Porthole Dive Charters closing up shop

[Pez7378]

I've talked to my wife and she says if we win the lottery I can buy the Mark V. This is sad news indeed. I'll never forget my one and only dive off of that boat!

[Dogboy]

I hate to hear this news, I know that Mike and his crew were doing everything they could to provide the best experience possible for the divers. We enjoyed diving with them in Neah Bay right after the Mark V got repaired the last time.

I don't know how far south the Aluminator comes for pick-up, but we have run into them at KVI Towers, so the will do some South Sound charters (or somewhat southish at least)

I miss the Misty and the Hook too. I did my first boat dive off the Hook, many years ago...

Yeah, I have really fond memories of Soundwave Scuba, (the name of the business that owned the Captain Hook and the Misty Fjord), and really enjoyed the friendship of the owners, Jeff and Dayna Rogers. The very first article that I wrote for ADM was of a trip to the Diamond Knot aboard the Captain Hook. The following year the ADM staff came up and we did a trip involving dives all over the Sound on the Misty Fjord. Those were some splendid times with some great folks and I miss them a lot.

To this day I hope that they are doing well wherever they are....

- John

Interestingly enough, just last weekend I saw the Captain Hook tied up to a dock over in Dockton on Maury Island. I had never seen it before, and it appeared to be in decent enough condition that with a little clean up could be put in service. We were wondering at the time if someone was starting a new charter business, but now realize that must be where they are storing it. There is also a LARGE power catamaran with dive marking moored neaby it but I didn't pay attention to the name. Was the Misty Fjord a cat hull? This one definatly would require a lot of work.

[Burntchef]

I've talked to my wife and she says if we win the lottery I can buy the Mark V. This is sad news indeed. I'll never forget my one and only dive off of that boat!

were you on the one that was nearly run down by the cargo container ship? that was a hoot!!

[Pinkpadigal]

Last I heard, the Misty was in Oregon, operating as a whale watching boat. I know that Banditos was looking into purchasing the Hook, but the sale fell through. All this info was given to me 2-3 years ago.

The Misty Fjord was a great boat. You actually geared up inside the boat (tanks and all) and giant stride off the back. During the summer, you could hang out on top and enjoy the sun. She was not fast, at all but still a great dive boat. We had a group on her very last charter, New Year's Eve, 2003. It was sad to say goodbye.

[fergie]

Hello to all, I have been reading the posts but have been unable to successfully log on until now.
Thanks for all your kind words. It has been a rocky road since we took delivery of the MARK V. I have enjoyed the years of chartering and it strange to watch it all go away. Many are asking to hear it from the source so I will try and spell it out and let everyone know the full impact.
As many of you know we had many manufacturing issue with the new boat. That and the lack of customer service now from the manufacture (armstrong marine)is really what I blame for the inability of Porthole make ends meet. We dug a whole earily and then the economy dumped and the writing was on the wall. The only reason we made it this long was because the support of many who volunteered time and resources to try to get us over the hump.
I believed we could make it through this year and last weekend a problem with the shifting actuator arose. not sure what but we lost propulsion in one motor for a while until Captain Craig with some help was able to get it working again. Volvo was contacted and they had some concerns. There was no mechanics available for one and a half weeks or more. With cancellations and 2 dive shops still owning us money for charters already provided, we don't have the money to pay for the work anyway. So I made the decision that I am done chasing my tail and it is time to close shop.
It was a hard decision but just had no choice.
So what now? We are selling everything. The bank has put limitations on the boats as to how much they need to clear titles but they may be willing to deal. The MARK V, DASH and trailer, and all tanks have to go. The Rigid Hull Inflateable is also available. There is also interest in the compressor. Again the Bank has the final say so if interested lets talk. If someone has the resources and wants to buy the boat, I know a captain who is available
I want to thank all the customers of porthole dive charters and i hope to see you in the water. Thanks also
Mike Ferguson
Former Owner Porthole Dive Charters

[Sounder]

Sorry to hear that Mike. I'm interested in the RIB and will be in touch.

[fergie]

I feel the need to make a few more comments after reading the latest treads.
Fisrt; why I was in the charter business. It started as a way to pay for my hobbie. I never intended to live off the income or really make an income. My plan was to provide a means to take people and myself to the places other charters were not serving. The Dash is trailerable and we had a blast going everywhere with the Dash. In 2000 we had the Dash in Port Hardy for over a week, diving Nanimo, cambell river, and snug harbor along the way.
The Dash didnt make money nor did it lose money but we had fun and that was the purpose. Our summers got very busy and the Dash was doing 2 trips a day all summer in Neah Bay, that took a toll on the Dash and the crew, we looked at stopping chartering then as an option but also looked at getting a new boat. As many know I am a career firefighter and that pays my bills, so when business planning for the Mark V, the question was could it support itself not could it make me money. I wanted to bring something different to the Puget Sound and Neah Bay. The purpose of the Mark V was also to accomadate my family on these long weekends in Neah Bay, San Juans, Diamond Knot, etc. If we repeated the business the dash was doing we would have done fine.
When the Mark V was delivered it wasnt done, but we had booked charters on the Manufactures guaranteed completion date. So the sorry began, week after week promises and failures on the Mark V. We operated almost 2 months taking the boat on weekends and then returning it to the manufacture during the week. In May the first major failure, the engines flooded with salt water. This killed our first summer, had to cancell the summer and we to date never got many of those customers back and our numbers were far below that of when we were operating just the Dash. Do I blame customers? No I needed to earn their trust back and was unable to do so.
The Mark V mechanically is a sound boat. The difficulty this last weekend is just boat ownership which many of you do not understand unless you have owned one. It was just beyond our means to fix and the timeing sucked. The issues that remain on the Mark V are it is a slow boat with customers aboard. It was underdesigned for the amount of weight she would be expected to hold. We put bids out for a boat that would do 20knots with 12 divers and all the equipment that is on the Mark V. The purpose of having a fast boat would allow us to continue serving those distant locations in a more timely manner and allowing the business to grow and complete two charters per day in the summner if the need was there as it was with the Dash.
We had legal actions against Armstrong Marine for these issues but we ran out of money to continue that fight.
The Mark V is a good vessel worth owning if you have the means.
I loved operating the boat, I loved being on the boat, but most of all I value the friends I know have because of the boat and those the bank can't take from me. I hope to stay involved in the dive community but at this stage I am not sure in what way or area. Thanks again and I will miss most of your smiling faces

[Joshua Smith]

Hello to all, I have been reading the posts but have been unable to successfully log on until now.
Thanks for all your kind words. It has been a rocky road since we took delivery of the MARK V. I have enjoyed the years of chartering and it strange to watch it all go away. Many are asking to hear it from the source so I will try and spell it out and let everyone know the full impact.
As many of you know we had many manufacturing issue with the new boat. That and the lack of customer service now from the manufacture (armstrong marine)is really what I blame for the inability of Porthole make ends meet. We dug a whole earily and then the economy dumped and the writing was on the wall. The only reason we made it this long was because the support of many who volunteered time and resources to try to get us over the hump.
I believed we could make it through this year and last weekend a problem with the shifting actuator arose. not sure what but we lost propulsion in one motor for a while until Captain Craig with some help was able to get it working again. Volvo was contacted and they had some concerns. There was no mechanics available for one and a half weeks or more. With cancellations and 2 dive shops still owning us money for charters already provided, we don't have the money to pay for the work anyway. So I made the decision that I am done chasing my tail and it is time to close shop.
It was a hard decision but just had no choice.
So what now? We are selling everything. The bank has put limitations on the boats as to how much they need to clear titles but they may be willing to deal. The MARK V, DASH and trailer, and all tanks have to go. The Rigid Hull Inflateable is also available. There is also interest in the compressor. Again the Bank has the final say so if interested lets talk. If someone has the resources and wants to buy the boat, I know a captain who is available
I want to thank all the customers of porthole dive charters and i hope to see you in the water. Thanks also
Mike Ferguson
Former Owner Porthole Dive Charters

Mike- again, I'm really sorry for all the troubles you had with the MK V. I had some great dives with you off both the Dash and the MK V, and got to know you a bit in the process. Porthole will be sorely missed. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors; and I completely understand your need to cut your losses at this point. Stay in touch- who knows what the future might bring?

[renoun]

A little bit of good news for this thread.

Office of Public Affairs
13th Coast Guard District
News Release

Date: Dec. 15, 2009
Contact: (360) 417-5828
Lt. Jane Carley
Tacoma resident earns Coast Guard award

SEATTLE – A Tacoma, Wash., resident is being presented a Coast Guard Public Service Commendation at Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., at 1 p.m., Wednesday.

Mike Ferguson is being recognized for assisting a distressed vessel near Cape Flattery, Wash., August 29, 2009.

Ferguson was underway on his charter boat, the Mark V when he heard an urgent marine information broadcast over the radio regarding a 28-foot pleasure craft. The pleasure craft had four people on board and was adrift and rapidly heading into hazardous conditions. He quickly identified the vessel in distress, informed the Coast Guard he was assisting.

Ferguson was able to bring his charter boat alongside the distressed vessel and transferred four people, including two children onto his boat. He was also able to pass a towline to the pleasure craft and tow it to safer waters.

For questions concerning the event, please contact Lt. Jane Carley at (360) 417-5828.

[nwscubamom]

That's my Mikey!!! Way to go Fergie!!!

He also assisted another 'distressed' vessel when we were out in 2008 for our REEF surveys. Boydski tossed the boat a line, and we towed 'em back in. Here's his awesome throw, caught by photo in mid-air:

Boydski shows 'em the ropes....

These are GOOD guys...yup!

- Janna

BTW, BLUE Mug #5 was MINE, I say! ALL mine!!!

[John Rawlings]

Hooray for the good guys!

[renoun]

More details.


http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/artic ... /312179991

Civilian skipper honored for rescue by Coast Guard


By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News
Lawrence Mayfield is thankful he did.

Mayfield and three crew members were drifting helplessly in a 28-foot fishing boat near Cape Alava, south of Cape Flattery, on Aug. 29.

They were anchored, but the heavy surf kept pushing them toward the rocks at Umatilla Reef.

Fortunately for Mayfield, Ferguson was at the right place at the right time. ...