louie Key. This reef was more alive with fish than some we’d been to. Some saw a few
big rays and a nurse shark before tying up to the ball. Captain Ted decided to join us snorkeling and
forgot to leave the ladder out. So everyone tried to climb the anchor line or the aft life ring line. Chip
was finally able to do so and rescued us all from a predicament (Capt. Ted said it was a “ladder drill”).
We finished our snorkel and saw numerous fish of different types –sergeant majors, ½ blue- ½ yellow,
blue with yellow fins, manta ray, barracuda, and others. Quite a reef!
We then motored toward anchorage near Munson Island as before. It was getting very late, so as the
above deck crew got the anchor ready, the below deck crew began supper. Soon it was dark, adding to
the “ambiance” for our spaghetti and meat sauce, with salad, and garlic bread. We had to do without
ranch dressing, as it was stowed in a cupboard rather than the refrigerator after its use the last time
(whoops!), but the Italian worked. We held our daily devotional service and retired after a one-hour
anchor watch was set. Standing watch that night, lightning was in the distance below the half moon
and we had a good breeze. It was quiet except for the water on the hull and snoring from fellow
sailors. Right after my watch, about 1:10 am, the breeze reversed direction and the boat turned about.
It soon turned back and went dead calm. Then the mosquitoes arrived – in ears, on faces, and on arms.
Thankfully, they were small and didn’t drink much.
Thursday, 6/16/05
We awakened with dawn and the Captain’s coffeemaker. It was warm with very little breeze. We
motored on toward Bahai Hondo State Park. After anchoring, we packed hamburgers and all the
fixin’s in one plastic bag, and hats, towels, sunblock, sunglasses, and water bottles in another two bags,
and swam ashore. We claimed a picnic shelter with the G-men who brought the charcoal and their
food. We then explored the park (barefoot – ouch). It was slow walking but we made it to the other
side of the key and some of the scouts snorkeled there. Mr. Zion took charge of the grill and prepared
our burgers excellently while I cut tomatoes and onions. All ate a full meal and there were a few
burgers left that were returned to Miss Jerry (I suspect Capt. Gerald had one or two sometime). A
small storm headed toward us but dissipated before getting to us. The scouts played Frisbee and
chicken in the shallow water for about an hour before we packed our belongings and returned to our
boats.
We heaved anchors and motored through the old bridge again. We anchored again to snorkel a small
area in the Atlantic near the park. It had lots of black sea anemones with red centers. And there were a
lot of sea biscuits too. John found the top part of a glass bottle that I mistook for a ring from the
surface. We saw a puffer or trigger fish (not sure). Then we motored on toward Marathon and fished a
little. Mr. Rusnak caught a small barracuda that got everyone’s fishing hopes up. We pulled into a
marina at Marathon for fuel and snacks. And then we anchored for the night nearby on the Atlantic
side. Dinner preparations began with grilled chicken (marinated in Italian dressing), macaroni and
cheese, rolls, and canned peaches. It was excellent fare! Stephen, John, Kevin, and eventually others
caught some small fish on handlines. Mr. Rusnak put one on as bait on a larger rod in hopes of bigger
quarry. A barracuda came up to explore but didn’t “take the bait.” A glorious sunset was captured by
our photographers and Kyle led our devotions for the evening.
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A one-hour watch system was established with concern about small clouds on the horizon and being in
the Atlantic rather than a calm spot between keys. We had to be sure we didn’t slip anchor. During
the night, breezes changed a few times and nearby motorboats cast some waves our way. But our
anchor held. I was awakened by the ship’s clock rather than appointed scout. Evidently, he slept
through the end of his watch. While on watch, 2:00am – 3:00am, lightning flashed in several
directions and I expected a storm to approach soon. A blue light flashed on the nearby bridge, and
there were a few small gusts. The moon disappeared behind some clouds but we didn’t get any rain,
thankfully. We had a successful trip – no rain while on the boat – and a good thing too, as there wasn’t
room to sleep everyone below.
Friday, 6/17/05
We awakened early again, in anticipation of snorkeling Sombrero Light, one of the best reefs we were
to visit. After a quick cereal, pop tarts, OJ, and milk breakfast, we pulled anchor and motored out.
Master Hooker Rusnak had the dive ball line in hand easily but lost it so our crew had to demonstrate
how to “hook” in reverse (the “reverse hooking drill”).
Sombrero was a great reef and very large compared to some we’d been to. There were many kinds of
fish. Hope our pictures do them justice. I took some blue, green, and yellow fish and a barracuda. One
was a large yellow angel fish. Great site – lots of canals, crevices, and holes with small and large fish
hanging out. Much prettier coral too – fans, anemones, etc. We snorkeled about an hour and came out
tired because of the current. We loosed our mooring line and headed for Seabase. Soon we were in
deeper water and fishing – but only catching lots of grass.
During the whole trip, Kyle ragged various others about their girlfriends, size, favorite sport, hair, or
eyesight. Today, Kyle bumped his head on the helm while roughhousing in the cockpit. Hot dogs
were thawing below so instead of handing Kyle the ice pack he requested, Kevin handed him a bag of
wieners to ice his sore head. Soon, Kyle got the nickname “wiener head.”
We had a hot dog lunch (microwaved!) prepared by Mark, Kyle, and Chip. It included ketchup,
mustard, onions, relish, and the cooks added cheese to their dogs. It was the best lunch at sea we had
during the trip (the hamburger lunch was on shore!), plus they made it while underway. We
understand Capt. Gerald did some of the Miss Jerry’s cooking and prepared chicken salad one day.
We worked on skit ideas during the ride and came up with a song about the Island Woman and Capt.
Ted to the tune of the Oscar Mayer bologna song. Capt. Ted was delighted.
Along the way, we started cleaning by repacking gear, cleaning the head, sweeping with a tiny dust
broom and pan, moving our gear up to the stern, and emptying the fridge/freezer. We had lots of
peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers to toss – mostly because we didn’t know what was stowed. With all
the gear stacked on the stern, we had “Frisbee drill” because we thought it had blown overboard. The
Captain wheeled about and it turned out to be a bucket lid. Our Frisbee was still safely aboard. We
finally crossed under the bridge and were following Miss Jerry when she turned short of the channel
and ran aground. This was followed shortly by the Island Woman running aground. The crew of Miss
Jerry was ordered forward and she moved to port and came free. Island Woman tried the same trick
but it didn’t work. So we hoisted the jib to blow us to port but that didn’t work either. Miss Jerry
suggested a tow from our bow. Mr. Zion brought a line from Miss Jerry. Kevin jumped in to bring a
line from Island Woman but without a life jacket. He received adequate lectures from both boats and
was soon strapped in a life jacket. The two lines were soon joined and a tow began. We were soon
free of the sand/grass bottom and the “grounding drill” was over. We motored into dock after the slip
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assignment was received on the radio from Seabase and we tied up across the dock from each other.
We realized we’d been 140 miles or so to Key West and back – for Dunkin Donuts!
Gear was unloaded and hauled in carts to our bunk room and tossed up to the second floor. Snorkeling
equipment was washed and returned. Stephen hosed down Island Woman while Miss Jerry’s crew
scrubbed her. Coolers were emptied, etc. We were assigned barracks at Seabase and had a glorious
shower and shave. Then we had about one and a half hours down time to visit the Seabase store, play
Frisbee or volleyball, or just rest on our bunks in air conditioned comfort. We reported for flag
lowering and silly songs, and the Seabase prayer at 5:45pm and our Luau at 6:00pm.
Seabase Prayer:
Bless the creatures of the sea
Bless this person I call me
Bless the Keys, You made so grand
Bless the sun that warms the land
Bless the fellowship we feel
As we gather for this meal. Amen.
At the luau, we had crab cakes, boiled shrimp, mahi mahi, salad, blackbeans and rice, and a small cup
of key lime pie. Capt. Ted and Capt. Gerald came by to eat with us and handed us our Snorkel BSA
cards and Seabase Patch (25th anniversary!). Capt. Ted gave us his card with email and picture of the
Island Woman. He also gave us his dive flag because he had to have a different one to be official.
Capt. Gerald gave the G-team his Seabase Flag because it was tattered and he was getting a new one.
Both captains and crews signed it and we hope to find a place to hang it for our troop meetings. We
gave both captains a SC mug I bought from the State House. Stephen gave Capt. Ted one of his crew tshirts and someone gave one to Capt. Gerald. Both had enjoyed the shirts with our names on the back
and “port” and “starboard” on the sleeves. Capt. Ted stayed for most of the luau events.
Stephen and Chip were finalists in the limbo contest and Chip won the right to put Island Woman on
the limbo post. The G-men from Miss Jerry were the first crew called up for their skit. They did the
“Where Oh Where Are You Tonight” song. The Island Woman crew was next with the song to the
Oscar Meyer bologna tune:
My sailboat has a first name, it’s I S L A N D,
My sailboat has a second name, it’s W O M A N,
We love to ride her every day
And if you ask me why I’ll say - ay-ay,
Cause Island Woman has a way
With Troop 312 and Captain Ted --- T E D.
The boys added the extra T E D to be different! Other skits had to do with pirates, Captain Joe, and
fishing. The staff provided a few songs, a couple of which ended with one of them getting tossed in
the water. The show ended in a solemn Scout Vespers. Boys then went to play Frisbee, etc. and most
stopped by the Seabase store for last minute souvenirs. I purchased something for the two Scouts of
the Voyage and crew leaders. We all retired by 10pm, sharing the San Francisco Suite (bunk room)
with two other crews (from Texas and Michigan). One crew was leaving at 6 am so we knew they’d
wake us early.
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Saturday, 6/18/05
The early crew was very quiet while leaving but many got up for another shower (what a luxury!). We
were all up by 7am for the 7:45 flag raising. Breakfast was at 8:00 and included either biscuits and
gravy or a large ham and cheese croissant. Cereal and fruit were optional. Two were assigned to help
clean up in the galley while the rest went to clean up the bunk room and head. We were loaded and
ready to leave by 9 am.
On the road, we stopped at a Walgreens and a t-shirt shop for last minute souvenirs and went by a dive
shop for Mr. Rusnak to buy some gear he wanted for snorkeling back home. We paid tolls along the
toll road for a while and decided to eat lunch about 1:30pm. We left the toll road, didn’t see anything
of interest to the lead car, and returned to the toll road. We stopped at a service plaza that included a
food court where everyone could find something to please them. We continued on the toll road to near
Palm Beach Gardens. The walkie-talkies helped us communicate (sometimes) but Mr. Zion’s response
was usually “I’m following Varner.”
We arrived in Cocoa Beach about 4:30pm and met Kevin’s family at Wendys near I-95. Kevin had to
be at basketball camp the next day and they were going to drive all night if necessary (hope he slept
some). We circled up and Mr. Rusnak explained that we’d get patches and cards at the next court of
honor. Stephen announced Kevin Kennedy as the “Scout of the Voyage” for Crew A. This was an
excellent choice as Kevin served as the boat’s Chaplain’s Aide, volunteered for every duty possible,
and had a great attitude throughout the trip. I was pleased to crew with him. Dylan announced Evon
Chandler as “Scout of the Voyage” for Crew B. I suspect Evon served well too as he is a good guy
with a great attitude too. He is fun to be around. Congratulations were given to both scouts. Kevin
and his family took off for Columbia, and we headed to Patrick AFB.
We arrived at Patrick AFB about 5:30pm. We checked in at the gate and at the “Space Coast Inn” by
6:15. Quarters this time included four apartments, nicely furnished with TVs, kitchen, towels, etc. We
decided to meet about 8pm for dinner since we ate lunch sort of late. A HUGE storm erupted about
7:30 and it was still pouring at the appointed time. Mr. Zion called and said he’d meet us at the end of
the sidewalk and we ran to the van, still getting very wet. We were on the way out of the base to meet
the Rusnak and Richards vehicles (they were staying across from the base in visitor housing) when we
ran out of gas – about 50 yards from the guard shack. It seemed that every time Evon was riding with
someone the AC went out or the vehicle ran out of gas. We called the others on the radio and they
went for gas. A gallon jug and a paper cup did the trick. We were soon underway and stopped at the
nearest station to fill up. We decided we had accomplished the “out of gas drill.” We went to Tony
Roma’s for “America’s Best Ribs” and they were very good. We returned to the rooms about 11:00
and went to bed.
Sunday 6/19/05
We awakened early and met at the Space Coast Inn checkout facility at 7am. We left Patrick AFB at
7:15 after deciding to eat breakfast in about an hour. We stopped in Ormond Beach at McDonalds.
Following breakfast, Mr. Richards did a Scouts Own Service and discussed a passage from Chronicles.
It was very thought provoking. We were off again by 9:40 am. Along the way, I quizzed Mr. Zion
about some of the things we missed that happened on the Miss Jerry. Here are some notes:
- Capt. Gerald stressed that the three most important parts of the day were breakfast, lunch, and
supper (sometimes followed by naptime)
- Capt. Gerald gave all his crew nicknames:
Mr. Zion was Stoker Ace
Mr. Yeoman was The Colonel
Mr. Richards was The Coach
Philip was Sugar Bear
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-
-
-
-
Ty was T-Bone
Dylan was Wormy
Evon was Tracker
Hunter was Hollywood
Mr. Richards later renamed Evon – The Barracuda or Cuda because of the way he sidles up to you,
looks for a few minutes and disappears. Then he’s back again. You keep wondering if he’s going
to attack.
Capt. Gerald stressed safety and noted if someone got hurt on the way down, you had to go to the
clinic in Key West, get a shot, probably get an infection, still gonna die. Heading back, you go to
the clinic in Marathon, get an enema, and still gonna die.
The G-men hooked one good fish – a nice grouper.
Capt. Gerald suggested that the Island Woman crew would handle the anchor watch for both crews
and his crew could get some sleep.
Miss Jerry was named for his mother.
Bodily functions were referred to as 10-100 and 10-200.
At night, Capt. G had an invisible 30 foot wall that blocked off the stern of the boat so that no one
walked over his cabin.
If you need a physical description of Capt. G, know that he has a winter job as a mall Santa – says
it all.
Capt. G has been sailing with Seabase for 11 years – and still ran aground on the way into port.
Wormy (Dylan) wore a different hat to fit the occasion. He had a pirate bandana part of the time
and a captain’s hat sometimes (like Captain and Tennille).
Miss Jerry’s pirate flag said Surrender the Booty (Capt. G noted that booty is better than treasure).
Most of the boats we passed hailed Capt G on channel 16 then switched to another channel to chat.
He is well known.
Deck space on Miss Jerry was very limited and most slept in spots more narrow than their sleeping
pads. One casualty was Dylan’s pillow that evidently jumped ship during the night and swam for
shore.
Capt. G had a greeting for persons he’d sailed with before: Perhaps we’ve sailed together.
Perchance we have….(See Mr. Richards for the rest).
We stopped at the Georgia Welcome Center for a “drain and drink” break, and transferred the
remaining scout and gear from Mr. Rusnak’s vehicle. Mr. Rusnak, John, and Kyle were headed to
Kiawah Island for a couple of days. We stopped near Savannah for gas and a Wendy’s lunch. Mr.
Rusnak, John, and Kyle departed for Kiawah after giving me the tour permit, health forms, and $103
for gas. We were off again by 2:10pm. We got to I-26 about 3:45pm and started calling parents. We
stopped at the Orangeburg rest area for a quick break and in Cayce for a final cheap gas fill up. Then
we were back at St. Simon/St Jude and waiting parents and spouses by 5:00pm.
We had traveled 1680 miles on the road.
The following awards should be noted:
Mark Bebber, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Duty to God Award
Kyle Bedenbaugh, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Duty to God Award
Chip Bowman, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Duty to God Award
Evon Chandler, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Scout of the Voyage
(Crew B)
Stephen Harmon (Crew Leader), 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Duty to
God Award
Kevin Kennedy, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Duty to God Award,
Scout of the Voyage (Crew A)
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Dylan Richards (Crew Leader), 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel
John Rusnak, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Duty to God Award
Hunter Soltis, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel
Ty Yeoman, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel
Philip Zion, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel
Mr. Bebber, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Duty to God Award
Mr. Rusnak. 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel, Duty to God Award
Mr. Richards, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel
Mr.Yeoman, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel
Mr. Zion, 5 nights camping, 6 days sailing (148 miles), BSA Snorkel
Many thanks to Mr. Phil Rusnak for heading up this expedition, to Mr. Tom Yeoman for arranging
lodging at the air bases, to Mr. Varner Richards, Mr. Craig Zion, and Mr. Phil Rusnak for driving
carloads of scouts to the FL Keys and back, to Mr. Mark Zion for nabbing a Seabase slot when it came
available, to Stephen Harmon Crew Chief of Crew A and Dylan Richards Crew Chief of Crew B, both
elected by their peers, and who served admirably, and to Capt. Ted and Capt. Gerald for sharing their
“homes” with us and for their patience, kindness, and good humor.
It was a wonderful adventure and I enjoyed sharing the road and the sea with each one.
God Bless!
Respectfully submitted,
Tony Bebber, ASM
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