Posted by Sheryl on June 13, 2000 at 14:19:29:
I recently received a call from Chris that runs this site regarding the Golden Doubloon and what she has been up to. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to introduce myself. My husband and I bought the Golden Doubloon about a year ago. We had never been in the scuba diving industry before, but love to dive and love boats and thought this would be a fun side business. Well, a year later, this "side business" has taken over our lives, but happily so. We've definately had our share of bumps and bruises (the extent of repairs needed on the boat was grossly under-stated when we purchased) but have come a long way. During this last year, we have put over $50K into mechanical repairs to get her running in top shape and have started the cosmetic changes to improve the appearance of the boat as well. We recently completed our out of water and in water inspections with the Coast Guard so our COI is current. I'll check into the posting that it is listed as out of date on the Coast Guard web page.
For those of you who are not familiar with the boat, let me give you a little history. She was built in 1941 as a Navy vessel that towed targets out to sea for submarine target practice. At some point, Mel Fisher, the famous treasure hunter, bought and converted the Golden Doubloon into the FIRST commercial scuba diving boat on the west coast. He owned it for quite a few years until passing it along and having changing hands down the years, it has come to my husband and I.
My husband and I love the ocean and diving and hope to see you on the boat. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me back.
Thanks,
Sheryl GrtDive@aol.com or call 888-Grt-Dive (toll free)