How about that – our sailboat, Sailing Vessel V1 recently anchored where the 4 masted schooner is in this picture in Key West, 102 years after this picture was taken! Thanks to the Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli Facebook Group!

Wife April is retired from HR but still loves to help folks find positions around town. She is the long time president of the Hospitality Human Resources Association of Broward County.

April likes sushi more than boats.

Ernie is a funologist trying to squeeze as much out of life as he can. One gig is captain on a dive boat for the Boy Scouts.

During the summer I work at Florida High Adventure Sea Base in Islamorada, Florida Keys. Sea Base trains scouts in SCUBA certification. I run the BSA Burglar, which is used for the student’s first open water dive in the ocean, after practicing in the pool. My Blog Page lists notes, images and links to photo albums about Sea Base as well as other adventures in my life.

Moon-rise over Birch State Park

In the spring of 2023, I sailed to the Keys and back and while at anchor took this moonrise picture over Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale.
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View from flybridge while underway

August 10, 2022 BSA Staff Certification Dives

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Have a look at a cool time lapse video of Captain Mike coming in to Sea Base ahead of a storm one June 2022 evening

Old Salt at bar: it’s better to be in here (ashore) wishing you were out there (at sea) than being out there and wishing you were in here!

Random Adventures


BSA Adventure

Summer 2021 brought a job in the Florida Keys for me. Daughter Jessica lives in Key Largo and I would love to visit the area with my wife April someday soon. Earlier this summer I was doing a bit of “recon” around the town of Islamorada and came across an opportunity to run a dive boat with the Boy Scouts of America. I started out on Sea Scout, a 47′ Newton dive boat. Pictured at left is Adventure – a sister-ship of Sea Scout. I am now on the Burglar, a single engine Newton dive boat.

Divers in the Water
The divers have jumped in the water leaving me and the mate on board. We wait.