This is the first part a story titled, The Sponge Adventure. Captain Bob and his two mates, Dave and Amos fish the Gulf out of Key West in Bob’s sea-going Trawler, Sea Breeze. Dave is interested in the old methods of sponge fishing and has a small skipjack fishing boat he has just restored.
The Sponge Adventure
“How’s that boat coming along? You still thinking about sponging, David?”
“Yep, to answer your questions. The boat is looking good! I’m working on the canvas right now, and I’ll be sponge fishing in due time.”
“Tell you what, David, I’ll be by to check on your progress on that boat tomorrow morning. I’ll bring your check by after I pay Amos.”
“Sounds good, Captain Bob. See you then.”
Knock! Knock!
“Will you get that, Bob?” His wife hollered down from upstairs.
“Ok, Honey, I’m expecting someone,” Bob responded as he headed towards the front door.
‘Oh…Hi Amos. Come on in. Let me get your check.”
“When are we going back out Capt’n?”
“Amos, I figure we’ll take a day for maintenance. How about whenever you want to on Monday. Go on over to the boat, and check out the nets. I know that there’s some mending to do, and I know you’ll be first class with that project.”
“Sounds good Capt’n. See you Monday.”
“The wife and I may see you sooner. We’re going to come by your church Sunday. What time is the service?”
“Sounds real fine Capt’n, that will be 10:30. See you both then.”
Captain Bob walked Amos to the front door and said his good bye’s, turned and walked back in.
Bang! The screen door slammed shut.
“Honey, There’s that door again, can you adjust it?” Bob’s wife requested.
"Sure, Sweetheart, I’m going over to David's. I’ll be helping him with his boat,” Bob replied.
“Ok Dear,” she replied, “Please don’t forget the door, see you at lunch.”
Slam!
It was only four long blocks to where David lived. Bob enjoyed the walk. Something was unusual about where David’s parents’ house was. It was located at the end of a small inlet. In fact the property was connected to the water. The basic house was an original Bahamian cottage. Down close to the water was an old boat house. This property had been in David’s family for several generations. Their great grandfather had built the cottage in the Bahamas and then dismantled, shipped, and reassembled it here in Key West.
The property was long and narrow. If it was any wider it would be sought after by the developers. As it was, it was still extremely valuable, but David’s parents were just content to stay there in the old home place.
He walked past the cottage and went back to the boat house. The skipjack sat there on the outside. In fact it was propped up and sitting on the ways.* David's ways were a double wooden track leading down to and into the water. Bob could see that it would be easy to launch her. He walked around to the back of the boat house. There David was, canvas all around him, a big needle in his hand.
“Hi David,” Bob said.
“Hi Captain, what do you think?” David asked. “The boats looking good, huh?”
“The boat looks ready. I see you’ve got her painted,” Bob exclaimed.
“Yep, did that a couple of weeks ago. I used a fiberglass paint,”
said David.
“It looks like you could use a hand with the sail,” Captain Bob exclaimed.
“Sure could, Capt’n.”
The skipjack* was flat-sided with the sides above the floor about 12 inches. The beam was 9 feet, 4 inches. Overall she was 22 feet long. There was a deck house over the cabin, and this had about 5 feet, 6 inches of head room. The cabin was about 10 feet long, and 7 feet wide. It was divided fore and aft by a center board trunk. This came up about 2 feet from the floor. There was room under the fore deck to stow gear, and there were two narrow bunks one on either side. The cockpit was in the rear. It was on the same floor as the cabin. The boat was steered by a tiller out the back, no wheel. With the center board down, she drafted 4 feet 6 inches. She had about 400 pounds of ballast.
The rigging was simple: two sails, jib and main. They were both laced to booms on one mast. The overhang of the booms, both front and rear, put out a lot of canvas.
“This is sure big! It’s a lot of canvas,” Bob remarked.
“That’s right Capt’n. But this is the jib. I finished the mainsail last week,” David said proudly. “This little boat will spread a lot of canvas and catch a lot of wind! Here, help me hold this and I will stitch the seam.”
He was using an awl to punch a hole through the canvas in the center of a grommet and then run the heavy cord through it with a large needle.
“I see, it appears you have all the grommets in,” Bob remarked.
“Yep...I also did that last week. I’ve been getting excited to take her out.”
They worked the rest of the morning.
“David, I had better get home for lunch. But I’ll come back after I eat and we’ll hang these sails.”
“Capt’n, you could eat here with us,” David offered.
“I’d like to, but I can’t disappoint the missus She’ll have lunch ready. Thanks though.”
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