Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Sun and Sea 15 A James Gang Story by Mike C

   Feedback is welcome - but please keep it constructive.  Address: mikec
(at) nspace.net

   (Season's greetings, and apologies for the long delay - I've been away
with work-related travel.)

   = = = = =

   "Good meal, thank you my love!" Donnie smiled at Eva, then to me,
"James, if I may, I'd like to look at the WREN design."

   "Sure!  That's why it's here." I pointed to the box we'd carried over
from the boat.  "I'll be with you in a bit."

   "He means 'in a bite'." Laughed Amanda, "And can we try out your
hammock?"

   "Sure, enjoy!"

   "C'mon Sher...  Last one in..."

   With a great deal of squealing and grappling, they finally managed to
get settled.  Followed by more squealing and grappling of a different sort.

   "They certainly look very chummy!" Commented Eva.

   Brenda smiled, "They are an absolute delight...  When they're not
arguing, that is!"

   "Why do they fight?"

   "They've been best friends since kindergarten, and extraordinary
prodigies," Brenda explained.  "Then let them discover love together..."

   "And sex..." Giggled Sherri, "Don't forget the sex!"

   "Nothing going on here..." Amanda added, "We're just enjoying the
sunrise and doing a bit of catching up.  Go back to your food!"

   "We're all done eating..." Brenda said, "Except you-know-who!"

   "He's done..." I said, "Just one last slice of the heaven bread..."

   "That's OVEN bread," Eva laughed, pronouncing it the local way as
'Huffen'.

   "Exactly...  and can I have a small bit of meat with it please?" Eva had
prepared bacon and eggs, then supplanted that with jerked chicken meat from
last night's buffet.  And the fresh baked heaven bread.

   "And here..." She produced a stack of paper plates, "In case you need
more 'circular indicators'!" She laughed, "And don't forget to drink lots
of water or juice today!  You need to be completely hydrated before you go
diving!"

   "We won't sweat that much..."

   "It's not that - remember that scuba air has all the moisture taken out
of it, so you will lose over a quart of water per hour.  And that's at the
surface - at 33 feet, the pressure doubles, and you'll breathe in twice as
much air - and lose twice the fluid!"

   "Yeah, the course book covered that - about using up double the air to
fight the water pressure."

   "And it's tripled if you go to 66 feet!" Eva said, "By then the pressure
will actually squeeze the water out of you!"

   "Like a sponge?" Amanda asked, interrupting their fooling around.

   "Yeah, something like that.  Besides, there's no harm in drinking more
water than you need...  You can pee into your wet suit and no one notices!"

   "Just like my work," Sherri said.

   "But it gives her a warm feeling!" We chorused.

   "James," Donnie came back, showing me a sketch, "I think we can use this
to make your machine - a 55 gallon PVC drum used for collecting and
transporting water, which we put on its side.  Salt water goes in the
bottom, and the 'mist' goes up to this metal sheet and turns back to clear
water, which runs around the back and out, to a bottle or a pipe.  The salt
stays on the sides, which we can take out through a few flaps cut in the
front."

   "It'll work...  But the mist part has to be 15-degrees warmer for this
to really work.  So you'll have to paint the front black, and the back
white.  And of course it has to face South to get the most sun."

   "Yes, I had thought of that, also I'll put the solar cells across the
back half, so it hides the sun."

   "Yes, you obviously know how this gadget is to work, although I may want
to try a piece of hard plastic instead of the metal - you don't want to
have any rust problems." I said, as he nodded, "And don't forget a baffle -
another piece of plastic almost to the top, to keep the salt in the mist
from going over to the clean water side."

   He added my suggestions to his drawing and looked at it, "I think we can
put four or more there--" he pointed towards the end of the island.  "Good
sun, but nothing else, just rocks for protection from storm...  And good
fishing..." He added in Amanda's direction, with a wide grin.

   "WHAT KIND OF FISHING?!" Came the anticipated response.

   "I give you a hint...  Out there," Donnie pointed, "It is called Tarpon
Point..."

   "Whoa...  Really?  How big?"

   "Not too big, maybe seventy, eighty pounds!"

   "I'll TAKE it!"

   "I've caught some almost a hundred..."

   "Oh god...  I'm creaming myself..."

   "We have to make preparations first - come back after swimming lesson,
and we start!"

   "YES!  I just have to talk with Zack first, OK?"

   "Sure thing, fish not going anywhere!" He laughed, "You hungry after
swim, come here for dinner...  lunch, you call it.  Zack come too."

   "Deal!" Amanda leapt off the hammock, "Wait, let me go find him now -
I'll meet you at Hazel's!" She was off in a flash.

   "Jilted again," Sighed Sherri, and came back to join us.  "What about
the fishing belt we talked about?"

   "I have some ideas, I will test on your boat later...  And no cutting, I
promise!" Donnie grinned, turned back to me and pointed at the drawing,
"The machine...  how much salt you think we can get?"

   "It's distilling about eighteen ounces of water in an hour now - which
translates to..." I nudged Brenda, "Help me out..."

   "Ummm...  hundred-eighty ounces of water in a ten hour day?" She
grinned, "Seriously though, sea water is 2.8% denser than pure water, let's
say it's all salt, then..."

   "Then a gallon of salt water will have four ounces of it!" Sherri
answered.

   "A gallon is 128-ounces, so with 180-ounces," I continued, "You'll get
five ounces of salt per day...  But I was charging the batteries at the
time, and coupled with the barrel's larger heating capacity we'll probably
triple it - let's say a pound of salt per day per barrel."

   "That's only thirty-two bucks a day!"

   "For what it's worth, fresh water costs fifty cents a gallon..." Eva
added.

   "So, maybe thirty-THREE bucks a day."

   "And what is cost of material?"

   "The big items are the solar panels and the ultrasonic mister - we're
looking at $350 there."

   "A new barrel costs $35." Donnie added.

   "So $400 for each set up, before the delivery system - how do we get the
sea water into the barrel?"

   "Not a problem - it will use less than two gallons - a bucket or two, a
day," Donnie said.  "If it is more, then means we make more money!"

   "So in two weeks we can recover the cost of the materials."

   "Provided we sell at the target price of two bucks an ounce."

   "Yeah, and there's the packaging too!"

   "I'll talk to people in the village and get some ideas where to get
small bottles and labels." Eva said.  "And maybe look on the Internet..."

   "Factor in 50% in overheads, we can recover our investment in a month."
Brenda said, "You still want to do it?"

   "The way you analyzed it, sounds like it'll work without a lot of risk
or time," Eva said, "I say we go for it!"

   "Good!  And I can leave you the existing WREN, then you have the parts
to start building and testing.  If things work out, I'll order the panels
and mist-makers in the States and ship it to you." I said.

   "Yes, and I know where I can get a couple of barrels to get started!"
Donnie grinned, "To a new business, and great partners!" We shared
high-fives and toasted each other with orange juice.

   "Yeah!  But don't go rushing off on this, Donnie!" Sherri reminded him.
"You promised my fishing belt, and we still have rehearsals this
afternoon!"

   "Donnie's getting Christmas early!" Eva laughed, hugging him, "So many
new toys!  Go have your lesson, and tell Hazel to come here after the
lesson - we'll have Roast Chicken, a la Fleur de Sel for lunch!"

   "With patties too?" I asked.

   "Absolutely!" She laughed.

   We met Hazel on the path, "I was just going to see if you need a wake up
call..."

   "We were having a talk with Donnie and Eva," Brenda said, "And she's
invited all of us to their house for lunch."

   "That's nice," Hazel nodded, "Are we missing another member of your
party?"

   "Oh, Amanda is talking with Zack - She'll not miss this, I'm sure!"

   In fact Amanda was already waiting inside Hazel's Dive Shop.  She came
excitedly to me and dragged me to the far wall.

   "Look...  Spear guns!"

   "Well, a form of spear guns," Hazel explained, "To prevent overfishing,
it is illegal to hunt fish using a weapon possessing a trigger."

   "So that leaves this spear-like thing - like Zack was using last
night..."

   "Yes, and this," Hazel pointed to a four foot spear attached to an
elastic band.  "It's called a Hawaiian Sling, even though it's invented in
Florida.  You hook the elastic around your right thumb, pull the spear back
to put tension on the elastic and grab hold to the front with the same
hand. When you let go, it shoots out - the elastic keeps it from flying
away, or you can add a cord to extend the range."

   "And this one...  why does this one have a trigger?" Amanda pointed to a
chubby Police "Cruiser"-like weapon; a shotgun with no stock.

   "Ahh, that's not a speargun, it's a Self-protection Projectile, or SPP;
the spear length is under 35-inches and range limited to 8 feet..."

   "It's got no elastics, how does it work?"

   "These are fairly new; the spear shaft pushes against a piston, and the
space behind is charged with 300 pounds of air pressure, which makes it act
like a spring.  Even after firing, the piston keeps the air inside, so it
can be reused over and over."

   "Nice!" Amanda turned her big blues on me, "Baby sweetheart..."

   "Right, I'll make sure nobody ever get their hands on one of these!"

   "Pffaw," She sniffed, "What a chicken liver boyfriend you're turning out
to be!"

   "Let me remind you of something first," Hazel gave me an understanding
smile, "You know how hard even small fish fight, right?  Can you imagine
shooting something like the jack you caught yesterday, something that can
swim at 50 knots, and no traction?"

   "Hmmm..." Amanda said thoughtfully.

   "Now, ask yourself too, what will happen when you have a wounded,
struggling fish towing you around, and bleeding all over?"

   "Ahh, shit," Brenda said with a shudder, "Jaws and his friends, right?"

   "Right," Hazel shrugged, "Diving means you're taking yourself out of
your element and into the fish's natural habitat - you have to respect
that."

   "Yeah, point taken," Amanda nodded, "Just watch them underwater, THEN
catch the shit out of them when I'm ashore!"

   "Something like that," Laughed Hazel, then, "Alright, are we ready to
get started?"

   She went through our course material and, satisfied we had learned the
basics, helped us in selecting the equipment.  Amanda was somewhat
mollified by the discovery of a stubby dive-knife inside her BCD, in a
quick-draw holster, no less.

   "This morning's free-dive is to acquaint you with your diving gear, so
you'll be wearing a wet suit over the Diveskin - which you will need for
the cooler, deeper water; and you'll learn to use a BC or Buoyancy Control
Jacket.  But after this lesson, you'll know enough to go skin-diving with
just snorkel, mask and flippers.  Follow me."

   Hazel took us to the abandoned pier that was destroyed in the hurricane
and there we donned our equipment.  We continued on with the preparatory
walk-through, with the acronym, BWRAF, which Hazel told us stood for
'Bright Women Really Are Fun'.  Or 'Frightening', depending on the woman, I
suggested.

   After more instructions on mask and snorkel clearing, we were tested
with a series of snorkel swims and quick dives.

   "For our first free dive." Hazel told us, "We will swim out to the first
wreck in the Bay, about 40 yards.  Brenda what do we check for before we
get in the water?"

   "Sharks, jelly fish and sea urchins!"

   "Yeah, and remember, if you are not sure, DON'T TOUCH IT!" She cautioned
us a last time.  "Buddy up!  It's peak low tide, so there's no current to
speak of, we'll return here if you get tired or when the tide starts coming
in..." She slipped in the water and gave us the "OK" sign, as, one by one,
we joined her.

   Hazel took it easy and the semi-inflated BCDs allowed us effortless
cruising over the gleaming sandy bottom, vibrant with life.  With much of
the surface sounds blocked by the water, it was an entirely different
world, colorful and fascinating, yet surreal and peaceful.

   The first wreck was a 22' bow-rider.  Everything in the aft quarter,
including the engine, had been ripped out by a giant hand.  Barnacles and
sea grasses had already taken hold and the hull now provided shelter to
literally thousands of silvery fish flashing in and out of the fiberglass
shell, guarded by a few dozen starfish and spiny urchins.  A few larger
snappers and groupers also drifted in the slow moving current, unafraid of
our approach.

   By adjusting the BCDs to give slightly negative buoyancy, we were able
to dive among them and even managed to touch some of them before they
skittered away.  Sherri was even able to coax a starfish to climb on her
hands, grinning wildly past her snorkel.

   It seemed that we'd only explored the wreck a short while when Hazel
signalled us to return to shore, but our prune-y skin told us we had been
in much longer.

   "You did very well, and obviously know your way around water." Heather
told us, "After our lunch break, we'll go on with the SCUBA part of the
lesson.  But first, always rinse off your equipment, this way..." She led
us to the side of her building and showed us a small outdoor shower there.
"This water is for washing only, do not drink from it." At our looks, she
explained, "Clean water is expensive, so Donnie fixed it so that all the
water drained from the air-conditioner unit is collected in this tank
here."

   "No wonder Donnie is so comfortable talking about water systems!" I
said, as we took turns rinsing ourselves off under the lukewarm shower.

   "Donnie's quite the genius." Said Hazel, "He built the refrigeration
unit and the backup electricals for Zack and me." She showed us where to
put our stuff away and handed us water bottles, "Drink!"

   "Hazel," I said, "We need to finish what we were doing this morning...
Or maybe you want to help us?" I continued, "We are trying to monitor the
tide currents to find a way to correct the silting problem at the Back
Bay."

   "Sure!" She smiled, "What do I do?"

   "What I WON'T be doing!" Amanda said, "I HAVE to talk to Zack now!" She
scampered off.

   "Oh, hi Donnie!" Sherri said, as we neared the boat, and his BCD
harness, "How's it going?"

   "Pretty good," He smiled, "The rear bench is in a good position, and I
can use these bolts for an anchor."

   "So you can make it into like a fighting chair?  But what about a holder
to place the rod, so I can apply some leverage while I retrieve?"

   "We can add a small cup about here..."

   "Sherry?  Hello...?" I asked.

   "Yeah, I'll see you guys later!" Sherri waved absently and went back to
her discourse with Donnie.

   "Another one bites the dust," Quipped Brenda, as she took my arm and led
us to the dink.

   "You're not going to abandon us as well, are you?" I asked.

   "Of course not..." Brenda looked up, "Oh hello Colin, you want to speak
with me...?" Then she started laughing, "Got you going there didn't I?"

   I looked at Hazel sadly and said, "They are always looking for ways to
get away from me!"

   "And are you giving them reasons to want to get away?" She asked.

   "So many..." Sighed Brenda, "I'll have to make a list."

   "While you're doing the list, Bren, can you start numbering the Alpha
Devices?" I said, as I steered us into the channel.  Then I turned to
Hazel, "We seeded the channel with 10 of these plates this morning and
tracked them as the tide went out.  Now we will do the same with these 10,
but in the opposite direction."

   We started at the mouth of the channel this time, just inside the
tide-driven waves crashing against the reefs.

   Hazel pointed to the swirling maelstrom, "That's what Donnie was warning
about - the channel narrows here and even a small wave at sea can cause
twenty foot surfs that will smash anything in its path into the rocks."

   "Yeah..." I nodded, letting the current carry us back into the protected
passage.

   "Would you like the honors?" Brenda handed the labelled plates to Hazel,
"Just drop the plate and say the number and I'll note the location on my
pad.  Don't mind James, he just sits around and does nothing..."

   "Hey," I said, "Ogling is tiring work too!"

   "Yeah, whatever..." Brenda said, "just try not to smash us into the
rocks."

   We distributed the plates in two groups and went back and forth tracking
their progress.

   "Look..." Hazel pointed, "This is some of what you should watch for
before you dive in!"

   "What ARE those things, they look like swimming clams!" The comical
little pouch-like animals were pulsing their little sacs, almost dancing in
the water.

   "They're called Lady Purses - small jellyfish." Hazel cautioned us,
"They're nowhere as bad as the Man-O-War, of course, but they DO sting...
Look!" A couple of juvenile turtles swam in with the current and started
eating the 'purses', by literally inhaling them into their large mouths. 
"As it gets warmer, we'll get more jellyfish, so you'll have to swim
carefully, but the Leatherbacks love eating them!  Then you'll see why
we're called Turtle Cay!"

   "Wow, that's amazing!" Brenda said, "Sherry would LOVE to be able to see
that!  Do they come ashore to lay eggs too?"

   "Yes, there were about two dozen last year..." Hazel replied, "My point
here, is that every tide change, be aware that animals will get washed in
with the current, or are attracted by what's being washed out!"

   Brenda make another round of readings, and by that time, the tide had
taken us back to the silted bay.

   "Why do you think this part gets silted up and the other side doesn't?"
I asked Hazel.

   "If we do nothing, sooner or later, it will get covered in sand." Hazel
answered, "It happened to Sandy Cay where you were fishing for Bonefish. 
The tide brings in the sand, and after a year or two, the sand level will
rise enough that the current can no longer move it.  That's one reason why
we are so isolated - larger boats, especially sailboats with deeper keels
cannot get through those straits and have to detour through treacherous
rocks.

   "But the reason this bay is relatively clear is that we are one of the
safer passages from the ocean and the government dredges the channel every
spring, to limit the build up." Two, of the first five plates had drifted
around the Mother rock and into the wide bay, but, as I followed in the
dinghy, they moved slowly to the silted side.

   "Looks like it..." Brenda said to us, "Also, from what I can see, the
rising-tide flow is diverted and slowed up by the Heart Rock, and the sand
just settles behind Lulu's rock.  On ebb-tide, the water is forced to go
around the Mother-and-Child rock, so together they form a one way valve to
trap the sand behind!"

   "So, unless we can remove Lulu's home and the Mother-and-Child Rock, the
sand will always build up here?" I asked.

   "Yeah, but you cannot destroy any coral or mangrove growths." Hazel
nodded, "Still, the dredger barge will come and clear it for you for
free..."

   "For free?" I asked, "What's the catch?"

   "They will clear the sand for free, then they'll sell it to whoever pays
for it!"

   "You mean, sell the sand?"

   "Yes, our sand, which is produced by the coral reefs, is valued for its
fineness and color, and it's big business.  70% of our beaches are
constantly eroded by wind and storms, so they have to be replenished.  And
of course many resorts buy our sand for their beaches!"

   "Good deep water here though!" Brenda nodded, "Ten to fifteen feet all
the way in."

   "Yeah - and good bottom." I nodded, "Lots of purchase." The ancient rock
bottom was pitted with football-sized crevices, which, although
sand-filled, would allow hard and strong anchor points.

   "And the rock face goes all the way up to the Main House." Hazel added,
"And, of course you know about 'Sentinel Point' - the rock formation over
there?" She grinned.

   "No..." We followed her finger and, at the edge of the wide bay, a long
spire of rocks jutted at a low angle out of the water, shaped somewhat like
a cannon, or a penis.

   "I would presume it's got other names, right?" Brenda asked.

   "Oh yes, quite a few." Hazel joined her laughter, "The most polite one
is 'Rock Hard'."

   "Guess that explains why the Mother Rock has so many Children Rocks!" I
commented.

   "Baby," Brenda took my hand, "It gives me the chills!" She shuddered,
"The resemblence is uncanny!"

   "A tad smaller and less lumpy!" I acknowledged modestly.

   "Big enough for me!' Grinned Brenda.

   "Hey, slow down!  That's not how a virgin should talk!" I reminded her.

   "Heh, I'm just eager..."

   "Wait, you guys are pulling my leg, right?" Hazel said.

   "Yeah, sort of!" Laughed Brenda, "And that gets back to the reason I
need to get away from him - probably the ONLY reason..." She kiss my hand,
then, lowering her voice, "The sex is too good..." She continued, at
Hazel's bewildered look, "I guess I, er, 'indulged' too much, and I was a
bit sore, so I said if it meant I got my cherry back, I'd let James have
it!"

   "Hey Hazel, didn't you say you're a nurse?" I turned to Brenda, "You
should have Hazel look at it!"

   They looked at each other.  Hazel said, "Uhmm, are you sure you want me
to do this...?"

   "Don't embarrass her, James," Brenda reassured her, "I apologise - James
has no idea how to behave around real ladies..." She punched my shoulder,
"We let him get away with everything!"

   "Everything except sex..." I shook my head, "She's cut me off until it's
all better..." I looked at Bren, "And it could be weeks..."

   "Hah, it's not like you'll be lacking anything in THAT department!"
Brenda laughed, "Now let's go check on the plates before they all sink!"

   We took one last set of readings, collected the plates and made our way
back to the marina.

   "Come this way," Hazel said to Brenda, "I'll take a look at your
inflammation."

   "Are you sure?  I don't want to make you uncomfortable!"

   "I'm OK with it - part of my job...  I have a first aid station inside
the building."

   "Go ahead guys," I said, "I'll clean up the equipment and meet you there
after."

   Sherri was still on the 'Jester' and came down to help me tie up.  "What
are they doing?" She asked.

   "Hazel's gonna make sure Bren's swelling is nothing serious." I said,
"Help me get the dink tied up - I have to plug it in to charge the
batteries." Together we collected the laptop and GPS and locked them
onboard 'Jester'.

   "Come on, let me show you what Donnie's built!" Sherri ushered me to the
aft deck, where the rear seat sported a new collection of cables.  "He's
put in straps to secure up to three BC vests and matching 'cup holders' for
the rod ends."

   "Nice," I said, "Now we're ready for the really big fish!"

   "Or some really serious bondage games!" Sherri breathed in my ear.

   "I don't need bondage or any kind of games." I held her and kissed her,
"All I'm looking for is some sweet company..."

   "I'm just the girl for that!" She grinned, then nestled close, "And you
can count on me for other things too - I'm nothing if not versatile!"

   "And smart, and so very lovely!" I stroked her face and kissed her nose.

   "Hey, you two, get your hands off each other - there's work to be done!"
Amanda appeared out of Zack's workshop.

   "How are things going with the Carver?" I asked.

   "Going great!" Amanda grinned, "The boats are out, Zack's working on
dismounting the engines.  After the engine swap, the cooling system and the
electricals - we're practically done!" She grabbed our arms and we took off
for Donnie's.

   Brenda met us outside the Dive shop with a grin and hugs.  "Hazel says
I'm fine, just some swelling from the 'enthusiasm'.  I'll be back in action
tonight!"

   "You mean my kiss this morning didn't make it all better?" Sherri asked.

   "Sure did, babe," Grinned Brenda, "Your kiss and Mr Advil here!" She
held up a bottle.

   "Only if you promise to take it easy!  The Ibuprofen will ease the
discomfort and the swelling, but--" Hazel looked at me, "--you cannot be so
rough!"

   "I won't, I promise!"

   "It's probably my fault - I get carried away," Brenda said.

   "She does like it a bit rough." Sherri confirmed.

   "You can say that again!" Mandie laughed, "Shiva in action!"

   "No rough stuff for a week at least!" Hazel warned.

   "Awww, looks like we can't include you in our B&D games then!" Sherri
said sadly.

   "What, where?" Amanda asked eagerly.

   "Heh, Donnie's fitted the BJ with some nifty straps!" Sherri grinned,
"Play your cards right, babe, and YOU could be tied up like a party favor!"

   "Stop it guys, you're scaring Hazel!" Brenda laughed, then explained,
"They're just joking - we're really not as sick as that!"

   "We're not?" Sherri asked, "We must not be trying hard enough!"

   "Seriously though," Brenda asked, "Donnie did a good job on them - as
fish fighting seats?"

   "Yeah, he added straps to the aft bench to hold a few BCD vests, but we
will need to remove the back of the flip seat--" The rear seat had a swing
back that allowed it to face in either direction.  "--to give us room to
work the pole.  Although," Sherri added, "He DID suggest cutting the line -
or even just letting go of the rod if we're really in danger of being
pulled in..."

   "Hmmm...  what a novel idea," Amanda said, "he's not seriously
suggesting we let a fish go, is he?"

   "Yeah, WITH the rod too!" Sherri laughed, "but if we can attach floats
to it, we can track it, I guess..."

   "Right, like in Jaws!" Amanda said with bloodthirsty glee.

   "Anything THAT nasty, he's welcome to the rod and reel!" Brenda said,
looking at the girls, "You are not allowed, ever, to offer yourselves as
fish food!"



   = = = = =

   (C) Copyright 2001-2008.  MikeC. All Rights Reserved. All Reproduction
for fee or profit forbidden.

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