In reply to Claire Driscoll.

Ahoy there,
Was recalling some happy trips aboard the Drake today with my wife Janice (I took her on a trip in early 99 to propose to her. )
and I cam across this post and really brings back so many memories. That year we sailed out of Antigua north up through St Bart’s St Kitts finished a week later in St Martin.
I sailed aboard her 7 separate times. First time was when they just started in May 88? I know Capt Brian said it was only like up about 4 weeks. That was around the US and British VI
I was hooked. Even got to sail around Manhattan when she came up for the 500th anniversary of Columbus voyage to America in summer of 1992.
But I truly cried when I was called by the ladies who handled the bookings in Aurora Co. to tell me how it sank. It was located about 10 miles SSE of St Marrteen in about 1200 ft of water. So sad, I TO this day can’t believe that they removed both engines at the same time for their rebuild!! Might of saved $10k I was told. But stupid mistake ! Otherwise they’re of anchored on the back side of the island facing hurricane Lenny coming East out of the Gulf of Mexico. And she could still be here today!!
Many many stories I’ve got from my trips there
One favorite is ON costume night we got Capt Frank so drunk he didn’t come out of his cabin until 930 am or so lol just said you guys stay away from me!! Lol
Glad you’ve got a piece of a mast! Very cool
Best wishes if you find a ship down there like it let me know
Don

In reply to Claire Driscoll.

Great Times. Daryl worked as deckhand and Steve was a bartender. I remember Claire, Captain Frank and Brian.

spent the evening of my wedding on the SFD anchored in magens bay usvi. they sent a small boat to the beach to pick my husband,me and Brian the captains fiance (she photographed our weddingaa) up. It was the costume party night of their cruise and they were kind to invite us to dinner dancing and a fun round of Limbo. We had a great time and was sorry to hear of the ships demise.

In reply to stephen j. foisy.

I worked as the bartender on that ship stephen,do you remember me?

We celebrated our 10th anniversary taking a cruise on this ship. Was sorry to hear she sank, but don’t see any sign that they’ve restarted their business with a new boat? Many great memories of that cruise; those islands are magical, and we have wonderful memories of where we went, our fellow passengers, and the crew. We dream of doing it again!

Yes Brian was a jerk. I was the bartender. But the crew and times ere the best.

i worked on the drake in 1990/1991. frank was a good and able captain. brian on the other was a pompus, idiotic twit. he ran her aground taking a ‘shortcut’ north of water island at st. thomas. he was a cruel racist, that almost killed me when he refused to let me off the boat for 8 days. i had a fever of 104 and dysentary. i was able to get medical help at st. john and stayed with a friend till i was well enough to return to the ship. he tried to cheat me out of my wages and said if i was “one of them niggers, he would have thrown me overboard”. i then quit and he tried to get me to stay. i repaired all of his electronics and his electrical damage in the engine room, which was damaged when he ran the ‘drake’ aground. the fire hoses were unusable, the lines were corroded shut. the bilge pump was a joke, i had to bang on the valves to make it work. it supplied raw water to the top side toilets and the fire hoses, but to empty the bilge twice a day, i had to use the same pump. it was a dissaster waiting to happen. still i enjoyed the ship, it had a good crew…except for blye, i mean brian. the whole crew hated him. let me guess, who was in command when she went to davy jones locker, BRIAN?