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Diamond mining in Brazil

'Diamonds are for Never' or 'An Amazon Adventure'	Ex Navy Seals decide to make their fortune mining diamonds in Brazil.
Diamond placer mining gear and equipment needed	Collecting and transporting the necessary equipment to find Brazilian diamonds by placer mining.
Finally, diamonds found	The first Brazilian diamond is found after weeks of effort.
Forty Years Later	What are the intrepid diamond miners doing 40 years after the Brazil diamond placer mining expedition?
From BUDS to Brazil	From Basic Underwater Demolition Seal training to the Amazon jungle to search for a fortune in diamonds.
This is where the Brazilian diamonds are hiding	The diamonds are found in the cascalho (gravel) or diamond-forming material, at the bottom of these wells; accessing them becomes the challenge.
Winding Down & Coming Home	Returning to civilization with diamond mining equipment and results was no picnic.
Working The Claim for diamonds	After weeks of preparation diamond bearing gravel is almost within reach.

Sailing from Panama to Zihuatanejo, Mexico

A fast passage to Golfito to meet John
Acapulco - Picking up Cindy Rasmussen for the rest of the passage north.	We're at a decrepit slip at a decrepit marina filled with very expensive yachts
Checkout of Costa Rica at Playa Del Coco - an equipment-free ascent of the mast
Crossing the Gulf of Tehuantepec in Misty - A 32 foot sailboat on a big ocean.
Enroute to Zihuatanejo on Misty - That cruise ship sure passed close by in the middle of the night.	Talk about an "Oh, shit!" situation
Golfito, Costa Rica - at anchor	Sailing at night has a special thrill to it. It's like galloping full tilt through a strange forest blindfolded.
Las Barrillas, El Salvador -- Sailing up the river
Marina Flamenco, Costa Rica - Two pools and a spa...vacant
Panama to Mexico on the sloop 'Misty' - Afterword	Too much water in the engine compartment, so knew we had a big problem
Puerto Escondido, Mexico - Dropping off John	We took pictures cavorting with the almost naked Las Vegas style cast.
Puerto Huatulco, Mexico - Checking in by yacht	We dropped anchor about 8AM and headed in to the Port Captain's office
Sailing Misty--Fresh out of the box	the voyage of Misty from Panama to Zihuatanejo in Mexico the winter of 2002...
The quarterberth on Misty is just forward of the afterberth! - Preparing to transit the Panama Canal.	Colón is also as advertised--named accurately as Cólon (as in slightly north of cloaca) instead of Colón
Underway from the Balboa Yacht Club in Panama to Golfito in Costa Rica	I've been trying to make friends with the boat

Oldseals.com and Oldfrogs.com

Here are various pictures and writings by Frogs and

Seals of yore. If you'd like to be notified when new stories or pictures are added send an email to Vern Clinton at Vern@SilkShorts.com.

NEW--pictures from Eniwetok, 1964/5

Here

Hell Week for UDT Class 33

by Fred Kaiser

 

I'll bet you think you remember it well-- check out The Real Story

 

The party was at Julia Viera's in August '07

Here's the photo album. Don't have captions as yet so if you've got some ideas email them to me at Vern@SilkShorts.com. Also would appreciate your emailing me any more pictures of the fiesta that you don't mind showing on the Internet so I can add to this album.

 

Adventure In The Amazon or "Diamonds are for Never"

by Mike Hammond

A get-rich-quick venture that turned into a life-altering journey.  It would have been so much easier if it weren't for the alligator!  Bom divertimento!

 You can download a pdf version of this book here (245 Megabytes)

Jan 2007 First Tahoe Snow Fest

by Mike Hammond

A good memory is a dangerous thing to have. Judge for yourself this account by our official historian. Be prepared for Stark Reality

Jan 2008 Second Tahoe Snow Fest

by Mike Hammond

Ah, 12 months gave plenty of time for everyone to forget the stories they told in 2007 so, joy of joys, they can all be told again.  Here's more Stuck Reality 

Feb-Mar 2009 Third Tahoe Snow Fest

by Mike Hammond

Our third annual frog ski weekend included was well attended and as with past years everyone had a good time or at least an interesting diversion from their normal routines.   Here's more Slick Reality 

1982 Cruising in Tahiti--Reverie on a Midwatch

by Vern Clinton

Memories are all that remain when the dust clears. 

Fresh Out of the Box -- Log from Misty

by Vern Clinton

2002 Transit of the Panama Canal and cruising the Pacific coast to Zihuatanejo

 

Typhoon 'Meli' -- An Account of Survival

by Vern Clinton

Typhoon Meli sank 85 boats in Fiji in 1980--including 'Chimera' a 27 foot sloop and 'Ocean Rover' a 37 foot Searunner Trimaran