For the next week Tim went to the airplane plant daily to take special instructions in the handling of the plane and to learn the trick of getting off choppy water for there was no telling in what kind of weather he might be called upon to make a flight. The fuel tanks were enlarged to give the speedy craft a cruising radius of a thousand miles and the pontoons were especially reinforced for the rough work which Tim and his plane might encounter. By the end of the week great changes had been effected in the hull of the _S-18_. Steel workers had cut out the special diving chamber in the forward torpedo room, the galley had been installed in the rear compartment which was the crew's quarters, a special radio set capable of communicating instantly with the New York Journal office was in place, and many other minor alterations necessary for the cruise had been made. The crew was being increased daily, but it was not until the first mess was served on board that Tim had a chance to see them together. In all, sixteen men were to make the trip into the Caribbean and Tim looked at them with interest as they sat around the table for the evening meal. At the head of the table was Commander Ford and at the other end Pat Reynolds. Tim sat at Pat's right. Ranged up and down each side were the other thirteen, George Gadd, the engineer, Fred Hanson, the chief electrician, Joe Gartner, old navy torpedoman and gunner, Charlie Gill and Russ Graham, deep sea divers, and their assistants, Earl Bell and Roy Gould. Ike Green was the radio operator while Forman Gay, Erich Gaunt, Sam Schneider, Al Hardy and Tom Grandrath were former submarine men who would assist in the general operation of the submarine. With the exception of Pat, Tim and Ike Green, the radioman, and the divers, all of the others had served with Ford during the war. The divers and their assistants were old navy men who could be relied upon and Tim knew that Commander Ford was taking every precaution against any treachery among members of his own crew. It was a clean, hard-bitten crew that could be depended upon in any emergency. The Commander, Ford was discussing final plans. "We're going down the sound for a trial run tomorrow morning. If everything goes well, we'll start south the day after tomorrow." Early the next morning lines were cast off and the _S-18_, pulsating to the clicking of her powerful Diesels, was backed slowly away from the shipyard. A tug stood by to give any assistance needed, but the _S-18_ cleared the yard and nosed slowly down river. Overhead a seaplane wheeled. Tim was in the conning tower with Commander Ford and he pointed upward.