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If anyone was in Key West this past weekend, see anything falling from the sky?
If anyone was in Key West this past weekend, see anything falling from the sky?
You're asking quite a bit for the folks in Key West to pay attention to :).
armymom1228
08-23-2009, 23:09
You're asking quite a bit for the folks in Key West to pay attention to :).
That is an understatement.. and it all depends on the time of day. :D
You're asking quite a bit for the folks in Key West to pay attention to :).
Hay, I resemble that remark...
Wind was up and about 30 coco-nuts fell??
Actually, KW is just over the horizon from BPK (25 miles)..
Were the kids jumping over Boca Chica or off Fleming Key??
DZ was right out from the scuba school. Perfect weather and good times in the evenings.
Fleming Key (Shark?) DZ - ahhhhh...the good memories...unless you had the chute rinsing-drying tower duty. ;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
armymom1228
08-24-2009, 10:21
DZ was right out from the scuba school. Perfect weather and good times in the evenings.
How often to they do these jumps?
That will be something to look for when I am heading down the Hawk Channel in December. I wonder how often I have missed that.. what a shame, gotta get new glasses I guess. :D
Anything else I should pay attention to Guys, when I am heading southbound?
Dozer523
08-24-2009, 11:32
How often to they do these jumps?
Anything else I should pay attention to Guys, when I am heading southbound? Beer in the fridge is nice:cool: . . . in case they miss the DZ:D
The first time jumping on Shark DZ would have been my 8th or 9th jump.
Of course finished reading "Jaws" on the way down.
Being from the upper mid-west I had never seen water like that before.
Was thinking the whole way down under canopy "Man, that ain't very deep. I'm going to hit bottom."
SPLASH - "Man is this ever nice." And then the dude in the boat started shouting.
armymom1228
08-24-2009, 11:56
Beer in the fridge is nice:cool: . . . in case they miss the DZ:D
Corona or Dos Equis? mmm, think there is some Pacifa and Kaliks there at the moment. Reefer _always_ has booze n beer, and a pot of something on the stove for visitors.
All are welcome.. remember to knock on the hull. Ignore the 32lb cat( maine coon) , she is just mouthy.. name is Lucy. She really doesn't bite..... much.
Seriously is there a particular jump pattern I should look for.. as in they jump, if they jump x day most weeks.. that sort of thing. Would be way cool on my way south to see jumpers. Lots better than watching coconuts fall on tourists. :D
Corona or Dos Equis? mmm, think there is some Pacifa and Kaliks there at the moment. Reefer _always_ has booze n beer, and a pot of something on the stove for visitors.
All are welcome.. remember to knock on the hull. Ignore the 32lb cat( maine coon) , she is just mouthy.. name is Lucy. She really doesn't bite..... much.
Seriously is there a particular jump pattern I should look for.. as in they jump, if they jump x day most weeks.. that sort of thing. Would be way cool on my way south to see jumpers. Lots better than watching coconuts fall on tourists. :D
Anne
They jump in a couple places,, but Garrison Bight, East side of Fleming, North of the old helo station on Trumbo Point.
If you throw your hook due East of the Northern tip of Fleming,, you'd be front row..
Mooring Field - 24.34-600 N 081.47-225W
City Marina (305) 809-3981 or Ch-16 VHF Mooring Field Dockmaster
Located north of City Marina, in the area between Fleming Key and Sigsbee Park, is Garrison bight Mooring Field. The mooring field began with 81 moorings which were increased this year to 149 Moorings thanks to grant from Monroe County's Department of Marine Resources. These moorings host a mix of fulltime live aboard as well as transient boaters. Each mooring system is inspected, top to bottom, every 90 days. Buoy systems with any sign of wear or damage are replaced. Interim inspections and damage is taken care of by the Mooring Field Dock Master.
The State of Florida has followed the City's lead and established a no discharge zone for sewage from boats around Monroe County. This helps to keep the waters clean as well as keeps the City's pump-out service busy. A City Pump-Out Boat, purchased with grant money, continues to provide pump-out services to all vessels on Key West waters. City Pump-Out is removing approximately 3,000 gallons of sewage per month. It is expected that this amount will increase as the countywide prohibition on sewage discharge is enforced. This year the City added another person to the mooring field/pump-out staff. Pump-out is now a seven-day per week operation.
Mooring Field Rates: $16.56 Daily (tax included)
$291.89 monthly (tax included)
They also HALO jump over Boca Chica and land on the runway.
Schedule is Army time.. as needed, as required, as available,, in others words, there is no schedule.
When I was at the school in 1969, we did not jump and I don't think there was any school scheduled jump classes??
We did get to play on the USS Sealion, but that was offshore in the arty ranges, 10-15 miles SW of KW..
armymom1228
08-24-2009, 13:31
Thanks JJ. I am quite familiar with Cayo Hueso. I still call it Tank and Christmas tree island despite the fact the 'new' names are Sunset and Wysteria.
The Navy still enforcing the new rules.. 500 feet OFF Fleming?
I think my mooring might be inside the no fly zone. It was inside the northern hook 'bay' off Fleming.
I lived in KW from 90-93. Many friends in the Marathon cruising comm. Rumor has it that a plan is afoot to kidnap me and da bote once the engine is in and force march both of us south.
They jump in a couple places,, but Garrison Bight, East side of Fleming, North of the old helo station on Trumbo Point.
If you throw your hook due East of the Northern tip of Fleming,, you'd be front row..
That would be just north ofthe Garrison Bight Mooring field then? Ah see they have increased the rates.. last time I was there, it was $250/month with a 35 foot max boat size.. Pisser about the no discharge zone.. of course the whole keys are that way I have a Eletrasan. I have to add a holding tank and pumpout I see.. rats. there goes my port settee storage. That mooring field is god awful terrible exposed to the winter northers. BTDT... both sides of Fleming.
The State still banning any anchoring in Newfound Harbor? Not that I can get in with my draw but it is a nice place..
We did get to play on the USS Sealion, but that was offshore in the arty ranges, 10-15 miles SW of KW..
SSW of the Sand Key light? awesome.. thanks JJ... just more reasons to go home and enjoy the tropics again.
anne
ps... have my hidey hole up in the Little Shark still in the chartplotter and GPS.
The State still banning any anchoring in Newfound Harbor? Not that I can get in with my draw but it is a nice place..
Your welcome Anne
The state is in a flutter all up-n-down the Keys about anchorages. Last couple yrs we have had 4 or 5 masts blow into the transmission lines on the South side. Twice in Pine Channel. They have a xxxx foot set-back, but because of the hard bottom, no-one gets a good anchor set. Power co tries to recover from the boaters,, but most have nothing to recover. Costs something like 250 G to get a crew in to patch the line..
I think the better anchorage is on the North side of BPK along the ICW in Big Spanish Channel. Bottom is a little softer,, but your still exposed the the North winds..
Also the harbor at Bahia Honda,, between the bridges,, deep,, good bottom,, Northern protection..
I'm getting off topic,,, They don't jump in BPK,, we just drink..
My $00.0002
armymom1228
08-24-2009, 14:59
I'm getting off topic,,, They don't jump in BPK,, we just drink..
My $00.0002
yes I guess we were.. have fished and sailed up and down the keys.. never thought to look skyward.. will be doing that a lot now. Thanks all.
ZonieDiver
08-24-2009, 15:17
Beer in the fridge is nice:cool: . . . in case they miss the DZ:D
If they know there is a sailboat with beer in the fridge nearby, there might be a new "actual" dropzone! :)
Abu-Shakra
08-24-2009, 16:22
If anyone was in Key West this past weekend, see anything falling from the sky?
3/20th did a water jump..........well at least only the support company did.
Of course finished reading "Jaws" on the way down.
Being from the upper mid-west I had never seen water like that before.
Was thinking the whole way down under canopy "Man, that ain't very deep. I'm going to hit bottom."
SPLASH - "Man is this ever nice." And then the dude in the boat started shouting.
You got it right Pete. - that water looked way to shallow.
I knew better too, I knew the water out there was averaging about 20 feet - but when I finally saw it from a canopy. It looked like 3 feet. I pulled my legs up I'm sure when I went in - no need, plenty of water under me.
That was 1978. We jumped three at a time back then one safety boat for each jumper - has that changed?
We jumped three at a time back then one safety boat for each jumper - has that changed?
There were 5 guys to a stick w/ 5 rescue boats and two navy boats that shuttled guys from the DZ to the scuba ramps.
It does look very shallow. I could see the bottom from the boat and i was probably diving around 10-12 ft before i got to the bottom in some spots. Other spots maybe 5-6ft. Thats about the shallowest I saw it though, but I'm sure there are other areas that are more shallow.
There were 5 guys to a stick w/ 5 rescue boats and two navy boats that shuttled guys from the DZ to the scuba ramps.
It does look very shallow. I could see the bottom from the boat and i was probably diving around 10-12 ft before i got to the bottom in some spots. Other spots maybe 5-6ft. Thats about the shallowest I saw it though, but I'm sure there are other areas that are more shallow.
There were 5 boats back in 78 too - but as you said, two were used as shuttles.
Three jumpers per pass was not really a problem. We were just one Team of 12, so that was four passes. We came from Devens in January. Left Moore AAF with 4 feet of snow piled up on each side of the runway, wearing cold weather gear. Pulled all that stuff off after we got to warm weather.
The transition to balmy air and warm water was indescribeable after the snow and ice of New England. Another example of one of those secret bennies that the average civilian and/or less fortunate brothers-in-arms can likely never experience - and they paid us to do it too.
The Reaper
08-25-2009, 06:30
Ah, yes, Shark DZ.:D
TR