OPENING NIGHT OF LOBSTER SEASON 2010

The opening of Lobster Season is a big event aboard Redemption. The planning and preparation is unbelievable. All the gear needs to be checked and the dive tanks have to be inspected and filled. The boat has to have lots of fuel and the galley has to have lots of food. We always have a big turn out of divers that join us every year. We did it a little differently this year Captain Mark took a weeks vacation so we could sail up to Santa Barbara and go out diving often. We left our little slip in Channel Islands Harbor at sun up on Friday Oct. 1st

It was a nice smooth sea and I was able to fix breakfast while underway and get these shots of our beautiful Santa Barbara Harbor as we entered

The opening night of the season and everyone getting on board for the early cruise to Santa Cruz Island, get anchored up, get their gear ready for the midnight dive. It is the eleventh commandment...............".must be in the water hunting the first hour of Lobster Season!"

On the way out to the island we came across tons of dolphins...........I mean every where! We all sat on the bow and took pictures. Captain Mark was able to be on the bow because Mike Macko handles the Redemption so well.

Good picture of Mike Macko at the helm. Thanks Mike!

We arrived at the island and as you can see by these pictures it was beautiful. We anchored up and put a stern anchor out to keep us from swinging too much. Captain Mark and Paul used the skiff to take the anchor out for the stern.

This is a great shot of one of the many sea caves out at Santa Cruz Island. Santa Cruz Island has the largest sea cave in the world, Painted Cave.

Here is the beautiful sunset we watched while eating dinner, waiting for midnight to get the first bugs of the season. Where we are anchored is called Profile Point and you will see the profile in the sunset picture. We saw a wonderful lightening storm off in the distance and I was so excited to actually get a shot of the the lightening with my little camera.

Now to the first lobsters on board Redemption at about 1:00 AM October 2, 2010. Mike Macko with his 10 pound lobster!

This is a close up of Mike's 10 pound bug and the other ones he brought on board in the morning after a good nights sleep!

Thus ends the pictures and events of the opening night of Lobster Season 2010. There will be more postings of the rest of the week later.

Anacapa Island Dive - July 17th

Our friends joined us about 7am for a quick breakfast of fresh fruit and quiche, juice and coffee. We untied the lines and started on our trip across the channel to Anacapa Island getting through the breakers was rough and quickly sent me down to the galley to put everything on the floor knowing that is where it was going to end up anyway.

The water was so rough and the crossing was very snotty (I think that is the technical nautical term) we pounded and rocked like crazy. Finally arriving at Anacapa Island we hurried to the backside finding a cozy little spot to anchor up for the first dive of the day. It was calm and hard to believe what the sea was like on the front side.

HERE ARE THE PICTURES SHOWING HOW NICE AND CALM THE WATER WAS WHERE WE WERE ANCHORED.

Our guests were
Dorothy Wakamatsu and her daughter Emillia...

Mark Rodgers and his son Blake

Mark Rodgers showing Blake how to open and clean a sea scallop.

I had a fun artsy moment and took this picture during my beer break before the long hard ride back to port.

The ride back to port was even worse than the crossing in the morning the wind was blowing over 20 knots and the waves were hitting us on our port side making Captain Mark have to manhandle is beloved Redemption to keep us on course.

- Kay Silva