At 09:25 PM 3/18/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 14:37:32 -0500, M. Bevelhimer <[log in to unmask]>
>wrote:
>
> >I'm leading a group of 18 boy scouts and 6 adults on a sailing trip in the
> >Florida Keys next week. I did the same trip two years ago. (Actually I'm
> >only leading them from Tennessee to Florida and back; experienced captains
> >provide the guidance on the boat.  All I gotta do is sit back and
> >relax.)  We'll be on 3 42' Morgans sailing from the boy scout base at
> >Islamorado to Key West and back.  We'll play in Key West all day Wednesday.
>
>That sounds like a fantastic trip if all the kids don't drive you crazy! Do
>you really think you'll be able to "sit back and relax"? :-))

Yes they did drive me crazy, but we had a great time.  Unfortunately the
winds didn't cooperate, so our snorkeling was limited to three sites --
Coffin Patch, Sombrero Key, and an offshore quarry behind Lower Matecomb
Key.  Saw the normal Keys stuff which was quite exciting for a bunch of 13
yo's that had never been there before.  Lots of parrotfish, yellowtail
snappers, angelfish (gray, French, and queen), and barracudas, a big
pufferfish, a hogfish, a loggerhead turtle, and one small nurse shark (in a
pear tree)!

As Ray mentioned in an earlier post -- lots of wind in the Keys last
week.  Too much for our crew to sail most of the week as we were headed
straight into 25 knot winds and 4-5 foot waves on the way back from Key
West (and that was on the inside of the reefs).  The boys never complained,
but you could tell they were getting tired of motoring all the time.  Other
than a day in Key West we were on the boat (or in the water) from Sun night
to Friday afternoon.

> >(Brad, any chance you'll be in town?)
> >
>
>It just so happens that I'll be off for six days begining on Tuesday. I had
>not yet decided to go into Key West, but you've given me one more reason
>for going in. ...Yes, I will be there. Let me know where I can find you and
>your wild bunch of boy scouts. :-))

The late great Brad lived up to his reputation.  I told him I'd be in Key
West on Wed, and he called me on Thursday. :-) As it turned out we were
there most of Tue and left on Wed a.m. so even if he had been on time, we'd
have missed each other.  Brad, I am truly sorry we didn't hook up.  Would
have loved to hear more about your life on a little bitty island.  When I
found out that we were getting in on Tues I tried to reach you through the
park HQ (I didn't have a phone number for you), but they weren't too helpful.

-Mark B.