We made it to Corpus at 1:30 and pulled into the local dive shop to pick up some tanks for the weekend. Before heading into the shop, we called up the live-aboard to get word. Word sucked. The trip was cancelled due to weather. We went into the dive shop anyway, to see if we could just do at least a rig dive, but it was a no-go there as well. Super-bummer.
Jason and the "Go Board."
We headed down to Oliver's on Cline Street, to pick up a sailboard and some other stuff we had ordered. There we ran into Olaf, who had taken out his brand new 6.5 kite in the surf the day before, and gotten tangled up in the old surf pier (really just a bunch of pilings where a pier used to be). The result was $800 shredded into an orange flutter. He recounted the story of what had happened, complete with help from a kayaker and his knife, and ended with an upbeat, "Oh well, stuff happens. I'm over it."
Olaf with his "damaged" kite.
We headed out to Air Base to get the tail end of a dying wind. Jason spent a couple hours on the beach rigging and re-rigging until the whole situation got so frustrating and exhausting that the one run out and back underpowered was going to have to be it for the day. Brant made it way down wind over the chop which we had been spoiled out of in South Padre. We decided to go for air-conditioning for the night and headed in for the weekly stay at an RV park. On the way we ran across a squatter who'd taken up shop at a signal light along one of the frontage roads. In one had he held a Coors, slugging from it several times while the light was red and then quickly replacing it in hiding by his side. In the other hand he held a piece of cardboard, sharing his thoughts with the passengers of the passing cars.
The other side said "Spare a cervesa?"
When we woke on Saturday morning, we were glad we hadn't been on the live-aboard, because a thunderstorm had rocked the rig, pelting the thin roof with violent rain drops and lighting up the camper with distant flashes. I guess those weathermen know what they're talking about once in a while.
The storm passed during the night though, so on Saturday we cleaned up the trailer and then headed over to explore the USS Lexington that is docked in Corpus Christi bay. A now-retired aircraft carrier from World War II, she holds more records than any other carrier in her class, and is now converted into a living museum open to the public. The ship is huge, and restored to it's original state, so you really get a feel for what she was like when she was active. In two hours we still hadn't seen half of her, and the crew has plans to continue to open up more and more of the ship over the next ten years. Eventually there will be employees spread througout the self-guided tour, dressed in period garb and acting the part of crew, whether they be a mess hall worker, engine control, captain, pilot, etc.
Aryn & Jason on the flight deck.
Inside the hangar deck.
The rest of the weekend was devoid of wind, making us wonder why dive conditions were so unfavorable. It finally picked up a little bit on Sunday afternoon, but not quite enough to be powered up. Hopefully in the morning there will be enough of a breeze to get out on the water before Jason has to get up in the air. We'll see.
Surf ninja Jason.
