We've decided to move faster than TV time with some important updates. As most of you know by now, we're currently in production on a television series chronicling our adventures with Frank 'The Monster Man' Mundus. A vital element of all this is the chain of events that brought the 'Cricket II' back into Frank's hands ... just in time for his last summer of expeditions. What you'll see here took place over four days in a remote area of North Carolina in early 2007 after the famed vessel was located and placed back in his rightful possession. As we write these words, it's April 18th and we're heading back to document her launch after nearly two years high & dry in advance of running her 500 nautical miles north to her home port of Montauk, NY.

Once there, final restorations will be made to bring 'The Old Girl' back to her previous glory in time for her and Frank to, once again, prowl those same waters together. It's exactly where the world's largest great white shark ever captured on rod & reel was subdued by 'The Monster Man' in 1986. That fish tipped the scales at an unheard of 3,427 pounds. Many years before that, in 1964, another great white weighing two-and-a half tons came calling and was ultimately tamed by Frank -- once again, aboard the Cricket II.

The fiction writer inside Peter Benchley's head was inspired by these pioneering feats and the colorful life of Frank Mundus, and in the 1970's, the world would see this inspiration come to life; first in a book and then on the big screen in the summer blockbuster of the time, JAWS. 'Quint', the now infamous, shark hunting character in the film would become Hollywood's portrayal of the very real deal.

These are all frame shots and some of what you'll see in the television series when it hits the airwaves. It's no doubt we're looking forward to that, but we wanted to share as much of it with you as it happens as we possibly could. For us, it's a boyhood dream-come-true. We know we're not the only ones that feel this way so we hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes preview of what's to come.

CREW MEMBERS:
Captain: Rich Freda, Sean Paxton, Brooks Paxton II, Clay Newton, Stanley Okrasinski, First Mate: John DeWitt.

UPDATE:
04.20.07, 11:55 am, New Burn North Carolina:
We're ending our first leg of the journey north and will be shoving off at again at sunrise. We will update when possible from port to port so stay tuned for updates. Frank & Jenny -- it was great talking to you just now and thanks for trusting us on this mission. We'll talk on Saturday. Over & Out, for now.
The picture of the Cricket II above is our first sighting of her, as it happened. She looked lonely, but happy to see us. Rich and Stanley had just arrived. We quickly got on board and joined them in assessing her condition. As a result of neglect and a little abuse, it was immediately apparent we had our work cut out for us.
We had known Rich, but just met Stanley. However, it didn't take long to see we had the right crew for this important job. As we walked the decks and looked her over, we could feel her stretching, waking up, breathing. Anyone that has spent time on a vessel, especially one with a lot of history, knows they're more like a living thing than just a boat. That sense was palpable on this day.
We were all pleasantly surprised to see the original fighting chair and trademark dragon sail still on board. If there were any valuable items easy enough to pillage, these would be the ones.
Rich was the only one able to get a brief cell signal in the middle of nowhere so we took the opportunity to call Frank & Jenny in Hawaii to let them know we had located and were in the process of securing the Cricket II. Then, we all raised the sail to signify the official beginning of the Resurrection of the Cricket II. Rich and Stanley drove straight through south from Long Island. Brooks, Clay and I drove north from Florida and met in the middle. Since none of us had any real sleep for well over 24 hours, we called it a day. With a long checklist of maintenance and repairs items and a big shopping list, we headed for the hotel to teach our pillows a lesson.

The latest incarnation of The Screwy Crew of the Cricket II

Below, Stanley proudly borrows our red and green toenail polish to apply port and starboard designations to his big toes. It's all your fault, Frank.
Later that night, we treated ourselves to a dinner. Joining us from nearby Raleigh was good friend and infamous radio personality, Bryan Shaw and his lady. Early the next day, we arrived with a full day's supply of food and water, paint and lots of tools. There was no running water or electricity available in the yard so some challenges were in store.
Our goal was to get her as seaworthy as possible in 3 - 4 days. Master mechanic & captain, Rich Freda, went to work on the engine, electrical systems, and anything else he could get his hands on while Stanley went after the prop and rudder. Everyone gutted, cleaned and painted ... then cleaned and painted some more.
These are leader marks on the transom from all those sharks over the years, including the largest great whites (4,500 & 3,427 lbs) ever captured. We rub them often for a little good luck.

Day 2 ends. We're proud of the progress we've made, but know we're not done. The more we complete this trip, the sooner we can get her in the water and underway north towards Montauk when we come back in a few weeks.

The next day, we take advantage of an adjacent bridge overpass to get some aerial still and video footage.

Final touches are made. Valuable pieces including the fighting chair and dragon sail are removed for safe keeping in Florida and New York.

Then we do a final walk-through and recap of what we did over the past several days. In the end, Rich gave us his vote of confidence that things looked promising for us to shove off in a few weeks.
Here's a few before and after shots. For the working conditions and the time we had, everyone agreed the Cricket II Rescue & Resurrection Team did one hell of a job. We gave Frank & Jenny an update and prepare to split up and head north and south. The work wasn't without hazard, though. Rich drilled through one of his fingers and Stanley fell though an open hatch cracking few ribs. Fortunately, they're going to make it, and because of all the sacrifice, so is the Cricket II.
Clay Newton grabs one more shot of The Paxton Brothers before we head to the hotel. We left the next morning for Florida. Rich & Stan made it back to Long Island in one piece with their injuries and we got home a day later. But we're not done yet; not by a long shot. Check out episode 2 below to see what happens next.
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