and equipped to be used in dangerous reef waters where it 

 was unsafe to venture with Sea Diver. 



With all preliminary arrangements completed, we 

 started out from Miami with Sea Diver in February of 

 1955, Ed and Vital and myself. Our three-phase expedi- 

 tion was not scheduled to begin until later in the spring. 

 Now, after picking up Kemp at West End, we planned to 

 head for the fringes of the north Bahama banks. Once 

 more we were on the trail of brass cannon. Only this time 

 our search was secondary to trying out the new cruiser 

 which was carried on Sea Diver's deck, as well as check- 

 ing other newly installed equipment. 



Ed had really outdone himself in planning the cruiser, 

 and he was very pleased with the result. He had redesigned 

 a broad, stubby little plywood craft, originally planned 

 for use with an outboard, to carry a Kermath gasoline en- 

 gine which would operate the boat by means of a water 

 jet, making it possible to steer the boat sideways and back- 

 ward as well as forward. Because the boat had neither a 

 wheel nor rudder, and the jetting pipe was only a few 

 inches beneath its bottom, it would be practically fool- 

 proof in shallow water and dangerous reef areas. 



It was designed so that the engine power could easily 

 be transferred to an air compressor which operated two 

 sets of diving equipment aboard, the air hoses readily 

 accessible from revolving reels in the cockpit. Inside the 

 small cabin, two square openings had been cut in the bot- 

 tom near the bow and fitted with Plexiglas, making it pos- 

 sible to view the underwater while resting comfortably 

 on the airfoam-cushioned bunks on either side. A small 

 head and galley aft completed the equipment of the httle 

 cruiser, so that she could be used for overnight trips. She 

 was even provided with a fathometer and a radiotele- 



The Bahama Islands 149 



