Thanks to Keith for writing this one.

Part One: The Journey

We eventually joined forces at Heathrow at 5.40am, approximately 40 minutes later than arranged, mainly due to the person who made the shortest journey. Captain Harry (Warren) had booked a hotel next to the airport and when Chief Purser Keith (Arthur) went to collect him, he didn’t realise that the hotel of his choice was hidden behind the captain’s favourite restaurant. He obviously couldn’t resist the lure of a Big Mac.

Despite many glances at watches, much tutting and assorted comments The Purser and Captain made their apologies. During the wait the check-in line had grown to massive proportions and it was a full 90 minutes before our boarding cards were issued and we were making our way to Gate 18. Admiral Roy (Marlow) commented: “If this is the worst thing that happens this journey, we will be fine.” That statement proved to be prophetic as American Airlines flight 113 departed on time and arrived on the ground in Miami 10 minutes early.

Immigration and Customs were negotiated and our 15 seater bus collected from the unforgettable car hire site. (Always remember The Alamo).
Part Two: Day One - Sunday

The first day of The Great Adventure dawned cloudy (semi-normal), very hot (normal) and windy and having enjoyed two weeks of almost flat-calm conditions in 2006, it came as a bit of a shock to see white caps on the waves.

Despite the best-laid plans of the Chief Purser, the first thing that had to be sorted was the crew of each of our three boats. Captain Outcast (Damon Santelli), who is leading the Team Gulp assault on the World Sailfish Tournament starting this coming Wednesday suggested that, as the weather forecast of Monday was awful, we should have a morning catching our live baits. That meant Leading Seaman Gus.dot.com (Ross Nursey) would be partnering Able Seaman Mutton (Dave Burr), who had missed the Team Gulp bus to the dock by taking the opportunity for a leisurely, early-morning sit in The Throne Room and been left behind. Mutton is so-called because he is slightly hard of hearing, what Cockneys would know as ‘mutton jeff’.

Gus and Mutton set off for the Harbor in search of The Silver King with Captain Pico (Pat Catern) on board Booya.

Leading Seaman Kitchen Patrol “KP” (Tommy Young) joined Roy and Keith on Capt Damon’s Outcast searching for bait; threadfin herring and blue runners (small members of the jack family that ’croak’ as they are unhooked) in one of the shipping channels.

That left Capt Harry and Leading Seaman Floatman (float manufacturer supreme Mick Wilkinson) fishing with tarpon maestro Capt Jack Kelly on Windy Day, a very apt title given the prevailing conditions. Jack has fished the waters around Key West for tarpon for 35 years and is a pioneer of the chumming technique now used by many of the charter skippers. This involves buying the by-catch from the shrimp boats that trawl the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for the famous pink shrimp (MASSIVE prawns to us) that are unique to the area. Their numbers are dwindling as imported prawns from South America - not the same but close enough and cheap - are forcing down the price making it un-economical to make the long journey into the Gulf. When they eventually stop, the Captain Jack style of drifting cut bait in the chum-line, will die with the shrimp industry.

Roy, Tommy and Keith achieved their bait target of 70 fish in a couple of hours and had heard over the radio that both of the other teams had hooked tarpon, so the decision was made to fish the afternoon ebbing tide for The Silver King.

Roy displayed his usual expertise, both in identifying the very subtle take of the huge member of the herring family, hooking the fish and handing the rod over to whoever is standing next to him, due to the ‘sore elbow’ that has afflicted him for the past few years. Of course the ‘sore elbow’ is mythical, used as an excuse to give other anglers on the boat the chance to feel the force.

Both other crews also hooked and released tarpon in the 70-110lb class, along with ladyfish (called ‘poor man’s tarpon’ as they jump in a similar fashion and have a similar shaped body, the main difference being that a 5lber is a VERY big fish indeed). A couple of stingray up to 40lb were also hooked together with a number of small snappers, but when the massive weather front that has dumped several feet of snow and many inches of rain to the north-eastern states of the USA wagged its tail over us, with lightning and thunder rolling all around and the wind gathering force, we decided that discretion was the better part of valour and made a swift departure to the sanctuary of the dock.

Within minutes the heavens opened and the sky turned black, lit up every few seconds as the storm vented its fury on us for having such a good day. The visit to the supermarket was eventful, as the rain soaked through to the skin anyone daft enough to venture out. Gus.dot.com and Admiral Roy were the ‘brave’ ones.

All that remained was to collect a new member of the team, arriving via Atlanta to Key West. The flight was delayed by the foul weather in the Eastern seaboard. After two trips to the airport, and many calls to both Key West airport and the airline failed to find where DL 4286 was, was leaving, or arriving at either Atlanta OR Key West, a decision had to be made. Keith was the chauffeur and eventually gave up at midnight, leaving instructions at the airport with the only people there: the Key West Sheriff and the man on the Avis car rental desk that should a tall man in a yellow baseball cap arrive, they should phone our condo and Keith would collect him.

The call never came, so at 6.15 on Monday morning, Keith left to see what was happening at the airport. As he got in the Team Gulp bus, a figure appeared out of the dawn gloom, wearing a yellow baseball cap. The flight had landed at 2am, Jim was on board and couldn’t remember our phone number and no one at the airport could help him. He found his own way here, but he didn’t know our apartment number, so spent the rest of the night laying on a sun-lounger in our lobby. He is now officially Seaman Hobo.

It’s amazing that the ever-increasing wind allowed him any sleep at all. It certainly would curtail our angling activities on Monday, but more of that tomorrow…