how to sink a plane, part 1

Once upon a time, I was president of the Boracay Association of Scuba-diving Schools (BASS). For four years, in fact. I was personally trained, mentored and groomed into leadership by Dirty Harry who was president before me. In La Famiglia, which is how I fondly think of the BASS, I was Michael Corleone.

I initiated quite a few projects during my term, but I was constantly hounded by the entire Boracay diving community's desire to create another wreck dive. (The first one was the Camia, a fishing/cargo vessel that we sank in 2001.) No matter how good I was at my job, all I ever heard was, "When are we gonna have a new wreck? Huh? When?"

The Camia is one of Boracay's best dive sites, and IMO one of the Philippines' best wreck dives.

So. In 2009, the universe gave us one.

15 December 2009, the first time I saw her. What a beauty.

Her radio call sign is Tri-bird because of the three jet engines.

But in my heart, she's always be "YAK"!

But it was not the right time.

It took more than two years, but finally the young gentleman who owns Lapu-lapu Diving did a Vincent Mancini, stepped up to the plate and made it happen!

Our newly elected president, Gov, in fashionable stripey shorts.

On 26 February 2012, we went to Caticlan Airport and got our plane.

I AM.

JUST.

SO DAMNED PROUD.

Here's my favorite pic by Bunny Rabbit:

The Nikon D90 still rocks!

When the plane rolled down into the water where the barge was waiting, we all held our breath, but she definitely stayed up. The question now is, Will she go down?

Ready for towing to our chosen site.

 

 

Tomorrow at 10AM, Gov and the members of the Boracay Association of Scuba-diving Schools are going to sink this mother. Watch for it.