Thanks Dom! That's very helpful inputs.
Hoping to get more information of Calipso as a newly refurbished vessel sounds like an attractive deal at more than US$2000 less per pax.
If you visit
CalipsoDive.com, we have a ton of information about Calipso. I highly recommend the FAQ sections. On the blog, there are construction update photos. The last photos I was able to upload are of actual finished cabins. And please, visit us on
Facebook.
Currently, the work left to be done is just finishing work...staining cabinetry, installing lighting fixtures and plugs in the salon and dining area, dive deck fittings (installing the diver stations, rinse tank, camera, table) etc. We wouldn't dare install all the stainless fixtures on the dive deck until last to avoid dents and dings. There is a crew of 46 working on Calipso.
As I said, cabins are finished, complete with all furniture and fixtures. The jacuzzi is installed on the sundeck. All rental equipment (new ScubaPro), new Catalina tanks, all orders from the US have arrived. Equipment like sonar, GPS antennas and various communication/safety equipment will be installed last to avoid theft prior to use.
Simultaneous with all finishing work is the paperwork . I remember my friend Mathias said of his daily dive boat years ago that once the process was done, he was going to put it all in his boat and see if it sunk the boat.
Final paperwork is underway and hopefully we have the right people in place to diminish delays on the mainland as a result of corruption. Galapagos National Park has assured us we will have no delay in paperwork with them.
My god, after all this I have a whole new level of awareness. I've gut renovated a house, but that is like a walk in the park compared to this process. Calipso owners went above and beyond every step of the way with all new top of the line equipment: Cummins motors, Bauer compressor, ScubaPro rental gear, Catalina tanks, Nautilus Lifelines on down the line. It was all done right.
Special touches, too. All TVs in cabins are hard wired for on demand video and audio options. A video cable (power source) was hard wired so we can drop a video camera under the boat to livestream the marine life on the TV in the salon when we're not in motion. Wi fi.
Calipso has been years in the making and is about to be a great option in Galapagos. Owners are not distant investors. Their father was a Galapagos fisherman. 2 live in Galapagos and 2 on the mainland. They are a hard working, highly educated family who literally sold the family farm, got loans, invested their collective savings, etc to realize this project. If you meet them, they are such good people, you can't help but wish the best for them. I'm sure there are some jaded agencies who have met them and can chime in to agree with that.
In case you're wondering about the name, yes, there is
history. May Calipso follow in their namesake's famous footsteps of being associated with an abundance of marine life and the thrill of discovery.
