Charlie TwoA
GPS fix puts us right in the center of the Charlie Two training area just as the sun rises Thursday morning. Chief Mason and his boat crew spent most of last night finding and stowing commercial fishing gear, so except for the Navy paint scheme, our little dive boat looks like any of the for-hire deep-sea craft that haul Hemingway wannabes out into gulf waters. We’re a little crowded with me, Sterling, and Chief Mason’s buddy—a local civilian fisherman—all crawling around diving equipment that’s been shoved aside to make room for maneuver on the rear deck area.
The Chief’s buddy reminds me a little of Quint, the salty character out of Spielberg’s movie. His name is Orson, and he’s supposed to be an expert at catching sharks. We talk for a while on the trip out, and he lets m
