Psubbers,
The name may not mean anything to you, but Martin Richmond was a long time friend of mine who died in Scotland this past week-end at the tender age of 53. That's way too young, as he would be the first to attest.
Martin came to us after 12 years in the Royal Navy and joined Intersub as a versatile and wonderfully smart assed mechanic. In other words, he fit right in. He worked as my second mechanic the first season, and I took him for his first submersible dives. Martin took to it like the rest of us nutcases--like a duck to water. He became Roy Purdy's Chief Mechanic the next year (but never let me forget that he was pissed because I was in the Middle East and left him in the North Sea). He made pilot the second winter and ran subs, and later on worked as crew chief and/or project manager in oceans all over the world. He was on the board of the British Underwater Technology Society, married and all the rest, and his funeral will be attended by folks from as far away as New Zealand.
Hoist one for old Martin, if you are of a mind to, and know that he was one of those troops who went and did--gone but not forgotten. He'd have been happy for those of you who have gotten underwater, and been the first to buy a pint for new launchings, wherever they may be. Just remember, when you get submerged, that you are going to find some mighty big footprints down there--and some of them will be from Martin's big muddy boots. He was a dreamer who worked hard, or maybe the other way around, and if there's any secret to submersibles, that would be it in a nutshell. That and the crazy grin, and he certainly had one of those.
Vance