Things you need to know about a Liveaboard

The most important thing to bring on a liveaboard is a sense of humor and a generally good, positive attitude. If you're not familiar with boats - much less living on one - here's a few FACTS about boats:


everything on a boat breaks
everything on a boat leaks
everything on a boat gets wet
nothing on a boat every really dries
everything on a boat smells like a boat; where things break, get wet, and never really dry
anything that doesn't smell like a boat smells like people who live on a boat
everything mechanical on a boat is very loud (until it breaks; then it becomes very quiet)
everything non-mechanical on a boat creaks and/or rattles (until it breaks in; then it gets very quiet; that's usually the day before it breaks)
everything on a boat is small
if something is not small, it's not on the boat
if something is not available on the island/mainland, it's not on the boat
if something is not on the boat, it's not on the boat
if you need something specific but didn't bring it, it's not on the boat
even things that are usually on the boat are often not on the boat
most things that happen on a boat happen simply "because it's a boat"

A thousand major/minor/uncomfortable/disgusting/annoying/inconvenient things can go wrong on a boat over the course of a year. Statistically, that means that 20 of them will happen the week you're on board. You won't notice 15 of them. Will any of the the other 5 things ruin your trip? Honestly - other than a condition which presents a clear and imminent safety or health issue - whether or not something ruins your trip is entirely up to you. I choose to focus on the things like diving that make my trip enjoyable; folks who choose to focus on things that will ruin their trip can always find something that will.

But, as an optimist, keep in mind that you also get to take the good with the bad...

everything GOOD that happens on a live-aboard happens "because it's a boat"
you're never more than an hour or so from the next dive, the next meal, the next nap, or your first drink - because it's a boat
you set your gear up once and don't worry about it again - because it's a boat
you're right over the dive site - because it's a boat
two hours later you're right over the next dive site - because it's a boat
it's a twenty foot walk from your last bite of desert after dinner to your night dive - because it's a boat
it's a ten foot walk from your night dive to a hot shower - because it's a boat
it's a twenty foot walk from the hot shower to a cold beer - because it's a boat
it's a twenty foot walk from the cold beer to your bed - because it's a boat
when you wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee and waffles...you're right over the next great dive site - because it's a boat

Top 5 Trending Scams in March

Below is a list of the top 5 trending scams in March. 

Please be on the lookout for these scams and help protect your friends, family and colleagues by spreading the word.  I know I have almost been fooled by some of these.

Top 5 Scams in March

1. Your intuit.com order confirmation
2. YouTube Administration sent you a message: Your video on the TOP of YouTube
3. Better Business Bureau: BBB Case # 71608420
4. American Airlines: Your order has been completed
5. YouTube Administration has sent you a message: Your video has been approved

Featured:

The Slimiest Online Scams and How to Avoid Them

Shockingly, the mistake-riddled email that you received from the "professional stock trader" who didn't capitalize his own name wasn't filled with the insider information that the heading promised. It was a scam. As the Internet's media channels, networking capabilities, and audiences diversify with every innovation, scam artists like "rick tha stock traider" are given an even larger platform to lure unsuspecting victims. So what do we do? Learn the following scams, stiff the swindlers, and spread the word.... Read full article

Wreck Hunting on the rise?

 With the news coming from the Bahamas and the wrecks that have been discovered in the US, its been a productive year for wreck hunters.  Blue Iguana Charters have been involved in numerous projects in the past few years and some new ones are in the works.

A group of treasure hunters made international news in February 2012 after claiming they’d found billions of dollars in sunken treasure off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The cargo of the S.S. Port Nicholson, which was torpedoed by German U-boats during World War II, includes tons of platinum, uncut and industrial diamonds and gold ingots. It may turn out to be the most lucrative shipwreck ever found in U.S. waters. In the days long before electronic bank transfers, ships frequently transported staggering amounts of gold and other precious metals. Many were lost at sea, but thanks to modern technology, finds of sunken treasure have become increasingly common in recent years. Here are five of the most valuable shipwrecks discovered in U.S. waters prior to the S.S. Port Nicholson

Read more....

Hogfish and Crappie

Being an old Arkansas boy I grew up eating fish caught from our farm pond and local lakes. One of my favorites was all ways hands down crappie. After moving the Florida coast I was introduced to this wonderful fish called Hogfish. To a country boy the hogfish is basically the crappie of the sea. The meat texture and taste are almost identical. I pulled this old letter from a email from years past and after a stroll down memory lane the light bulb came on in my head and realized that all of these recipes would work perfectly with hogfish. So just read trough and replace crappie with hogfish and bon appétit.

New ways to cook crappie



What is Arkansas' best eating fish?

From time to time, you hear folks cussing and discussing this topic. Walleye is nearly always mentioned by those fortunate enough to have tried it.

Bream, bass and catfish have their champions, too, and more than a few claim sauger and fried buffalo ribs are the best of the best.



I would venture to guess, though, that crappie claims top honors in more than half of these polls.

The delicate, pleasing flavor of this popular panfish makes it a favorite of many Arkansans.



When cooking crappie, the Old South favorite is hard to beat: fillets salted and peppered, rolled in corn meal and fried to a golden brown. But there are as many ways to prepare crappie as there are of catching them. Two of my favorite recipes are listed below. In a pinch, fillets of bass, bream, catfish, or walleye can be substituted for the crappie.



Crappie with Smoked Bacon



8 to 12 crappie fillets

one lemon

salt

flour

6 ounces thick-cut smoked bacon

fresh parsley



Wash the fillets, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the fish on a plate, and squeeze the juice of half the lemon over them. Set aside for 10 minutes while you dice the bacon and fry it in a skillet. Set the bacon aside when it is done, but leave the bacon grease in the skillet. Season the fish fillets with salt, dredge in flour, and fry them in the bacon grease, 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until the meat flakes easily with a fork. Arrange the fish on a heated platter, and crumble the bacon on top.

Garnish with parsley sprigs and slices from the second half of the lemon. Serves 4 to 6.



Poached Crappie Fillets with Shrimp Sauce



2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

8 to 12 crappie fillets



In a 10-inch skillet, combine water, bay leaf,

1/4 teaspoon salt and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add fillets. Reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 3 to 5 minutes, or until fish is firm and opaque and just begins to flake.

Drain and discard the poaching liquid. Cover the fish to keep warm. Set aside.



Shrimp Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons flour

a pinch of white pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

a dash of paprika

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup diced, cooked shrimp



To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in an 8- inch skillet over low heat. Add the flour, white pepper, salt and paprika, and stir until blended. Add the milk slowly, stirring constantly and taking care not to scorch the mixture. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened. Add the Worcestershire sauce and shrimp, stir and heat through. Serve the shrimp sauce over the fillets. Garnish with a light sprinkling of paprika and snipped fresh chives or parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Florida to Outlaw Killing of Tiger Sharks

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Florida wildlife officials say they're about to outlaw the killing of tiger sharks and three kinds of hammerheads that prowl the state's waters.
The new rule, to be voted on by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, would add four new species -- tiger sharks as well as scalloped, smooth and great hammerheads -- to 23 sharks already protected from harvest in Florida waters, which extend three miles off the Atlantic coast and nine miles off the Gulf coast, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Tuesday.
Catch-and-release fishing would still be allowed.
Shark experts and environmentalists have lauded the Florida proposal, noting populations of all four species have declined by more than half in recent decades.
The hope, they say, is Florida's action, the first in the nation, will clear the way for extending protections in both federal and international waters.
"It's a big step but we're going to need the federal government to step up and do their part as well," said Neil Hammerschlag, a professor and shark expert at the University of Miami.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/11/16/Florida-to-protect-four-shark-species/UPI-65921321462373/#ixzz1du1tKCSb

Lionfish Workshop

Regional REEF Lionfish Workshops Help Control the Invasion

Lad Akins, Director of Special Projects, and the REEF team conduct workshops throughout the Caribbean and Mexico to prepare and educate resource managers on the lionfish invasion. These workshops include developing detailed action plans for lionfish removal, how to encourage lionfish as a commercial fisheries and getting the community involved.

Participate in a REEF & FKNMS Lionfish Workshop to learn about lionfish collection, handling, and permits*

This workshop is intended for dive professionals and avid recreational divers interested in obtaining a permit to collect lionfish in the Sanctuary Preservation Areas. These workshops are sponsored by REEF and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The workshop presentation will cover the history and progression of the invasion, an overview of lionfish biology and ecology, safe handling and collection techniques, and first aid. 

• Key Largo, FL Lionfish Permitting Workshop

When: Wednesday, November 16th 6:30 – 8:30 pmWhere: Key Largo Library, 101485 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL

Tonight here in Key Largo!!!!!

 

We are very excited about the upcoming 2012 season.  We have gotten an enormous amount of interest in our 7 Ships in 7 Days package.   No passport, no port taxes, no fuel surcharges, no customs, no worries.  The best shipwreck diving in the world is right here in the Florida Keys and you can dive them all from the “M/V KATE” and the gang at Blue Iguana Charters.  Diving the third largest barrier reef from Key Largo to Key West in seven days.

The addition of the Vandenberg  has made this trip even more spectacular and exciting.   You might have seen this ship from the movie “VIRUS” in which Jamie Lee Curtis starred in.  If you have not had the chance to see the movie, we have it in our large DVD video library aboard the boat.

 Some of the wrecks that we will be diving include the USS Spiegel Grove, USCGC Duane, The Benwood, The City of Washington, USCGC Bibb, The Eagle plus….Reef Diving which include the Elbow Reef, Key Largo Dry Rocks, Molasses Reef, Davis Reef, Pickles Reef, Carysfort Lighthouse, and many more beautiful uncharted reefs.

We cater to small groups so your trip is personalized to fit you.  No large crowds and tons of people you don’t know.  By the end of your trip you will be a part of our family and be ready to plan your next trip.  We don’t advertise in large magazines and such we rely on word of mouth from satisfied clients to return and tell everyone they know about us.

So come and join us on an exciting fun filled adventure, on a great dive boat with an awesome crew.  We can’t wait to have you aboard the “M/V Kate” so we can start our diving adventure.  Give Captain Scotty a email at info@blueiguanacharters.com or call him at 561-385-2385 for all the details or for more information.