When I first sprang onto the Great Lakes shipwreck scene as this completely unknown author there were a few eyebrows raised. Then, no sooner had the first book appeared than the second book began showing up on the shelves of gift shops all over the lake region and more eyebrows were raised. Who is this guy?
Of course there were a lot of well established shipwreck folks out there who were of the mind that there is plenty of room in this subject for everyone- so welcome aboard. Chuck Feltner, seen here holding a copy of his book with me holding a copy of my first book aboard his boat the GEMINI II, was one such person. He greeted me as a friend and he was a willing mentor. The date was June 25, 1992 and myself along with my mom and dad plus my wife Teresa got a good dose of Feltner hospitality. He advised me on wrecks that may make good stories and good sources of information as the years went on. Chuck was a superior wreck diver, wreck hunter, explorer, historian, author and friend.
Some people seem prone to think about the sadness of a friend who passes away. I prefer to remember them in the happy moments they help create. I've always treasured this photo and that moment- and I always will.
