August 2015 on the Great Barrier Reef

Pumpin’ Like Crazy

Trevor Jackson – Spoilsport Captain

“How sweet it is to be loved by you”…Everyone is walking around the boat singing that song today. The crew are at least, they’re all in a real good mood and I can’t quite put my finger on why. It could be the fact that we’ve just completed the first trip of our new Holmes, Bougainville, Osprey Reef itinerary without even the slightest glitch. It could be the glorious weather, it could be the viz…whatever it is…they’re happy about life on the high seas right about now.

It isn’t always like that though…we have our down times. Sometimes, like any household, folks don’t get along all nice and dandy all the time, there are personality clashes, pressure from land based partners, a longing to be ashore after weeks at sea…the way the crew handle these pressures often reminds me of an old proverb that, loosely translated, says something like: “The duck slides across the water with apparent effortlessness, but down below his little legs are pumping like crazy”

I’ve always loved that notion, and it describe what happens out here with a good dose of accuracy. More often than not, the whole expedition seems like it just falls into place with virtually no effort…but we know that’s not true. It takes a lot of work, dedication, commitment, patience and respect.

At the end of each expedition we hand out feedback forms to ask our guests what they thought of us. The form asks the usual stuff like “Where did you hear about us?”, “What was the best dive site?”, “Please rate you meals, vessel cleanliness and quality of service?”

Most of these are in a ‘tick the box’ format, then comes the most interesting section… the bit where you get to write what you really think: “What was the best thing about your expedition?”

The answers are always written differently, but they always say the same thing. “The best thing about the expedition was the crew (and how well they worked together as a team).”

It never ceases to amaze me how, despite all of the more obvious attractions out here, the crews’ united enthusiasm and teamwork is the thing most commented on by people from all over the world, from all walks of life.

It’s good to know that even though everything appears seamless…folk still recognise that those little duck legs, are pumpin’ like crazy.

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