Swimming With Whale Sharks!

I've been wanting to swim with whale sharks for years but for one reason or another I've never done it. Whale sharks are the largest shark species and the largest fish in the world, they grow to 40 to 45 feet. Thank goodness their diet consists of plankton and not people! They were really really big! These sharks are migratory, traveling around the world, staying in temperate, tropical seas. Unfortunately they are only protected in about 10% of the 100 countries they visit in their journeys. They are listed as "vulnerable" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. I cannot take credit for this picture, but here is a whale shark:

Troy and I and Steve and Colleen set out on a swim with whale sharks adventure. We had a great boat ride out to Contoy Island, we even caught a glimpse of a school of rays and saw a couple of sea turtles. The waters incredibly beautiful, so many shades of blue.

Finally we made it out to the area where the sharks are usually seen. It didn't take long before a few of the giants were spotted. There were several boats with about 10 people on each boat but the Mexican government does a great job of protecting the fish. Only 2 people and 1 guide are allowed in the water around one shark at a given time. We received extensive instructions from our guide, Jose, which included: try to stay close to the head and swim, swim, swim. Don't ever touch the shark (those are the ones that I remembered anyway). The boats circle around and cooperate with each other to minimize the stress on the sharks. All the while the sharks swam around eating lunch without much notice of all the little people staring at them. The boat captains and guides seemed to do a great job in working together and trying to make sure everyone got several chances to swim with the sharks.

Troy and I were Team Number One on our boat. We put on our fins and snorkel and mask and sat on the side of the boat with Jose while the captain positioned the boat right in front of the shark. The giant beast was swimming right at us! Suddenly Jose was shouting "jump, jump, jump". For a few seconds I questioned my sanity, but before I knew it we were plunging into the water and looking at a huge fish swimming towards us. It was awesome but it didn't take long before the shark was leaving us in its wake. We got a pretty good look but it all happened so fast. I realized that this was gonna take some effort on our part and the shark was not gonna just stop and let us get a good look. After we climbed back aboard Jose was excited because the shark was swimming slow today. I think Troy's comment was something like "yeah, slow like a freight train"!

It took three times before I got a really really good look at the shark. They are absolutely huge and there are many smaller fish swimming along with them. I had to swim like crazy to try to stay near the shark's head long enough to get a good look at him. All the while trying not to drink the whole Caribbean through my snorkel. It was all worth it. I was close enough to touch him, but of course I didn't. They are really majestic creatures and it was an experience that I will always remember.

Here are a few pictures from our trip. There are all mine (well, Troy did take the one of me)!

Troy's picture of me

My picture of Troy

Colleen

Steve

Whale shark pictures:

Isla Mujeres, Q. Roo, Mexico

We just got back from a wonderful, fun, relaxing, exciting, entertaining and even educational vacation on our favorite island, the Island of Women in Mexico. I'm happy to report that the beaches are still white and beautiful and the water is just as fabulous as I remembered. We shared our vacation with all the members of Smorcalyana: Steve and Colleen, Patrick and Ted.

Now it's back home and back to work on Storyville. We just bought her a brand new autopilot and we still don't have the generator running yet, or the radar installed, or the....... (insert name of endless boat project here). We decided to make a push and try to have Storyville ready to sail the Harvest Moon Regatta in early October. Let's see if we can get it all done!

I'm also in the process of editing about 500 photos that I took in Mexico and sorting through another 200 or so taken by Patrick and Colleen. After I sort and edit I'll make some new posts sharing our adventures on Isla Mujeres.

In between all this boat work and other fun we're still working our real jobs and also both officers of TMCA (Texas Mariners Cruising Association). Never a dull moment. Stay tuned for Historias de Isla!

Patrick, Steve, Colleen, Ted, Deana, Troy

Medical Update

I don't know why I didn't post this news when we found out. I guess it's because I just couldn't bear to see the words on the screen. We got a call a couple of weeks ago from Troy's oncologist. They had reviewed the last PET Scan and decided that there was an area in his throat that they were concerned about and wanted another look at it (even though we had already gotten the "all clear"). They called him and left that message on a Friday afternoon at 4:30 and then closed down their switchboard. We were obviously concerned and worried and when Troy finally got in touch with them on Monday (late afternoon by the time they called back) we didn't feel much better about the situation. We had been looking forward to four months without any poking and prodding and of course, we couldn't even begin to imagine that the cancer had returned.

Anyway, we tried our best not to worry about it and mostly succeeded. I say mostly because you just can't put something like that out of your mind, no matter how hard you try, you just keep wondering and worrying.

Well - the PET Scan took place yesterday and I am ecstatic to announce that there was still no sign of cancer. What a relief! The doctor believes that it is just some scaring from the radiation and the surgery. No more scans until October. And some really good news - the doctor told us that with esophageal cancer recurrence is 80% more likely to happen within the first two years. Troy was 2 years from his surgery in May!

Now we're in vacation preparation since we leave for Isla Mujeres on Sunday. It's wonderful to be able to look foward to our vacation without this black cloud hanging over us. Look out Isla, here we come!

Major Catch Up Time

It seems like the same old excuse - we're too busy, don't have time to post on the blog. Well, it's true. Life seems to be passing by at breakneck speed. It's not all bad though. We're working hard but playing hard too. Sailing, paddling, anchoring out, taking pictures. Spending as much time as possible on the water. Here's some pictures of the fun that we've been having so far this summer (and technically it's not even summer yet):

Anchoring at Baycliff












Sailing Chicks

Armand Bayou Paddling

The Dinghy Gang

Sailing on Anchor Management

Major Project

Troy got started on one of our major projects for Storyville. He began the task of installing the generator that will power the boat while we are at anchor. It's heavy and not only did Troy need to find a way to get it into the boat, he also had to get it over the engine in the boat's engine room and onto a pad on the opposite side of the engine. Not much room to maneuver in there!

Thankfully Troy had lots of great help from John, Patrick, Frank, Ted, Trey and Jim (hopefully I didn't leave anyone out). We were very appreciative of all the help! Here are some of the pictures of the installation process:

Lots of discussion at this point

He looks a little nervous!

Ready, Set

Here she goes!

Thanks Everyone!!!!!

New Post - No Pictures

It's been so long since I've really posted a blog entry. The blog feels neglected! No pictures this time, just words (like a grown up book!).

Troy and I have had a lot going on. Seems like we are constantly on the go. I have some good news to report. Troy had another round of tests including a PET Scan on May 5th. His status remains NED (No Evidence of Disease). We are always so happy to get that result. It's been 2 years this month since Troy's surgery. We feel blessed and excited with each good test result that we receive. We were hoping that the doctor would let him go for 6 months before the next round of tests, but he only gave him 4 months. He has been going every 3 months so I guess that is some improvement.

I have kept a secret from my blog but I think it's time to come clean! I kept the secret because we weren't ready to let my employer know our plans and I try to keep in mind that the internet and this blog are not private but I've also come to realize that people probably don't care enough to reseach the plans of the Jones Family! :) The secret is that we plan to leave to go cruising in December of 2010. We are making plans for that date every day. We have so many boat projects in the works now so that Storville can be ready when the big day arrives. Here is a list of the current projects:

1. Generator (purchased but not yet installed)
2. Watermaker (won at Miami Boat Show but not yet installed)
3. Chartplotter (purchased but not yet installed)
4. Radar (you guessed it - we have it but not yet installed)

Those are the projects for the immediate future. There are plenty more waiting when those are finished. We haven't been able to sail as much as we would like because of the ongoing projects but we realize that it is for a greater good, i.e. lots and lots of sailing in the future.

We are excited and counting down the days until our crusing dreams come true. Only 18 months (82 weeks) to go. Our general plan is to leave Clear Lake and sail to Isla Mujeres, Mexico. After that, we will plan as we go. We are making these plans with our great friends Colleen and Steve on s/v Anchor Management and Patrick on s/v Wheee Doggiee. We even have a name for our group - Morcalyana. The boats that are planning to leave together are a Morgan (Storyville), a Cal (Wheee Doggiee) and a Tayana (Anchor Management) hence the name Morcalyana. We are having a great time getting our boats ready and counting down the weeks until departure. In fact, we are all planning a vacation to Isla Mujeres in July and we are calling it our recon trip!

Those are the current and exciting things going on with us right now. Since the secret is out I will try to start posting more information about our cruising preparations. This is a dream that Troy and I both share and we can't wait to get out there on our boat. I want to dive off the stern of Storyville into crystal clear blue water. I want to spear a fish. I want to cook it for dinner.

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. ~Henry David Thoreau

Tall Ship Elissa

I realize that our blog has become an outlet for my photography lately. That's because nothing too exciting is going on in our lives right now. We're just spending time working on Storyville and working at making a living. We would love to get out on the water more often. It's really a challenge to balance work, boat work and having fun. Somehow we manage. Life is good!

Here are some pictures that I took a few days ago when Colleen and I toured Elissa. She is the official Tall Ship of Texas and was built in 1877.

Yellow Rose of Texas!