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Captain's Comments 2007
Captain Amy
Hey divers! Captain Amy (also called TLC...The Littlest Captain) here! I hope everyone had a productive winter and perhaps put the time to good use by taking a few classes, servicing their dive gear, and working on rusty dive skills. We at Atlantic Beach Diving Services have been particularly industrious. Captain Al and I brought the Mutiny back to Virginia for a bit of work, and as promised, she returns to you a kinder, gentler Mutiny. I'd like to issue a special shout out to Tommy Meeks of Commonwealth Dive and Scott Moring of the Chesapeake Bay Dive Barracudas for their contributions to our endeavors. Our baby received a new coat of paint and color scheme (thanks Tommy!), a table in the cabin (thanks Scott!), a new generator, an air conditioning unit, an electrical refit, and several other smaller improvements. She returned to NC in the capable hands of Captain Al, Captain Jim Smith, and Tommy Meeks. As I'm sure everybody has heard by now, we have a new home this year in Morehead City (no, our name will not change to Morehead City Diving Services; I just don't have that kind of energy). George Purifoy of Olympus Dive Center has offered us a slip on his dock, and we feel like this will be more convenient for our divers. We're looking forward to seeing all of you again this year! As always, feel free to call us if you have concerns, questions, or if you just feel like giving us our props (the pat-on-the-back kind, however the four-bladed kind are welcome as well). LET'S GO DIVING!
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| Cleaning up the transom |
Papa Smurf (Tommy Meeks) sands the bottom of the boat. |
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| Relettering the bow |
The finished product |
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| She hits the water for the first time as the Mutiny |
The Mutiny arives at her new home |
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June 26, 2007
As Captain Al mentioned in an earlier post, our very own Captain Mike Daniel tied the knot on June 2 in St. Thomas! Mike's been raving about his bride for over a year now, and we're proud to add Kelly to our diving family. They make a beautiful couple, as you can see from the photos. We wish you many years of happiness, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel!
And we'll be lookin' to share some of that Dom Perignon...
June 27, 2007
Hey divers! Morehead City diving conditions continue to get better and better as the summer bears down on us! I just returned from a trip to Bermuda, made 6 dives there, and was reminded that North Carolina diving is the best in the world. While Bermuda does have better fish chowder than we do, we have the best of everything else here: rays, sharks, barracuda, frog fish, turtles, and morays, to name a very few, plus WRECKS. With an able crew in place, I haven’t worked as much this year as I’ve wanted, but July will be a busy month for me aboard the Mutiny. Along with the other captains, I look forward to seeing some groups that I haven’t seen in a while (I absolutely cannot wait to get some of the Chesapeake Bay Barracudas back to Morehead, and the folks from Diver Down Scuba in FL are a riot).
While we all look forward to using our new gear (hopefully in the quarry or pool first…safety knows no holiday!), tanks, and wetsuits, remember that space on board the boat is somewhat limited. There is enough room for each diver to bring two tanks or one set of doubles, one pony (40 cubic feet or less), one bag of gear, and some dry items to put in the cabin. We encourage you to use the cooler on deck for your lunch items, and of course, your cameras and spear guns are welcome. These guidelines ensure that everyone has adequate space for their belongings without overloading the boat. The last time Al had to get out and push, he got really irritable. Then, in retaliation, he demands more meatloaf. It’s a whole vicious circle.
Pack up your gear and come diving!
August 13, 2007
Roy Cowan was a tough nut to crack, as they say. He never spoke when words weren’t needed, and he used only a few when they were. When I met Roy back in 1999, I often mistook his quiet demeanor for apathy or downright unfriendliness. However, his sense of humor began to peep through little by little as we spent countless hours together on the Flying Fish: Roy, my husband Wade and I. We learned to be better divers by watching him. We learned how to be better friends by knowing him. He spent the night before he died trying to explain to me, with infinite patience, how to find the wreck when I jumped over the side with the grapple. I never asked Roy for help that he didn’t deliver, regardless of the inconvenience or poor timing. He even helped us move all of our belongings from one house to another on New Year’s Day and was, I’m certain, delivered a one-two punch from his wife Kim for being away from home so long on a holiday. I’m sure it was difficult for Kim, sharing Roy so liberally with hundreds of people.
Roy was a strong, competent man. Outside of Wade, he was the most able man I ever knew. He plucked me from the ocean twice, pulling me and my buddy so easily we might not have been there. It seemed strangely appropriate that we all stood in our wetsuits yesterday as Kim returned Roy to the Schurz for the last time. The day was more difficult for me than I thought it would be, and others were struggling as I was. I had hoped that the “time heals all wounds” concept would kick into overdrive, but it left me as raw as I’d felt a year ago.
Today, though, I feel ready to move forward. I feel renewed and positive. I feel hopeful that I might have an impact on as many people as Roy did, perhaps even making them better divers. The time for healing has come, and the time for tears has passed. I believe I love diving as much as Roy did. I hope he’s as good an ocean guardian as he was a diver, because I dive a LOT. But perhaps I won’t need another rescue because he made me a better diver.
Rest in peace, my dear friend.
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Captain Al
Welcome back, everybody! I want to give a special thanks to Clint Babcock for all the new improvements he's added to the website as well as providing dive master services for us. Anyone diving with us this year will be in very capable hands. Your captains are Mike Daniel, Yimmy (Jim) Smith, Amy, and of course, me. Dive masters are Will Kirkman, Wade Broughman, Clint Babcock, Bob Minnick, and the beautiful Malena Sharkey (our picturesque chief pirate and mermaid). The two other beauties in the pictures are Sandy Smith (Jim's wife), and Mrs. Terry VOGT. That's right, for those of you who haven't heard, Capt. Al got hitched!! So it must be something in the air because by the time you receive this note, every captain on board the "good ship Mutiny" will be married! Mike also tied the knot on the 2nd of this month to a beautiful young lady, Kelly Johnson Daniel. Congrats, Mike!!
The M/V "Mutiny" has air conditioning now as well as many new cosmetic changes. We have the ability this year to plug any 110 volt device for charging, running laptops, toaster ovens, whatever!! We are docking this year at Olympus's dock, right next to the Midnight Express. Even air fills are more convenient than ever. Just cart 'em right up the dock. Three monitors are provided to expedite the process and we've kept our departure schedule of 6:30 a.m. compared to Olympus's departure of 7:00 a.m. to make things even less confusing and crowded. Parking has not been a problem since we're the first to depart. There is an unloading zone right in front of the dock and a public lot to compensate for the overflow less than a block away. Public restrooms are right there and George of course has a full service dive shop for any last minute, forgotten, broken type situations. I hate to put my mouth on myself, but things have been going GREAT so far, and I can't foresee any problems. So come see us. We have a few unchartered weekends and a few slots left on the chartered ones. So give us a call and we'll be glad to fill you in on the availability! Oh, by the way, bottom temps here last weekend were 77+ and the viz was around 80'. Even the sharks were smiling!
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June 21, 2007
We had some awesome diving this weekend (June 15-17, read Captain Jim’s detailed account on the “Dive Reports” page)! We welcomed back the familiar faces of the MD Hydronauts and Bill's Scuba Hut group and we thank them for their patronage! These are two VERY experienced dive clubs who travel quite a bit and having been chartering boats for years. I sure hope we showed our MD divers a good time! We enjoyed a great weekend despite the less than perfect weather that Mother Nature threw at us.
I'd also like to throw out special congrats to my little brother John Vogt (the fish cop, MD Dept. of Natural Resources Police) who accompanied us for the first time to do his open water check out dives. It was a really special honor for me to be able to certify him, and believe me when I say he got NO SLACK. His first open water dive was on the Aeolus. After working on the line and doing his skills flawlessly, I treated him to his first view of a ship wreck! We touched the sand at 110' and all I could see were John’s teeth smiling behind his regulator! He looked like a sandtiger, there were so many teeth!! LOL. His second dive was to the Naeco, once again demonstrating terrific skills and giving him his first experience of being narc’d at 129'.
The last day we dove together on the Hardee's with a strong current. He was treated to the ride we experience while un-hooking! With a 2 kt. current and regs blowing in the breeze, he once again exhibited well above average skills and a comfort level that takes many divers years to attain. Although a paying customer, John pitched in with line handling, a full day ( 13 1/2 hrs ) of a/c installation prior to our weekend so our customers could ride in comfort, and even some boat driving. Thanks for the break! While new to diving, his job running a boat every day in the Chesapeake made him quite an asset to the crew! We enjoyed having you! Congrats little brother, you're a diver now!! Welcome aboard!!!
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Captain Jim
Just wanted to post a short note to welcome back some familiar faces this season. We have a few groups chartered this summer that I have become very close with over the years. To name a few, I am really looking forward to seeing the folks from the MD Hydronauts, Laurel Divers from PA, Chesapeake Bay Diving (haven't seen Dan and Michelle for an eternity!!!), the folks with Rufus Myers, Joe Dubose and his Scubaventures group, and Dale Wichman's Commonwealth group. Over the years, I have had many close relationships with many of you. We celebrated some milestone dives, we had a lot of good natured humor, we hashed out the world's problems, and we have sadly mourned the loss of some of our close friends and fellow divers. Through it all, I have realized the East coast wreck diving community is a very tight knit group of great people.
I also want to welcome some new groups to the Mutiny family. Amy, Al, Wade and others have worked tirelessly to make improvements to the boat which I am sure everyone will enjoy. Our new home at Olympus Dive Center will enable us to get quality services like air fills and equipment repairs for our passengers. George and Bobby Purifoy have been the leaders in NC wreck diving for years and the crew of the Mutiny welcomes their knowledgeable input and experience. The crew has trained extensively to provide a safe environment for our divers, and I am very pleased with the quality of the crew that Al and Amy have assembled. As always, constrictive criticism or suggestions are appreciated and will be acted on to improve our quality of service to the gr4oups we have the privilege of hosting.
I am personally looking forward to many safe and enjoyable trips.
July 1, 2007
I want to congratulate our newest, youngest, and prettiest little diver to complete her first ocean dive with the Mutiny. Maggie Gay, along with her proud papa Joe,
successfully completed her first two ocean dives on the Caribsea with us
Sunday. I am not sure who was smiling more, Maggie having just seen for the
first time, the wonders that the wrecks hold for anyone skilled enough to
explore them, or Joe, the proud dad who has just seen his fifth and final
child get their underwater wings under his guidance. I have been diving
with Joe for more years than I'd like to admit and it gives me great
pleasure to see the joy in his eyes as his children have learned to enjoy
something that he truly has a passion for. I was lucky enough on my dives
on the Caribsea to be escorted by his son Johnnie who I have seen become a
very solid and dependable diver since his first dive on the Naeco several
years ago. Johnnie has become a regular on our charters and has become
quite a successful hunter as well. These are the moments that make all the
hard work worth it as a crewmember on a diving charter boat! The amazement
in the eyes and the everlasting smile of these new divers is something you
have to see to really appreciate and I am glad I could play just a little
role in getting it done.
Captain Jim Smith
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