Golden Dawn - Is Craig de Wit Still Running the Boat?

I had been told that Craig de Wit was going to sell the boat and go off and manage a private yacht. I happened to look at the Golden Dawn website and saw there were trips scheduled for 2009. Can someone tell me what is happening with this boat.

If the Golden Dawn is not operating then does anyone have any recommendations for other boats in PNG. For example, Telita, Febrina, or Star Dancer. I have heard the Star Dancer has had quite a few problems last year.

Thanks.

SnappyTheDiver:

I had been told that Craig de Wit was going to sell the boat and go off and manage a private yacht. I happened to look at the Golden Dawn website and saw there were trips scheduled for 2009. Can someone tell me what is happening with this boat.

If the Golden Dawn is not operating then does anyone have any recommendations for other boats in PNG. For example, Telita, Febrina, or Star Dancer. I have heard the Star Dancer has had quite a few problems last year.

Thanks.

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Hello STD, when I last spoke to Craig he told me the same. But that was a while ago and he has had other job offers fall through, so who knows. I would try to contact Paul at Dolphin enterprises in Port Moresby which owns Telita and GD. 325 6500 is their phone #, + the PNG country code. I have called PNG with a calling card before and it wasn't expensive. Paul is the guy who has been in charge of the logistics/support for both boats and is a long time PNG resident, nice guy and sometime Captains Telita.

If the boat has been sold, Craig almost certainly included his GPS coordinates and notes. So, if the new Capt is at all decent and an active diver, they should be able to do a good job. GD is the only boat in PNG with active and passive stabilizers which allows her to go pretty much anywhere in reasonable comfort, best liveaboard I've been on by leaps and bounds.

Telita and Febrina both have deeper draft hulls and are not as top heavy and will be more sea-kindly in their motion than Stardancer. This means that the weather is not as much of factor when making crossings to the the farther, and often better sites. -Andy

As of late November, the private yacht had not happened and Craig was still booking Eastern Fields, etc. StarDancer is currently being slipped with major interior renovations taking place. Last year included rebuilt mains, new gen sets, etc. FeBrina starts her season on 8 Feb for South Coast of New Britain, then into Kimbe Bay, Rabaul, etc. from April on. FeB is an iron boat and 72'/7 cabins/12 pax...2 cabins are singles...She tends to be a bit more stable than Star. Star draws about the same as FeBrina but has a bigger profile so tends to catch wind more...she is also beamier...but is 120'/8 cabins/16 pax. Hope this helps.

In the past, my wife had always been in touch with Craig, but had lost touch over the past year. Since, we're planning a trip to PNG for this summer and wanted to return to the GD, I tried to get back in touch with Craig and did some other checking. Craig does still own the boat and is still scheduling trips, but, with the exception of Eastern Fields trips, is not doing so far in advance. Thus, a month and a half ago, no trips were scheduled for the summer when he usually does the Ninigo and Hermits Islands and when I wanted to go.

I looked just now, and he's set for a private charter for the entire month of July, though there's a little availability in early June--but that's before my son gets out of school. In any case, I needed to plan and committed to Star Dancer for a Walindi-Rabaul trip. Hope I won't be disappointed. I really wanted to do another trip with Craig. He is a great skipper and the GD is a fantastic boat.

ChetMoore:

FeB is an iron boat and 72'/7 cabins/12 pax...2 cabins are singles...She tends to be a bit more stable than Star. Star draws about the same as FeBrina but has a bigger profile so tends to catch wind more...she is also beamier...but is 120'/8 cabins/16 pax. Hope this helps.

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Hello Chet, the fact that they have the same draft, despite Febrina being 48ft shorter and probably half the tonnage of Star Dancer, is further indication that Febrina would be more stable in most sea conditions, especially quartering or on-beam seas.

I know you sometimes represent both boats at dive shows, doesn't Febrina have a more 'V' shaped semi-displacement hull whereas Star Dancer has a flatter, planning type hull? This would explain how 2 such different size boats could have the same draft. I have been under both boats at Walindi and this is what I remember seeing. Let me know if my recollection is correct. Thanks, -Andy

Having spent a fair amout of time under both without a tape measure, you may well be right...the hull descriptions are correct. And yes, I do all the US consumer shows for FeB,Walindi, Loloata and even with the change in ownership of Star, am doing them as well...as to Star, she will be coming out of slip in a few weeks with an all new interior. Also, hit the new Hall IMAX show...filmed off of Star on South Coast and Milne Bay...If you are at either BTS (Newark) or Scuba Show (Long Beach) please stop by and chat a while...

Cheers.
Chet

ChetMoore:

Having spent a fair amout of time under both without a tape measure, you may well be right...the hull descriptions are correct. And yes, I do all the US consumer shows for FeB,Walindi, Loloata and even with the change in ownership of Star, am doing them as well...as to Star, she will be coming out of slip in a few weeks with an all new interior. Also, hit the new Hall IMAX show...filmed off of Star on South Coast and Milne Bay...If you are at either BTS (Newark) or Scuba Show (Long Beach) please stop by and chat a while...

Cheers.
Chet

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Hi Chet, thanks for info. I will try to make it to BTS and say hello. -Andy