The Treasure Divers of Vigo Bay

[DaleC]

The Treasure Divers of Vigo Bay
By John S. Potter Jr.
Doubleday & Company Inc. New York 1958
HC with B&W photos

Just picked this book up on Ebay the other day and am trying to solve a little mystery. Across the title page is the name Foster "Buzz" Yoakum inscribed like an autograph but I can find no mention of such a fellow in the book. Does anyone know who this person might be?

[sitkadiver]

Dale,

I just ordered a copy of this on Amazon. Thanks for the recommendation.

Did you know that Owen Lee made a documentary film of the same title? I'm hoping there are some good underwater images as the review states it's a DVD of old 16mm footage.

[DaleC]

Did you order the DVD? If so, I would be interested in knowing if it is worthwhile.

The book is a good read though at first glance may be a bit daunting (lots of pages of small text) but the writing style is informal and easy to follow and the story is intriguing.

If you like it I would also suggest Diving for Pleasure and Treasure by Clay Blair which chronicles his and Robert Marx's search for treasure off the Yucatan coast (Cosumel).

As serendipity would often have it, shortly after reading that book I spied Robert Marx's name on an otherwise nondescript book in a thrift store and came away with Shipwrecks of the Western Hemisphere which is a dry read (but very informative).

Anyways, interested in your take on the DVD.

[sitkadiver]

I did order the DVD. I'll let you know how it is. I'm sorry I wasn't more complete in my previous post. Owen Lee was also a Calypso diver.

[Popeye]

For more information on Owen Lee who has been in Mexico for the last 40+ years at Owen Lee's Las gatas Beach club,located in Pacific Mexico,see.

owenlee.name

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Great info Popeye...I will be vacationing near there the first part of 2012

It should be note that John Potter also published the "Treasure Divers Guide" in 1960, revised and enlarged edition in 1972 and the English version in 1973 as hardcover, with dustjacket and also as a soft cover.

If interested try to locate the revised editions
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Dale C

Suggest that you may want to read page 27 of the 1975 edition of SCUBA Pro catalog,titled "Battle of Vigo Bay."

Very concise one page account of the battle..

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[Popeye]

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I have both editions of The Treasure Divers of Vigo Bay autographed by John,along side of Owen Lee's THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO SNORKEL AND DEEP DIVING 1963 and 67 editions and his The Skin Divers Bible 1963/1968 same shelve includes Gene Parkers's Complete guide to Skin Diving plus Gene's revised editon of Dive and the orginal edition by Rick And Barbara Carrier,Ellis Royal(E.R.) Cross's Underwater Safety along side Hope Root's Spearfishing and Skin Diving in the Florida keys (Amazon has one for sale for $400.00 +3.99 shipping)

ok Sam,pick it up from there

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[quote="Popeye"]21
I have both editions of The Treasure Divers of Vigo Bay autographed by John,along side of Owen Lee's THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO SNORKEL AND DEEP DIVING 1963 and 67 editions and his The Skin Divers Bible 1963/1968 same shelve includes Gene Parkers's Complete guide to Skin Diving plus Gene's revised editon of Dive and the orginal edition by Rick And Barbara Carrier,Ellis Royal(E.R.) Cross's Underwater Safety along side Hope Root's Spearfishing and Skin Diving in the Florida keys (Amazon has one for sale for $400.00 +3.99 shipping)

ok Sam,pick it up from there[/quote]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pick up what?

I was under the impression that the subject was "Treasure Divers of Vigo Bay"--Hopefully by posts from interested parties we can gleen something of the author,the book, and the battle that produced the salvage..

FYI
I also have all of the above books you listed..
I also have an inscribed hard back edition of Owen's "Complete Illustrated Guide to Snorkel and Deep Diving" as well as Owen's "Manual del Buceador Moderno" (Luis Note)

Remember I organized and presented the first American diving bibliophile meet in my home in 1991, so I do have a few books, magazines etc..
sdm

[Popeye]

Thanks

[DaleC]

Hi Sam. Do you know anything about that Foster "Buzz" Yoakum signature in my first post? As you can see it looks more like a signed copy than someone putting their name in a book to indicate ownership. I've read this book, looked in the index of other books of that era and tried googling the name but come up with nothing.

What I like about reading books like this is how certain characters/people are introduced to my consciousness and then I seem to run into more and more references regarding them after that. Robert Stenuit being a prime example. He began the first "scuba related" search in Vigo Bay and did a lot of research but had to give it up, leaving the door open for Potters attempt. Robert returns to join the Potter team though and is one of the major divers described in this book. After that R.S. began to come up in many other books I was reading, both as an "actor" and as an author. Quite by chance I read about his finding the Girona, his 400+ deep dive with John Lindbergh and his work with Ed link and Joe MacInnis.
I have 4 books by Joe MacInnis and find the interrelationship between him, Stenuit, Link and Phil Nyutten to be fascinating. Those 4 guys seem to have had their fingers in most of the civilian experimental diving pies being baked in the 60's/70's.

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Dale C.

I have never ran across the name Yoacum in any other book. I agree it does look like a autograph signature. But probably indicates ownership..

Interesting how the four you mentioned had such an early impact and only Phil remains in diving. Phil was all over the Santa Barbara commerical dive world and contributed much and still is contributing-In Kalifornia he was given a very special name, but I won't repeat it...(unless he irritates me)

Jon departed diving and at last report is off raising fresh water shrimp in NW US--like his famous father he always danced to a different drummer

Joe is now in homeland security--Lives in Tronto - might look him up and send him your books for a inscription..He is a very nice approachable gentleman

I never met, or at least don't recall meeting Robert Stenuit, but have also seen his name in print for a long long time-- Maybe Phil has some info on him.
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[Popeye]

Dr. Joe Macinnis can reached at,
http://www.drjmacinnis.com/

[Popeye]

For more up to date information on Robert Stenuit check out.

http://www.nothingtosea.com/docs/immersed_rs.pdf

[DaleC]

Excellent replies and links. I think I will try to contact JM. I have 5 books by him now:
Underwater Man, HC
The Breadelbane Adventure, HC
The Land That Devours Ships, PB, signed (same as the Breadelbane Adventure).
Breathing Underwater, HC
Fitzgeralds Storm, PB

Just a while ago I read an newspaper article regarding an UW observation bell he was involved in that was abandoned in a backwater somewhere in the great lakes. Not the Sub Igloo or anything; this looked more like a small grain storage silo. Apparently it was only anchored in 30' of water or so and used by university students as an OP. I'll try to find that link.