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 men are getting ready to go out.
The Sponge Adventure
“Hey! Honey, I’m home.”
Bang!...The screen door slammed shut.
“I thought you adjusted that door?”
“I did, I thought,” Bob apologized.
“What’s David up to?” she asked.
“He’s coming along with that boat. I’m going back after lunch to help him.”
“You sure do love boats, Honey. You’re on them 24 hours a day sometimes, and then on your time off, you rest by working on them! I’ll never understand you...but I love you!”
David and Bob finished the jib sail. They then attached it to the jib boom and roped all the grommets to the fore jib rope. The hoisting ropes then went up to the top of the mast through pulleys and then back down to the deck.
“She’s a good looker, Dave. What are your plans for taking her out?” Bob asked.
“You know Capt’n, it’s been a long time. I’ve been working on this boat for a year and a half or more. I’m straining at the leash. I think I will throw some provisions on her, get the sponge boat prepared for towing with my sponging equipment, and head out early next Saturday. Cap’n, you could come out with me.”
“I would like to David. But if I do…You’ll be the Captain, and I’ll be the First Mate.”
“But Capt’n, that doesn’t seem to be right.”
“Nope, it’s your boat, and that’s the only way I’d do it. On my boat I’m the Captain, and on your boat, you’re the man!”
“Ok, thanks, Captain Bob.”
Monday always has a way of coming around, and Bob was moving slow.
“Honey, after I eat this toast and drink my coffee, I’m going to go over to the boat. Amos was going to go over this morning. I’ve got him mending the nets. I’ve got to pull some maintenance on the engine and some general clean-up. I guess I’ll get David to service the booms.”
“When you going back out?” she asked.
“I figure we’ll head back out tomorrow. We’ll go past Tortuga and then into the Bay. We should be back in no later than Friday. Pray we run into another mess of shrimp like we did last week!”
“See you, Honey.”
Bang!
Captain Bob loved where he lived. This walk to his boat he relished. He loved seeing the coconut palms, bright flowers year-round, old brightly painted wooden Bahamian and Key West houses. He was happy. He turned into the marina.
“Morning, Amos, how’re the nets looking?”
"Not too bad, Capt’n. But you were right. They needed some work.”
“Seen David?”
“Up here, Capt’n,” David hollered, “You never did look up.”
Captain Bob looked up. David was up on the mast.
“Getting those cables checked?” Bob asked.
“Yes sir, I’ve got a few preventative maintenance repairs to make.”
Amos said, “I’ll take the other boom, David, and we’ll get done faster. Then I’ll rustle up some lunch.”
“David, when you get to it, let’s lower the outriggers.* It will be smart to check and grease all those pulleys and inspect everything related to them.”
“Ay, aye, Sir.”
After a few hours of work…
“Amos, I’ll make the coffee if you do the honors of preparing that food you promised us.”
“Well Capt’n, looks like all this refrigerator is going to do for us is bacon and eggs.”
“We’ll take it!” David and Bob said in unison.
“Tastes good! Thanks Amos. Guys, I thought that we’d go out tomorrow for a couple-three days.”
“Sounds good, Capt’n. We thought you’d never ask,” David joked.
“About 6:30? Amos, come by with your pickup truck to the house. While we’re getting provisions and from what you said, we need some, David will fuel and ice up. I checked on the weather, and it seems like it will hold for our trip.”
“We’re with you, Capt’n,” they both said.
It was about 8:30 AM. “Not a bad start for a shrimp trawler,” Captain Bob exclaimed.
He was aft* looking at the wake.* David was at the helm,* and Amos was stowing the provisions in the galley.* There was a faint diesel odor in the air, but this didn’t bother him. After all, this was his choice and living. He could see the tour and fishing excursions getting ready for the tourists and sport fishermen.
He waved as he was occasionally hailed by a captain or crew member on these boats. Captain Bob was well known and liked. He had a lot of seamen friends. They left Garrison Bight behind and turned to the left, entering the "Man of War Harbor" and went past the ‘Inner Harbor.’ This was also known as the Key West Bight. This natural, large deep water harbor had been a very nice stopping place for seamen and their sailing ships for as long as man was sailing these Caribbean waters.
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